How To Cope With Anxiety And Stress
Contents
If you are like me, you have had anxiety rear its ugly head over the years. And you have been left with the desire to find how to cope with anxiety.
I feel your pain my friend.
Some stress is good in our lives. We can’t expect to maintain complete calmness at all times. Life has it’s stresses. And we can learn to use these stresses to win in life.
But sometimes stressors get out of hand. We spiral.
And we need ways and methods when it comes to how to cope with anxiety.
Methods that will work. Both short term tips and long term ones too. So we can manage our short term mental state and long term mental state as well.
That way, we can actually provide hope for our lives. As we will have tactical knowledge on how to manage anxiety. Knowing that we always have a way to stop it in it’s track.
And stop it from coming back, or at s mind simply switches back and forth between things we mult-task on. And our productivity drops in all areas during multi-tasking. Making more mistakes and mishaps than we would if we simply focused on one thing at at time.
EMERGENCY TIP: If you need help NOW, call The National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) It is a National Hotline there to guide you through tough times, including bouts of intense anxiety.
Here is the site too for
Signs Of Anxiety
It usually goes without saying when we are feeling anxiety coming on or in the middle of it.
And yet, if you are unsure, here are some of the main and dead ringer symptoms of anxiety:
- Over worrying
- Aggitation
- Throat constriction
- Labored breathing
- Fatigue
- Tunnel vision
- Rapid heart beat
- Restlessness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Iritablity
- Tight Muscles
- Racing thoughts
- Anti-social tendencies
- Avoiding crowds
- Prolonged states of fear
- Panic Attacks
How To Manage Anxiety (57 Quick Tips)
Good Body Posture
Do you ever notice how depressed people look depressed? I am not talking about their face. I am talking about their body. They hold their posture in a disempowering way. A defeated way.
The same is true with anxiety. We are subconsciously holding our bodies in a way that produces more anxiety. Or at least conducive to feeling anxious.
Try doing certain power poses when feeling anxious. Like pulling your shoulders far back. Like you are exposing your superman symbol on your chest.
Or placing both hands on your hips.
These poses have shown to increase testosterone and lower cortisol levels. This is providing the mind and body with the chemical needed to balance out. Create better homeostasis. And create calmness and a feeling of power in the body.
As when we feel powerless, we feel the most anxious. Standing in a powerful position can help you stop feeling anxious.
Less Caffeine
I know you hate me for this one. But if we are honest with our selves, you and I, this could be the ultimate cause of our anxiety!
I know for me, my vision starts to get thrown off when I am drinking too much coffee. I feel like I am experiencing tunnel vision.
Does this sound familiar my friend??
Try cutting your caffeine consumption in half. Or simply spreading out your coffee throughout the day. Instead of downing it quickly after buying it.
Or try experimenting with drinking a couple cups of green tea instead. It usually provides a more steady dose of energy without a big crash.
If you still need help, like I do! Check this resource out below. Let’s quick together!
Resource: How To Quit Coffee
Eat More Consistently
When you eat sporadically, your body goes through crashes. It can really cause your body to have unsteady blood sugar levels.
This can cause symptoms related to anxiety.
To counteract this, have a box of bars on you at all times. Good health protein bars.
Also, pre-prep your meals for the week or at least a couple days in a row. Take them with you to work. Or when you are out and about in a lunch pale.
That way you will always have food on you.
Also set timers throughout the day on your phone. For 3 actual meals, and maybe a couple times for many snacks. Like protein bars or nuts.
Also, do your best to include a well balanced profile of macro nutrients.
A good ratio to adhere to is getting your calories in the form of:
- 40 percent carbohydrates
- 30 percent protein
- 30 percent fat
For myself, I like to eat the bulk of my carbs both before my workouts and soon after I am done working out.
Magnesium
The right dose of magnesium can help you steady out. Feel more calm. And also seems to tame a racing mind. At least for me!
I have noticed too that if I take it before bed, it lets me fall asleep very quick.
I have used calm magnesium. It is a great product.
Meditation
A calm mind equals a calm body. Sometimes I simply just say “Om” over and over for a bout 5 to 10 minutes.
