The butterflies fluttering in your stomach before public speaking; the bout of jitters before a job interview; the sweaty palms you have to keep wiping down before a first date—nerves are completely normal. Nervousness, by itself, is a natural reaction. When we perceive something to be a threat, whether it’s real or imagined, it activates our fight-or-flight response. In short, it’s necessary for survival. It’s our body’s way of telling us we need to be alert to keep us safe. Nerves are temporary, and they typically resolve once the stress is over.
But what happens if they’re not resolved? What does it mean when this stress response is constantly being activated? Well, that’s when nerves go from an occasional symptom to a chronic condition that falls under the ‘anxiety disorder’ umbrella. Frequent, excessive worry in everyday situations that you can’t control not only affects mental health, but it can impact physical health just the same. So, when it becomes an everyday obstacle with significant, adverse effects, what can you do to alleviate it?
In this article, we’ll go over some tips and techniques you can try to ease excessive worry, fear, and panic.
What anxiety looks like
Anxiety can manifest in a number of physical and emotional ways that start to affect your day-to-day life. In terms of your emotions, it can appear as excessive worry, fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, restlessness, and panic attacks, which can negatively impact your work, schooling, and social relationships. When it comes to the physical side of things, anxiety can look like chest pain, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, headaches, and diarrhea.
5 tips for alleviating anxiety
There are many techniques you can implement into your everyday life to help you manage the symptoms of anxiety in the moment and help you prevent them from becoming worse over time. Here are five simple tips to get you started:
1. Practice breathing exercises
Breathing techniques are a powerful tool when it comes to self-regulation. In fact, improper breathing can actually contribute to anxiety, panic attacks, and other physical and emotional disturbances. Take a look at different breathing exercises and try them out; some include belly breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, box breathing, and diaphragmatic breathing.
2. Do a daily exercise
Staying physically active can help ease anxiety as it decreases levels of stress hormones within the body and also provides a distraction from ruminating thoughts. You don’t have to do anything intensive either, your exercise for the day could be anything from jumping rope to going for a 30-minute walk.
3. Write in a journal
Starting a journal, where you write down your thoughts and feelings, can be an effective outlet. Journaling, and other types of writing, can be a productive way to express your feelings, organize any thoughts, identify triggers, record coping strategies, and let out any negativity. It’s often a great way to process things and release any stress and tension you’re holding onto.
4. Reach out to loved ones
It’s easy to let your anxiety isolate you from family, friends, and even activities you love. Instead of isolating when you’re overwhelmed and struggling, reach out to a trusted family member, friend, or colleague for support. Sharing your thoughts and feelings can be a great way to gain some perspective and reassurance. Socializing with those you care about can help relieve stress and encourage a sense of community and togetherness, decreasing your sense of loneliness.
5. Seek out professional support
If you’re really struggling and find things are getting out of hand, it’s important to consult a licensed mental health professional, like a counselor, psychologist, or social worker who has completed the requisite MSW online program, who can provide you with valuable guidance when managing your anxiety. Depending on how severe your anxiety is, they can help you develop actionable plans and coping mechanisms, or discuss options for medication.
Taking control of your anxiety
Just because some techniques work for others, doesn’t automatically mean they’ll work for you too. Figuring out how to bring your anxiety under control is a process of trial and error—it’s not a quick, overnight fix. Remember to always do your own research and when you’re testing out different techniques, try them out a few times before making any conclusions as to whether they work or not for you.