Regaining calm: practical strategies for managing anxiety - psychology anxiety
Understanding anxiety is the first step, but the ultimate goal is learning how to manage it so it doesn't control your life. Psychology offers practical, evidence-based tools you can start using today.
1. Cognitive Restructuring: Challenge Your Thoughts
If anxious thoughts are the fuel, learning how to challenge them is key. When a worry strikes, act like a detective:
- Look for the evidence: "What evidence do I have that this thought is 100% true? And what evidence do I have against it?"
- Calculate the actual probability: "What is the actual probability of my worst fear occurring, on a scale of 0 to 100?"
- Find a balanced alternative: "What is a more realistic, less catastrophic way of looking at this situation?"
The goal is not to "think positively," but to think more realistically.
2. Gradual Exposure: Face Your Fears Little by Little
To break the cycle of avoidance, exposure is the most powerful technique. It consists of gradually, in a planned, and repeated manner facing the situations you fear, starting with those that generate the least anxiety. By staying in the situation without escaping, you show your brain that you can handle it and that the anxiety will eventually decrease on its own.
3. Relaxation and Mindfulness Techniques:
These tools help calm the physical response of anxiety.
- Diaphragmatic Breathing: Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds, feeling your abdomen expand. Hold your breath for 2 seconds and exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds. Repeating this several times sends a calming signal to your nervous system.
- Mindfulness: Practice anchoring yourself in the present through your senses. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is excellent: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. This takes your mind out of the loop of future worries.
4. Take Care of Your Foundations: Lifestyle
Don't underestimate the power of the basics:
- Regular exercise: It's one of the most powerful natural anti-anxiety remedies.
- Quality sleep: Lack of sleep triggers anxiety.
- Balanced nutrition: Limit caffeine and sugar, which can mimic or worsen anxiety symptoms.