Or I just engage in mindful meditation. In which I just become aware of the sounds and sights around me.
I ground myself in the moment via meditation. It can let you get your breathe back. Stop a panic attack. And just help manage anxiety overall.
Here are a couple resources that can help you with this:
Resource: How To Meditate
Guide: How To Live In The Moment
Also, try to simply see your thoughts from more of a third person point of view. You are aware of them, but you simply say “wow, look at that crazy thought!”
Our thoughts are millions of years old. Realizing that they are not unique, can allow us to let them go. Seeing them from an observers standpoint lets you detach from them. Again making it easier to let go of.
Seek Simplicity
We live in a world where we need to show everyone how complex and deep our lives our! We seek more and more and more.
Like the good ole Fight Club quote says:
“We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like!” – Edward Norton
I am not saying I don’t want more awesome things. Or have more great adventures.
I am just saying that maybe we need to simplify.
Instead of spending money on a bigger house or better car. Why not save the money for vacations to get off the map and help feel more calm. Come back refreshed to our jobs. And be able to function better overall because of it.
Resource: How to Live A Simple Life (67 Tips)
Lessen Social Media Time
This is an extension of the tip above. And when it comes to how to overcome anxiety and depression, this may be the one of the best tips for all of us to adhere to.
I am not saying that there is anything truly wrong with social media. It can be a great way to stay connected to people all over the world.
And yet, it is the ultimate form of “keeping up with the Jones’s”.
And also, realizing and recognizing it for what it truly is. It is a form of vanity. People are on there faking a perfect existence.
They have just as many problems, worries, fears and hopes as you. They are just people. Their lives are not perfect.
If we take peoples posts and timelines they way they want us to, we will feel like everyone’s life is perfect, BUT ours! Am I right??
You and I can really begin to detach from this illusion of a world, known as social media. If we simply lessen the exposure.
BONUS TIP: How about this tip, simply set a timer. One in the morning and one at night. And only go on social media for 5 minutes every time the timer goes off.
That way you save more time, from not scrolling. Allowing you to put that time into your good hobbies, passions, time with family and things that are valuable to good mental and physical health.
Just remember this quote:
“Be as happy as you seem to be on Instagram”
And the first step to doing so is staying off it!
Resource: How To Quit Social Media
Engage In Your Hobbies
Take a bit of time out of each day to enjoy the things you love in this life.
If you are like me, when I do this, I can feel like beating myself up for enjoying part of the day. When I know I “should” be working. But at the end of the day, life is short. And you don’t want to get to the end of it not enjoying it a bit.
Also, it is said that the most productive people in the world actually take little micro breaks. It helps the mind rest a bit. Before moving onto the next mental stimulation.
Plus, again, the mind is quiet when we are doing things we love to do. That is really WHY we love them. It is the peace that passeth all understanding!
Quiet mind = less anxiety.
Wherever You Are, BE There
There is a lovely Jim Rohn quote that goes like this:
When you are at the beach, be at the beach. When you are at work, be at work.”
The problem is, that when we are at the beach, we are thinking about work. And when we are at work, we want to and are thinking about being at the beach.
Enjoy yourself wherever you are. Be where you are. Both mentally and physically.
This will help you be in the moment. And not living in the past or future. Which is how to cope with anxiety and depression at the same time.
Leave The Day Behind
If you get off of work and you feel as if you didn’t do enough, let it be. Self-evaluate yourself without shaming yourself.
Self-observation is powerful. At the end of the day, note out what you did good. And then what you need to improve upon.
But never bat yourself up about not doing good enough. Just know that you have high standards. And that maybe you didn’t hit the mark today. But through self evaluation you are now aware of why you didn’t.
You will now do better tomorrow.
Journal
Again, a quiet mind is great for calming anxiety.
Often times, there are just too many thoughts going on in our heads. And because of it, there is a lot of conflicting. Tugging and struggling.
We need to do a mental dump. And by doing so, we feel better as the thoughts are now out of our head and on paper.
You can also do so at night before you go to bed. Part of the self-evaluation process can include your brain dump.
