Reducing Anxiety Symptoms: Self-Help Solutions
Visiting a counselor for anxiety therapy isn’t always convenient for many people. Sometimes it’s not even convenient to receive help over the phone or computer. That’s why it’s crucial we learn some self-help techniques to reduce anxiety symptoms whenever the need arises. These techniques can sometimes significantly reduce or even eliminate many common symptoms associated with anxiety.
What Is Anxiety? What Are Anxiety Symptoms?
Dr. Crystal Witmer, PsyD, a counselor at Thriveworks Counseling, specializes in the treatment of anxiety and says anxiety is a normal response to life’s stressors and is built into our bodies for a reason. However, Witmer says anxiety symptoms can become worse when our bodies can’t effectively work effectively to cope with the negative thoughts and feelings we sometimes experience.
“Anxiety becomes a problem when our fight and flight mechanisms no longer work as they’re supposed to when we’re constantly being triggered, and the anxiety response is just increasing and making us feel awful,” Witmer says.
Common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Feeling worried or nervous
- Becoming easily fatigued
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Feeling irritable
- Experiencing muscle tension
- Having sleep disturbances (difficulty staying or falling asleep or having unsatisfying sleep)
Ways To Reduce Anxiety on Your Own
There are several ways to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and reset your brain’s fight and flight system. You may already have healthy coping strategies that work for you. And if they work, keep at it! Here are some techniques Witmer recommends when you experience anxiety symptoms:
- Deep breathing: take a moment and get your breath past your chest and into your diaphragm and then back out. This can help you think and calm down.
- Get distracted: distractions can help refocus your thinking away from present worrying thoughts and eases the mind so you can try to let go of anxiety. You can find a new hobby, tap into your creative side with arts and crafts, play games, use humor, or just get up and start moving.
- Journaling: Witmer advocates simply moving your hands. This can be in the form of doodling or, if you enjoy longer-form writing, a more formal process like journaling. Journaling helps alleviate anxiety because it allows you to express yourself in words and constructively think about and examine your triggers and then identify realistic and practical solutions.
- Use your support system: Reach out to friends or family members when you’re feeling anxious and talk about what’s on your mind or how you’re feeling. Let your support team know you need help and see if you can discover any suggestions they can offer you. Or, just allow them to listen. Getting negative thoughts off your chest can often be therapeutic on its own.
If these tips don’t ease your anxiety symptoms, or you just want to seek the advice and counseling of a professional, consider talking to a trained, licensed mental health professional.
Whether you use these suggested tips to reduce anxiety or seek professional therapy to help with your symptoms, find what works best for you and stick to those healthy practices so you can get back to a healthier you.