We all experience anxiety at some level so learning how to cope, manage, and reduce it is the only way to regain control over your life! In this post, discover 5 amazing techniques that will transform how you deal with anxiety!

“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.” – Dan Millman

what is anxiety?

Anxiety is an intense, excessive, and persistent worry and/or fear about every day and/or future situations. Common symptoms of anxiety are fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired or fatigued. It’s a feeling when you just feel off, overwhelmed, and stressed and it feels like your heart is going to explode and generally you feel drained.

There are many who know anxiety all too well and have been struggling for a while. For some, anxiety is new and you may have just realized that what you are feeling is in fact anxiety. Whether you have a history with anxiety or just beginning, it is frightening and overwhelming no matter what stage you are currently in.

is there any chance of feeling normal?

Absolutely! Although anxiety feels like a hole that is impossible to climb out of, trust me when I say, escape is possible. It all comes down to your commitment to healing, after all, only YOU can put in the work so the only way to heal is by actually taking action! I know firsthand that when anxiety levels are high all you want to do is hide away BUT that does not HELP…it only makes it worse. Take baby steps toward recovery and acknowledge that you got this when you have accomplished even the smallest task!

How do I cope with anxiety?

Coping with anxiety is different for everyone so finding what for YOU is the key to managing your anxiety! Here are 5 techniques that are useful for managing, coping, and reducing anxiety – practice as many of these as you need.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment while acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. By far, my favorite anxiety relief technique is mindfulness meditation as it brings your thoughts and awareness to the present moment. For many, anxiety is a product of focusing on the future so regularly practicing mindfulness will stop those thoughts and reduce anxiety.

Start by sitting or lay down. Next, close your eyes and breathe; focus on your breathing and how your body feels. Then, allow your thoughts to drift away and bring your attention back to your body. Breathe deeply and do a full-body scan just to take note of how you are feeling at this moment. Finally, open your eyes, look around you and take a minute to get back up. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MINDFULNESS!!!

Affirmations

Affirmations are phrases that we say or think repeatedly to ourselves. When you are suffering from anxiety you are thinking negative thoughts or negative affirmations. In our brains we have a Reticular Activating System (RAS), this system regulates our consciousness so if we are constantly repeating a certain phrase, good or bad, it becomes our way of thinking and feeling. When you are suffering from anxiety it is important to think and say positive affirmations so that your RAS can eventually self-produce positive thoughts and naturally reduce your anxieties.

To help relieve anxiety, repeat positive affirmations to yourself, in time this is will change your mindset and reduce negative thinking significantly. Repeat phrases such as, “My mind is calm and relaxed”, “I am calm and happy”, “I am in control of my thoughts”. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AFFIRMATIONS!!!

Breathing Techniques

When you are suffering from anxiety, having control of your breathing is tremendously helpful. When you are experiencing a panic attack or even a mild episode of anxiety, your breaths are short and you feel suffocated. You can counteract and slow a racing heart with the proper breathing exercises. The trick is to pump oxygen into your lower chest by breathing deep and steady which will calm you down.

4-7-8 breathing: Breath in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.

belly breathing: Sit or lie down, place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach, breathe in through your nose (noticing your stomach rise), exhale through your mouth.

equal breathing: Count slowly to 4 as you breathe in, breath out to the same 4-second count.

Yoga

First and foremost, yoga is a mental, physical and spiritual exercise. This exercise consists of low-impact physical activity such as holding postures called asanas, breathing techniques called pranayama, and meditation. The goal of yoga is to achieve complete harmony and balance with your mind, body, and soul.

It has been found that consistent yoga practice improves depression and leads to a significant increase in serotonin levels while decreasing levels of monoamine oxidase and cortisol. This means it helps balance the negative chemicals in your brain to bring about happiness and contentment. CLICK FOR 7 YOGA POSES TO REDUCE ANXIETY!

My favorite yoga app – Yoga for Beginners | Mind+Body

Journaling

Studies show that journaling is a great way to reduce anxiety. Simply, write down what you are anxious about, why, and your symptoms. It helps to get out all of your thoughts and read them over, most times you will find that your anxieties are irrational and that will bring you peace. CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JOURNALING!

final thoughts

There is no timeline for these techniques. It all depends on you and the work you are willing to put in to heal. The more you do these exercises and put in the genuine effort the quicker your anxieties will die out. No matter what, do not give up!

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