Where you write down things you need to get done. Thoughts you are having and have had throughout the day.
Schedule Your Day
Write everything down. Stay on schedule.
Trying to do everything from memory can get super overwhelming. Keep a day planner. Write your meetings and plans down as they come up. So you aren’t trying to remember who you need to meet or where you need to be.
Set Your Goals
Having both short and long term goals is crucial to feeling less anxious.
As the fact of the matter is, without goals, we are just drifting.
Having powerful goals that pull us into the future gives us hope and more energy. Hope brings about calmness. As we feel like we have a plan.
As without a plan, we are planning to fail. Which we can feel this impending failure, at least subconsciously, when we have no goals.
Here is a guide a made for you on how to set goals, and accomplish them:
Step By Step Guide: How to Set and Accomplish ANY Goal
Resource: Personal Development Goals
If you are like me, there is a feeling of not wanting to live below your potential. This will make you fill this void. And if you read them daily, it will be a gentle reminder that you are building a path to reaching your full potential!
Affirmations
Positive affirmations can be a great way to stay on track throughout the day.
When we monitor our self talk, we can simply replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This naturally makes us feel better. As we are our own coach.
If you do this enough, you will naturally start automatically thinking more positive. Affirmations aside, simply start becoming more aware of your internal dialogue.
Make note of self defeating and limiting beliefs that come up about yourself and your life. Keep them in a journal. You will see patterns.
You will also become more aware of the workings of your mind. And when your mind knows it is on watch, it will behave better.
When you and I do this, we remind ourselves that we are the masters of our mind, not the other way around.
A very powerful mindset shift.
Resource: 201 Affirmations For Anxiety
Save For Your Future
We all have a feeling like time is running out. That at the end of the day, that is one day less that we have to set up for our future and retirement.
It can be great to meet up with an accountant and financial planner. Focusing on how much you need to be saving to retire comfortably. As well as how you may be able to invest your money and enjoy compound interest.
Retiring both sooner and with more money! Not a bad combination.
Foster A Growth Mindset
Having a growth mindset can help us manage anxiety. As we see life as something can grow off of. This is more of an advanced form of anxiety management.
But it lets us see the tough parts of life as character building and development.
We know that if we can get through our anxiety, we will become stronger because of it. We forge ourselves. Learn how to develop grit.
And become more powerful human beings.
Here is a resource to help you with this tip.
Resource: How to Have A Growth Mindset
Learn How To Breathe More Effectively
Deep breathing can help us calm anxiety. As anxiety is stemmed from short and forced breathing. If we master the breath, we master our anxiety.
A quick tip for breathing more effectively is to breath with you diaphragm.
Which essentially is when you breath via your stomach muscles. Also known as belly breathing.
Breath like you are drawing in air through your belly button. Like your nostrils are in your belly button.
Also, another tip is to simply remember to exhale. Often times, we are putting most of our effort on inhaling. We keep inhaling more and more thinking that is the solution to getting more oxygen.
But simply doing a full breath out, a couple times, can help regain a steady breathing pattern.
For even more breathing techniques for anxiety, check out this resource I created just for you my friend:
13 Breathing Exercises For Anxiety (Powerful)
Break Your Pattern
Often times, anxiety is caused by one thought or a group of thoughts that we simply repeat. We dwell upon. And cycle through out minds.
Whenever you and I are anxious, the first thing we need to do right away is to start analyzing our thoughts.
Once you find the culprit or culprits, next question the validity of the thought.
You will break your anxiety pattern by doing this.
The mind loves to go to worst case scenarios. So let’s say you are anxious about your future.
Let’s say you are anxious about being too old to start a business, for example.
Then you question if that is true? Then you can link stories to this falsehood. Like for example you could think about Colonel Sanders starting his business when he was in his sixties.
Showing you that it was just a fear that you were letting ruminate.
Online Forums/Support Groups
Often times, joining a group of people who are going through similar scenarios, can help us immensely.
The fact of the matter is, when we are going through things, we feel like we are the only person to be going through it.
When we realize that we are not the only ones going through it, we naturally feel a bit better. We can also link up with people and talk through our problems and life.
