Anxiety is part of the human condition . Try to find someone that never feels anxiety.
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Developing a high level of anxiety is a skill. Lowering anxiety is a skill, too. The key to managing anxiety is to begin minimizing it as soon as possible after it hits you. The more it builds, the more challenging it is to control.
Deal with anxiety quickly and easily:
1) Break your day into small chunks
Only worry about the small amount of time in front of you. If you’re sitting in a meeting at 9:00 AM, there’s no reason to worry about how you’re going to pay the electric bill or what you’re going to have for dinner. Take the day one minute at time and keep your attention on that minute. Bring yourself back to the present moment by shifting your focus. You can do this by touching a different surface, noticing the feeling of your feet within your shoes, or taking a few deep breaths.
2) Create a mantra and use it.
Have a positive and uplifting phrase you repeat to yourself. You’ll eventually start to believe it and you’ll block any negative self-talk.
- “I’m happy and capable of handling any situation.”
- “My life is filled with joy and positive energy.”
3) One of the quickest ways to relieve anxiety is to exercise enough to sweat.
A casual walk is better than nothing, but to get the greatest benefit, it’s necessary to get your heart beating hard. Do something fun to you, hot yoga, volleyball, cycling, roller skating, building a tree house or maybe hop scotch!
4) Make use of distractions.
Distractions never solve the underlying issue, but can provide relief. Watch a movie, play cards, or do a crossword. Spend time with a close friend. Give yourself a break and put your focus elsewhere. Take a class in something new and different that you maybe thought you could never do. Or maybe listen to a book on CD, it’s so nice to be read to.
5) Keep going.
Anxiety occurs because some part of your brain is trying to stop you from taking action. It has learned that it can control you by making you feel miserable. You can minimize the anxiety you feel by plowing ahead. Your brain will learn that making you feel anxious doesn’t work. Press through it even if you feel some fear. Once you accomplish something for the first time, it suddenly becomes easier and easier.
6) Give yourself a scheduled Worry Time each day.
Give yourself 20 minutes each day for worrying. The rest of the day you push away negative thoughts and remind yourself to save those thoughts for your worry time. You’ll find yourself less inclined to worry during the other 23-plus hours of the day.
7) Change your environment.
Get out of your current environment and give yourself a change of scenery. Go to the park or spend some time at the coffee shop. Spend an hour window shopping. Shake things up a bit. Go to a nearby lecture or demonstration. Maybe volunteer for a few hours a month, thinking about the needs of others is a great way to change your perspective.
8) Spend time with your pet.
If you have a dog, you already know how comforting they can be. Sit on the floor and have a heart-to-heart with your favorite pet. How could you not feel better?
9) Make a habit of writing during the Golden Half Hour each day.
The half hour before sleep is considered by hypnotists to be the Golden Half Hour, that time when your Subconscious Mind is open to you. You must be very careful to only put positive ideas to your mind at this time. So, each night, write in a notebook one thing of beauty that you saw that day and one thing you love about your life. Each day you must write something new. This leaves you looking for more beauty and love in your life each day.
10) Find the right scent.
The right scent can be soothing. Take a trip to the candle store and find something that makes you feel good when you smell it.
11) Find a hobby that requires concentration.
It could be chess, playing the piano, or knitting. It doesn’t matter what the hobby is as long as you enjoy it and it commands your complete attention. It can be a great way to spend your down time.
12) Visualize something positive.
Daydream about Maui or remember a positive experience from the past. Imagine your perfect day.
13) Practice Anchored Breathing
Anchor the breathing by rubbing your thumb and first two fingers together. Then breath in a 4 x 4 x 4 pattern. Rub your fingers together, inhale to a count of four, hold the breath for a count of four then exhale for a count of four. You can take as many of these breaths as you need to calm yourself. But it will calm you. Breathing in this way sparks a physical response that your body can’t resist; relaxation.
14) Challenge Negative Thoughts with Reason.
When you’re thinking that thought that holds you back, push it aside and pull in true facts instead. Most of those thoughts are just mean. They aren’t based in fact. Especially when the thought includes absolutes like never and nobody. We know those cannot be true. So remind yourself about what is true and what you have to do to prepare yourself to get ahead.
15) Learn Tapping.
Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique is a technique that relieves anxiety by using your fingertips to Tap on acupuncture points on your own body. As you talk aloud about your feeling and the physical sensations of it, you Tap away those feelings. They just melt away as the tapping connects with the amygdala part of your brain to release hormones like dopamine, the feel good hormone. You can learn about Tapping and follow along while I Tap with you here.
16) See a hypnotherapist.
Find a local hypnotherapist or see one online. Sessions by direct streaming is one of the easiest ways to get help. Hypnosis is very effective for anxiety. The relaxation you’ll feel while in hypnosis, may very well be the most relaxed and loose you’ve felt in a very long time. The suggestions given by the hypnotist are made in the best way for your Subconscious Mind to accept.
Dealing with anxiety is important. Successful people are successful due to their ability to manage anxiety successfully. When you feel worry begin to build, deal with it immediately. A high level of anxiety is very challenging to manage. Develop a list of strategies that can be implemented quickly when anxiety first appears.
About the Author Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht.
A graduate of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht., has her private practice in Milford, Indiana. She is certified in hypnotherapy by the Hypnotherapist's Union Local 472. Angie is the author of "Weight Loss Epiphany: The Workbook", "Charlie's Cuddly Animals for Little Geniuses" and "Weight Loss Hypnosis: Lose Weight with Hypnosis Scripts & Recordings". You can find out more about Angie and how to schedule private sessions by calling (574) 658-4686.
