Tips to Manage Anxiety

What has been keeping you up all night? The government? Your job? A new viral infection? That someone you’ve been wanting to ask out?

It is normal for every person to worry over things, especially those that you don’t have total control of.  However, if it’s causing you too much trouble that you can’t even remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep, then it’s high time that you do something to manage this form of anxiety.

Worrying has its own advantages especially if you are experiencing only the mild level of anxiety. When you worry, your senses are active and you concentration starts to increase in order for you to cope with your anxiety. This is the reason why cramming for exams or project presentations sometimes works for some people.

Yet as mentioned, if you’ve been feeling anxious for several reasons, especially for unknown reasons, over a long period of time already, here are actions you can take to take your mind off these troubles:

Acknowledge Life’s Uncertainty.

Unless you accept the fact that life is unpredictable, you will always try to rationalize everything and this will mentally exhaust you. You should understand that everything happens for a reason. Whether you already realize what it is or is not, all you have to do is put your heart  and mind in everything you do. The rest is up to the world.

Sleep Early.

According to studies, people who sleep very late especially after a hard day’s work tend to overthink even the simplest situations. Because they are too overwhelmed with these thoughts, they have shorter amounts of sleeping time, making them more prone to fatigue and then more worry.

If you don’t have enough energy to hustle through your daily tasks, you will become negative not only to yourself but also to others.

If you hit the sheets earlier, you will still have time to think about certain things but you also have ample time to do relaxation techniques. This way, you won’t be compromising your normal hours of sleep.

Breathe Slowly.

Deep, paced breathing exercises are known to reduce anxiety and stress. To achieve a more therapeutic effect from breathing, you have to breathe in, count four seconds and then breath out over 4 seconds.

It is harder to feel anxiety while breathing deeply in a paced rhythm. So, whenever you start feeling a little restless, calm yourself by deep paced breathing. There are some good apps that will help you keep pace. We like to use one called Paced Breathing!

Join a Self Development Program.

If self-help management alone isn’t enough to control your anxiety, you can subscribe to personality development programs that will outline sessions according to your needs. You can join a peer-to-peer coaching programme to get the benefit of working with  people that have the same struggles as you have. What’s good about this type of session is the fulfillment you feel for having been able to help someone just like you in getting over this phase and coming out as a happier, relaxed person.

If you want a more individualized approach, you can also schedule a session with a self development coach. Its one-on-one set-up fosters a more trusting ambience between you and the trainer, so you might  be able to express your thoughts more openly. This way, your professional development coach will be able to understand where you’re coming from and formulate a more definitive guide for you.

Worrying is a normal human reaction and beating yourself too much with your thoughts is not really necessary nor helpful. You can always do something for the things you can change. For those that you can’t, try the steps above so you can enjoy a less worrisome life and have a more positive outlook!