This can even be more beneficial than meeting up with a therapist. As we have instant rapport with people like us.
Letting us going deeper with the relationship. And be more open to help from them as they have been where we have been, or currently are.
Resource: ADAA Online Support Group (Anxiety and Depression)
There is absolutely no shame in therapy. Professionals can identify things that are buried in the subconscious. Things we may not be able to process through traditional self-help and self-care.
Supplements
At times, we can be deprived of the micro-nutrients we need to maintain proper homeostasis. This can create anxiety and a feeling of discontent in our bodies.
Some of the best supplements for anxiety include:
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B Complex
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Valerian Root
- Omega 3
- Vitamin D
- Lemon Balm
- L-theanine
Dehydration
There has been times in my life where I feel wiped out. Completely anxious and tired at the same time. And water took the feeling away completely.
The best tip would be to simply remind yourself to drink water before you start to feel thirsty. As this is a sign that you are already partially dehydrated.
Trade sodas for water.
Grab a 1/2 gallon or full gallon canteen and keep that baby on you. Nurse it all day.
Essential Oils
Essential oils can help calm down our anxiety for the short term. Some of the best essential oils for relaxation include:
- Bergamot
- Sweet Orange
- Peppermint
- Myrrh
- Rose
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Sweet Marjoram
If you don’t want to rub it on your body, you can choose to get a diffuser to keep in your office. Or turn on while you are sleeping for both day and night time relief from anxiety.
CBD
The great thing about taking CBD products is that there are little to no side effects that come from taking them. It balances out the cannabinoid system to help maintain calmness in the body.
CBD comes in tinctures, oils, vapes, gummies, edibles and of course smoking it.
Here are some of the best CBD products that you can use to calm your anxiety down:
Resource: The Best CBD for Anxiety (Rolling Stone)
Stop Smoking and Drinking
SportsphysioUK talks about how alcohol, when digested, can provoke physical symptoms and confusion. Symptoms that resemble anxiety.
And nicotine jacks up levels of blood pressure levels as well as your heart rate. These two symptoms, of course are heavily related to anxiety.
So when we induce a state of calm through both alcohol and smoking, we are prolonging the inevitable. As well as mimicking symptoms that are known to people who suffer anxiety.
Plus, the more we rely on the crutch of smoking and alcohol, the more we resort back to them. Making it a vicious cycle.
Make it a point to day to quit these bad habits.
Remember, too the the average feeling of lust for our addictions lasts no more than 10 minutes. Reaching a peak, then starting a trend downward where the feeling is felt less and less until it dissipates.
Ride this out. Also, replace this habit during these feelings, with positive things.
When you feel these negative feelings come on from wanting a fix, do some push-ups, sit-ups or jumping jacks.
This will allow you to exercise your way out of these feelings. Boosting your dopamine and serotonin levels. Levels that we are seeking to elevate by smoking or drinking alcohol.
You can also go on a walk, or simply eat something healthy.
The key here is to trade bad habits for good habits.
In time, you will see a very positive difference in your life and your ability to let go of bad habits.
Prime Yourself For Social Events
Social events often time bring about anxiety in a lot of us. I know I have had pre-social event anxiety!
The best thing for us to do is to meditate or do some deep breathing when noticing you are getting tense when thinking about social events.
Make sure you are hydrated and have had something to eat.
Also, it can help to bring a friend with you to social events, to help you break the ice more efficiently.
Don’t React To Triggers
Things like getting mad in traffic jams, or when we are cut off. These things send us down the rabbit hole leading to long term anxiety and health problems.
Simply try your best to give the person grace. Or not get mad and events like this.
Just say things like “I will get there when I get there.”
Or if someone cuts you off, simply remind yourself that we are only human. Maybe the person is having a bad day or just lost their job. Give them the benefit of the doubt.
This can also relate to getting more calm and centered before you go see people who trigger your anxiety.
Finding a strong and more calm mental space is crucial before seeing people or going into places that cause you anxiety.
Again, some quick meditation or deep breathes in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Use Your Car As a Mobile Calm Center!
We drive thousands of miles per year. All those hours in the car can add up pretty quickly.
