Anxiety Treatment - 5 Effective Strategies To Decrease Anxiety
Number 1: Face your fears. The most common mistake that people make in coping with their anxiety is to avoid whatever situation triggers their anxiety. Although you may feel immediate, intense relief whenever you avoid an anxiety-provoking situation, the long-term effect is actually to worsen your anxiety. Avoidance makes it extremely unlikely that your anxiety will ever decrease as long as you continue to avoid the situation.
Number 2: Be in tune with your level of anxiety. Try to catch your anxiety as soon as it starts. You will have a much easier path to feeling better when you intervene at the earliest possible point. For example, at the moment that you find yourself feeling a little bit tense or anxious, see Numbers 3 through 5 below.
Number 3: Know what helps you to relax. Make a list of enjoyable and relaxing activities. The list should be what YOU enjoy and find relaxing. There are endless options - take a walk, listen to music, take a warm shower, sit with your pet, imagine yourself on a warm beach…
Number 4: Regularly practice something on your list. Even if you are not feeling intensely anxious at a particular moment, you can help reduce your overall anxiety level by regularly engaging in enjoyable activities (not a bad assignment for homework, righte). Plus, the more comfortable you are with taking time to relax, the more likely you are to actually use your relaxing activities at a time when you feel anxious.
Number 5: Consider learning relaxation techniques. There are many options for relaxation techniques. The key is to do a little research online or at the bookstore. Find a technique that appeals to you. Some types of relaxation include, diaphragmatic breathing (or deep-breathing), meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and body scanning. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the simplest techniques that can be used whenever you feel anxious. Remember, like #4 above, you need to practice to make this effective!
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