It’s amazing how debilitating anxiety can be in a person’s life.  It’s like a poison that spreads through your body and renders you paralyzed.  You’re in a frenzy, you can hardly focus, and it feels as though there’s impending doom on the horizon.  Though you may feel this way, you’re not alone.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 1 in 5 people or 20% of the U.S. population suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder.  That means that between you, your family, friends, and acquaintances, there are probably many people that you know who experience anxiety on a regular basis.  Some common symptoms, according to WebMD, include “feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness” as well as “uncontrollable, obsessive thoughts.”  There are other more physical symptoms listed, but these are some of the feelings associated with an anxiety disorder.

The purpose of this post isn’t to talk about the medical symptoms of anxiety, but rather to help you understand and manage feelings of anxiety.  Please keep in mind that nothing I say should be construed as medical advice.  I am neither a doctor nor professional and if you feel that what you are experiencing is serious, please seek medical or professional attention.

Identify the cause

More likely than not there is something specific that is making you feel this way.  It could be that you’re worried about losing your job, your parent is in the hospital, you’re concerned about what to do with your life next, or you could even have a phobia that is causing the anxiety.  Whatever it is, try to make this intangible beast more concrete.  Just like you make your goals concrete when you set out to exercise regularly, and you bring your ideas from thoughts to reality, it’s important to turn this ambiguous anxiety into something more understandable. 

Figure out if you need outside help

I’m a firm believer in trying to manage your life on your own at first.  While it is important to include others in the process in many things such as in building, leveraging, and reciprocating in networks, challenges like these are most rewarding when we can tackle them ourselves.  If you can resolve the issue and diffuse your anxiety that is wonderful. Be careful not to feel like you need to address your anxiety alone, however, there are many resources available and no one will think anything less of you.

If you decide that you need some help you could enlist the help of your friends, family, a therapist, minister, life coach, or even a psychiatrist.  You could also look into books.  Jennifer at Crazy For Books writes a great review on a book with a main character who experiences extreme anxiety.  Try things on your own first, and then seek help if you cannot manage it on your own.  Don’t let things get to the point of spiraling out of control.  It is best to be proactive in taking care of yourself.

Find the trigger

Once you know what it is that causes your anxiety.  Find out what triggers the sensation.  Is it the mere mention of the peanuts your brother passed away from or is it when you actually see the nut?  Do you feel anxious every time the trigger occurs or just some of the time?  Once you understand what the source of your anxiety is and what triggers an episode, it’s time to figure out how to manage the anxiety.

Managing anxiety

There are numerous ways to go about calming yourself.  Not all of these will work for everyone, but hopefully some will work for you:

1. Deep Breaths

   • Breathing in deeply, holding your breath for a bit, and then exhaling slowly can work wonders.  Our breaths tend to become short and shallow when we’re anxious.

2. Diffuse the triggers and causes

   • Realize that a lot of the time our anxiety is blown out of proportion.  We are our own worst enemy a lot of times.  When a cause arises and gets triggered, keep it in your mind that you can change your thoughts on the matter.  If you are deathly afraid of cockroaches, understand that they are not going to harm you.  Deny the causes and triggers the power they have over you.  You are in charge

3. Do not feed the anxiety

   • Try to avoid giving into the feelings of anxiety.  If you are worried about something, don’t dote on it and fan the flame.  If something really is serious a serious cause for concern, please seek professional or medical help.

4. Let the anxiety flow through you

   • When feelings of anxiety sneak into you, experience them and let them pass.  This is why it is important to avoid feeding the emotions.  If you feed them, you cannot let them pass.  If you acknowledge them and allow them to keep moving on to their next destination, you’ll be much happier.

5. Find distractions

   • Try yoga, running, playing Nintendo, or something else that will help to get your mind off of whatever is making you nervous.  This way you’re not drowning in a sea of misery.  This could also include hanging out with friends and other things of that nature as well.  After the activity is over, you’ll come back with a clear and fresh mind.

6. Sleep it off

   • Similar to finding distractions, taking a nap or going to sleep can force you to break the anxiety spell.  When you wake up you might even forget about what was making you anxious in the first place.

7. Avoid stimulants and drugs

   • This may seem obvious, but if you are prone to anxiety try to avoid caffeinate, alcohol, and any other substances of that nature.  Caffeine will keep you awake and possibly make you jittery.  Alcohol can aggravate your anxiety in the long run even if it seems like it “calms the nerves.”

These are some of the ways in which you can tackle your own anxiety.  It is admirable to take the initiative to manage your own anxiety, since it is no easy task.  Keep a positive attitude, try to smile.  If at the end of the day all of this anxiety is giving you the blues, don’t hesitate to seek out your friends, family, and other resources.

What did you think of these ideas?  Do any other techniques work for you?  If so, you can comment below and share them with the community.  I’m sure many people will enjoy hearing your suggestions!