The best thing we can do is be playing things in the car that bring us more calm. You can pick up mediation tapes. Or channel into good Youtube vidoes of guided meditations.
You can also tune into some Classical music.
Science has shown that classical music can do wonders for lessening stress and anxiety as well as even make us smarter!
As far as how it helps with anxiety, it is shown to lower cortisol levels as well as increase blood flow and levels of laughter. It has also been shown to calm our heart rates and blood pressure.
Who would have thought!?
Get Enough Sleep
7-9 hours of sleep a day is crucial to have enough energy. When our energy levels dip, we naturally feel more anxious. We are trying to fight tiredness. Making us even more anxious.
If you can, even get a 20 minute nap in per day to help you feel rested enough to feel energized throughout the day!
Also, to help you sleep better, remember not to eat for a couple hours before bed.
Do your best to only use your bed for sleeping. This lets your mind know that when you lay down on it, it is for the purpose of resting and sleeping.
Also, try and shut down screen-time a couple hours before bedtime. As blue light is bad sleep, effecting our internal clock. It is shown to make us more alert, hence creating trouble in falling and staying asleep.
One last tip to help you sleep better, is to fall asleep and wake up at the same time. Even if you can’t fall asleep at the same time, try and wake up at the same time everyday. You are priming your circadian rhythm to help you stay within a certain sleep cycle.
The more your body gets used to this, the more it becomes it’s new norm. Helping you fall asleep quickly and best yet, wake up more rested.
Exercise
One of the best long term treatments for coping with anxiety is simply to exercise. Not only does this boost feel good hormones in ones brain. But it also allows you to feel more confidence. As re-shaping your body creates positive shifts in your mental image of yourself.
One feels more at ease in their own body. This is powerful for feeling more secure, as anxiety is simply a feeling of heightened insecurity.
Start out slow if you aren’t currently exercising. Build up from 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes. To 5 days a week of an hour per session.
This was a game changer for me. And I know it can be for you too.
Self Development
Growth has a positive vibrating frequency to it. It also happens to be one of our spiritual needs. That we need to be fulfilling to give us a happy life.
Reading, audio and video have really blessed my life with a ton of happiness through the feeling of growing.
The more I learn, the more I get excited about life. I realize how much I really DON’T know. And it makes me excited for a future of life long learning and growing. Constant and never ending improvement.
When we are not growing, we are dying. Plain and simple.
With daily growth, we feel more at ease. As we have more hope for the future. We aren’t living in the past. As we are looking forward to our transformation process unfolding each day.
Also, we are stimulating our minds. Instead of keeping them in a more vegetative state. That can come from consuming mindless material, like TV or radio.
Trade in an hour a day of mindless content for growth oriented content.
Here is a list that I created for you to help get you going:
Resource: The Best Self Help Books (Ever)
Using this list will help create a more clean and positive long term mental environment. And since anxiety can be traced back to mental health, this can only help us feel more calm.
Remind Yourself That You Will Be OK
When we are having anxiety, we can feel like we are spinning out of control. And yet, we have gone through it before, and made it out alive.
Remind yourself of this. You are a survivor my friend!
I know it isn’t easy. But we can calm ourselves a bit, knowing it is not permanent. We won’t feel this way forever.
We have gotten through it in the past, and we will do so again. The feeling will soon dissipate.
Laugh It Off
Some of the best athletes in the world deal with stressful situations in sports by laughing.
Laughing is a free and natural remedy, allowing us to feel better when we take it. Next time you are feeling anxious, literally laugh at your feelings of stress and tenseness.
Laugh at it. As your ego/mind wants you to do the opposite. We naturally default to playing into the anxiety, letting it win.
But we need to break the pattern. We have to switch it up and simply do the opposite. What is the opposite of fear? Laughter. Try it out.
Just laugh your rear end off! Or at least smile. It will ease the tension in your body.
Or you can watch a short comedy skit on Youtube. Watch something funny to get your mind off of it.
Use The 3-3-3 Rule
This is another tool in your arsenal for calming stress and anxiety. To use the 3-3-3 rule, you want to simply identify 3 things in your immediate environment and name them.
