Feeling worried or tense when pressured or when faced with a stressful situation is a normal thing. Stress triggers anxiety, so when you feel stressed about a situation and you think it will lead to something, you develop an anxious feeling. You get anxious when your mind and body responds to what you think is a possible danger or threat. It is like an automatic alarm and a natural response that is conditioned in our body.
Anxiety can be caused by various factors. It could be the stress you are getting from work, the pressure you get from heavy responsibilities at home, or even your form of lifestyle. Anxiety is very much manageable. The control has to come from the mind so the feelings and actions will follow.Some people are good at managing anxiety by simply dealing with the emotion confidently and positively just as how other kinds of feelings are being managed. Once you are able to master the techniques in managing anxiety, it will be easier for you to handle any type of situation presented upon you. You will find that you will be tougher and the confidence to overcome life’s adversities will be stronger.
Self-Reflection
Since basic concept of anxiety management entails having the right mindset, an anxious individual, or all of us who go through anxiety at one point in our life, should remain logical and rational in our way of thinking. The help should start from us before we opt for another option such as therapy and professional aid. If you want to live a life that is free from negative stress, start the change within yourself first.We may not be the best judge of our own selves as the cliché goes, but every now and then, do a self-check and consider these questions below for self-evaluation:
• Do you give yourself a break and set aside a time for relaxation everyday?
• Are you maintaining a regular exercise habit?
• Are you coping well with responsibilities at work and at home?
• Do you get the emotional support that you need from people close to you?
• Do you seek for assistance when you needed it?
• Do you have an outlet for letting go of unwanted stress after a day’s work?
Self-Help for Anxiety Relief
Reflect on these questions and assess whether you are getting a ‘no’ on most of your answers. If that is the case, there is some work that needs to be done to fix your outlook in life and even the form of lifestyle you are following. If you are burdened with responsibilities, sort them through. There may be obligations you need to give up or delegate to other people.If stress seems to eat you up and wears you down, find ways to bring back balance in your life. If you feel that you lack support from those whom you expect to offer you one, initiate the approach. Talk to a friend whom you have not kept in touch with for quite some time now. These simple self-help methods should gradually transform your life.
Complementary Techniques to Anxiety
Apart from doing a self-evaluation, there are simple ways to manage anxiety. Exercise is known to be a very effective self-medication to almost all forms of conditions. A regular exercise is proven to significantly relieve a person from anxiety and stress. Relaxation techniques can be another option. This may be done through self-meditation, muscle relaxation, regularizing the breathing, and visualization.When in the state of anxiety, control the breathing and put on some relaxing music. That should create a calming effect. Yoga is a very powerful form of meditation, so you might want to consider joining yoga sessions. Also take time to visualize or picture yourself out in a happy setting. This method increases feelings of relaxation.
If you feel self-help anxiety management techniques are not quite effective for you, consider getting therapy sessions from professionals instead. But this is only recommended if it is becoming a chronic condition and medical conditions are associated with the feeling already. As much as possible, if it can be helped, take attempts to help yourself first. Living a healthy and stress-free life is what everyone wants anyway.