Then identify 3 things you see in your environment.
Lastly, move 3 body-parts.
Take Action
Anxiety is caused from fear. When we are scared stiff. Or paralyzed by fear. The best way to cope with anxiety and stress is to throw ourselves into something.
We need to again, break the pattern. Fear and anxiety are only powerful if we are focusing on them.
We can literally get our mind off of it, by putting our minds efforts and thoughts towards something else.
When anxiety pops up, start cleaning part of the house. Walk the dog. Organize your desk. Wash your car.
You want to re-direct your thoughts towards something else, other than the anxiety.
If we do this, we stop the waterfall of emotions and thoughts. We stop thinking of worst case scenarios.
And again, since the average feeling of anxiety lasts around ten minutes, this will allow us to more effectively ride the wave of the feeling in a more productive and stress free way.
Also, on the things you can’t take action on, instead accept it. Whatever you can’t change, accept. It is OK. It is not defeat. You are not giving up.
Accepting the things you can’t change. This will put you in a much more powerful place to act. As you are not living in the past. You are putting yourself in the present.
Then you can go about taking massive action on the things you can change.
Go All In On Worrying
Ok, I know this sounds pretty counter intuitive, and yet stick with me. Often times, it can be pretty impossible to quell our anxiety.
We are resisting, and what we resist, persists. Instead of trying to get through it, or make it less than what it is, surrender to the process.
Give yourself 1-3 minutes of going into full worry. Let it ruminate. Set a timer. Let the time go. And then that is it. Stop yourself right there.
Express It
Often times, we get to a boiling point. And when you get here, you can simply try screaming in a pillow. Yelling out loud. Or punching a pillow or sleeping bag. Sometimes the physical expression of it can calm us down. As well as relieve muscle tension in our body cause by anxiety.
Go To Your Happy Place
If you have ever seen the movie Happy Gilmore, you know this tactic!
Essentially, the main character is really becoming distracted by other characters in the movie while trying to golf. His performance is suffering. He is getting more tense. Believing in his abilities less. And simply ready to crack!
His coach tells him to go to his happy place. So he momentarily retreats to a peaceful mind image in his head. And he lives there for a few moments.
When he returns back to the real world, he feels way more calm and centered.
Find your happy place! Maybe it is the memory of a tropical vacation. Or relaxing in a field somewhere.
Or simply just find a picture online of a peaceful place. And envision yourself being there and fully enjoying the environment.
You can now go on a vacation every day! A mental vacation that is 🙂
Look At Relaxing Colors
Science has shown that the colors we are observing affect or mood. For example looking at red can make us more anxious. We can relate it to other things as well. Like a STOP sign. It signals caution or danger.
Other colors can help us manage anxiety better. Like for example, looking at colors like:
- Blue
- Green
- Pink
- White
- Violet
- Yellow
- Gray
Dulled versions of these colors are even better. They can help us feeling more calm and ease tension in our bodies. They can let our eyes relax. So our vision stimulation is lessened.
Sugar
Easing up on our sugar intake can do us wonders in helping manage our anxiety.
When we eat too much sugar, this leads to sugar highs. Our blood sugar spikes high than drops drastically. We go from way high, to feeling sluggish and down. This shock to our systems can exacerbate our anxious feelings. As our blood sugar fluctuations are simply abnormal. Compared to eating non-high sugar foods.
It can cause feelings of uneasiness and even mirror the symptoms of actually having a panic attack.
Try to only eat whole foods. Foods that are processed are usually loaded with sugar. Monitor ingredients like a hawk. Make sure that if there is sugar added, is one of the last ingredients on the ingredient list. Proving it to be a minimal additive.
Count Backwards from 10 to 1
We need something to anchor in our minds. We are too scattered when we are experiencing anxiety. Too much is going on in our mind.
And counting from 1-10 is too predictable. Counting backwards takes mental effort and concentration.
It forces us to think about it more. And when we think about it more, it breaks the pattern of anxiety. Do so slowly and controlled. Do so a couple times, as long as it takes to chill out.
Tighten Up Then Relase
When you are anxious, your whole body is tense and on edge. SO again, instead of resisting it, because what we resist persists, lets instead let the tension win for a minute.
Help its cause by tightening up your whole body. Hold it for a couple of seconds and then let your whole body relax,
Often times there are trigger points in our body that get overly tense when we are anxious. But it is hard to identify and then relax one part on our body at a time.
This one helps us simply knock out the whole thing at once. Leaving our whole body less tense and more calm.
De-Clutter Your Environment
A quick tip I use is to simply toss things that haven’t been used in more than 6 months. The likelihood of you using the item again or slim to nil.
The more you get rid of, the less there is to think it about.
Sure you may go through a few seconds of feeling sentimental. And yet at the same time, I guarantee you, that you won’t miss much if anything that you give away.
Take it slow. One thing per day until it is all gone. This way you don’t feel too stressed out about it.
You can sit on the item for a day. Thinking over if you want to keep it.
Or just do it all in one day. Rip the band-aid off.
Also, you can do a garage sale off these items. Make a little coin!
Get A Massage/Give A Massage
This can be pricey, for sure. But when it comes to how to cope with anxiety, this one can truly help us. It can eliminate toxins and ease muscle tension.
You can also get a self-massager. And simply use it each night before bed. Or even take it to work with you and use it on your lunch.
Melt that stress away!
Give Yourself Some Time To Arrive Early
Most of the stress in our lives comes from rushing around. And worrying about being on time or late to things we need to do/work.
Simply leave a little early. Wake up a bit earlier. And if you happen to be early because of it, use it as time to meditate. Envision a better future. Write your goals. Listen to positive audios.
Find Something To Be Grateful For
Sorry to say it, but a lot of times, when you and I are anxious, our thoughts are all about OURSELVES.
Find something outside yourself that you can become and feel grateful for. You cannot be in fear when you are grateful for something.
Here is a list to help you if you are stuck on gratitude items:
591 Nice Things To Say To People
Scratch Anxious Thoughts (Literally!)
If you are old enough to remember CD’s! I am! Then you remember how the back of a CD looked like when it was scratched up. And that sucker would skip all over the place!
Well, you can actually scratch your thoughts. The more you do this, the more the feel attached to the thought lessens. It will dissipate more and more, every time you either scratch the thought. Or scratch the feeling.
It will simply the power it had on you. Lessen it’s grip.
Drop Them (Like A Hot Potato)
What is the first thing you would do if you had something hot in your hand? You would drop it right?
Well, I don’t know if you know this, but you can actually do the same exact thing with your unwanted thoughts for feelings.
When we have an unwanted feeling or thought in our body, our body naturally tightens around it. It feels bad and unnatural. So almost like a foreign object, the body reacts and tenses up.
But you can let it go. By simply DECIDING to.
Pretend like your awareness of the feeling is your grip around an object. And your feeling is the object.
So just like you would drop something with your hand, you can do the same with your feeling. Give it a try!
DON’T GIVE IN
Often times, we will give into our anxiety by retreating. If we had plans, we will cancel them. If we were going to get work done, we will simply not do it.
We need to start building the muscle of acting when we don’t feel like it, when it pertains to being anxious.
Stay busy, stay moving. Also, you will show yourself, that you can triumph over the voice in your head. And that, my friend, is the beginning of the beautiful journey into self mastery!
Volunteer Work
Volunteering in your community can allow you to feel more calm and manage anxiety. It helps you be more empathetic.
It takes the awareness off of ourselves. Turning it more outwards. It allows us to enjoy the benefits of altruism.
Also, contribution is the other spiritual need that we have to reach true fulfillment in our lives. And when we do this, we naturally feel happier. This counteracts feelings of stress and anxiety. Making us feel like we are giving back to the world. Doing better. Helping people. And making an impact on peoples lives.
Turn Phone Notifications Off
For me, I know this used to make me always way to eager! I would always be looking at my phone. Awaiting calls and texts. Simply turn off notifications. People will call if it truly is an emergency.
Also, refrain from checking your phone for at least 30 minutes when you wake up. Give yourself time to wake up naturally and without distractions.
Call Someone You Trust
I have a pact with a buddy of mine. Who also has dealt and gone through bouts of extreme anxiety. We both have compassionately agreed, no shame, that we will call each other anytime things get out of control.
No judgement, no criticism. Just an ear to listen. And an open heart to implore compassion for each other.
No one said life was going to be easy. And yet we can at least survive the tough times a little easier by grouping together with people who care about us.
It will also teach how to be more empathetic as well, which also brings about calming effects.
Evaluate Your Relationships
Sorry to say it, but some of our biggest triggers can come from the closest people to us.
If you are like me, you have at least one person in your life in which you dread to see. We all have them, no shame!
And yet, we need to take this serious. And instead of avoiding them, we need to have a real conversation about how they set you off. What they do that makes you stressed. And vice versa. As it usually goes both ways.
Don’t come at them in a way of attack. Simply validate that you are both humans with different needs. Be real. Be authentic. And find solutions for your interactions what will make is more free from stress.
Medication
At the end of the day, we can’t lead this one out. Sometimes we need short and long term help with our anxiety. Again my friend, there is no shame. Seeking help is not weak. Maybe you just need a little help to get you to the finish line. Before you can handle things on your own.
The main thing is to always look at this as a short term solution. As we don’t want to become to dependent on pharmaceutical medication if we don’t have to.
Get to a place where you feel like your head is above water. Then find more long term solutions to both the management, then the ultimate mastery of your anxiety.
Find Ways To Make More Money
They say there are 2 things guaranteed in life. Death and taxes. Well I am adding a third. Stressing about that mula!
Let’s face it, money is one of the main stressors in just about everyones life. Even people who have made it financially, have gone through this. Or are still worried about losing it.
For me, I know when I started driving Instacart and making more money through this, I felt better. I felt more optimistic. Honestly, this may be the best thing I have ever done to manage stress.
Money has been stressed over for thousands of years, many generations. But to know that we have extra money coming it, it simply takes the edge off of this deep subconscious fear of running out of money or not having enough.
And whatever you make from your side hustle, you can invest it in your retirement account, stocks or mutual funds.
Giving you a great feeling of security for your future. Knowing you are doing what it takes right now to enjoy your retirement years.
Resource: 185 Affirmations For Abundance
Evaluate Your Family History
Often times, our cause of anxiety is hidden right in our own genes. Ask questions to your previous generations. What health factors they have. Or things that have triggered stress for them.
This can lead you to potential foods that set them off. Minerals they were low on that caused anxiety or other health related issues. Or environments that have been linked to episodes of anxiety.
Sometimes you have to look into the past, in order to form a better future.
Remind Yourself You Are Not Dying
Anxiety can bring about fears of the ultimate fear. Death. And yet, we are not dying when we are experiencing anxiety.
This simple reminder can help you immensely.
Just knowing you are going to make it through, can quell this fear quickly. YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT.
Identify WHEN You Get Anxious
I always like to be prepared in this life. I find that the less prepared I am, the worse results I have! I just wing it.
The same can be true with anxiety. If I don’t identify things in my day that will make me anxious, I encounter them out of control.
For example, I do a lot of cold calling. Which can bring about feelings of anxiety. That is why I always do my meditations before starting my call.
What are your triggers that set you off each day?
We all have at least one, that if we master before it gets full blown, we can feel as if we are really gaining a tighter grip on the reins of life.
Once you find them, plan something that you can do before or right when the anxiety starts. That way it won’t get out of control.
Conclusion To How To Cope With Anxiety And Fear
So there it is my good friend. How to cope with stress and anxiety with simple and powerful tips. Some more for the short term. And some more for the long term.
If you implore the use of just one of these per day, your life will change. I promise you!
Also, realize that you are not alone my friend. There are millions of people that experience the same feelings you go through. That you are not abnormal or weird. We live in a society today where people are learning and looking for ways on how to cope with stress each day. Just like you.
I would love to hear your feedback in the comment section below. Let me know what you thought of the post. As well as if you have any tip for anxiety to add that can help us all feel more calm in our lives!
With gratitude,
Chris
Leave a Reply