The Ultimate Anxiety Toolbox
The Anxiety Series - Part 4
Throughout the series, we have established that feeling anxious is a normal human experience. At times it’s critical to survival, but when it becomes overwhelming and interferes with your daily life, it's time to take action. This post is your ultimate toolbox for battling anxiety. We'll examine 20 different strategies, some familiar, some surprising, all designed to help you reclaim control and find peace. I have researched and tried every one of these methods and will offer insight not only into how useful they are but also the likelihood of actually committing them to habit.
Lifestyle Habits
Sleep
If after millennia of evolution, humans still need to spend approximately 1/3 of their lives sleeping then it is clear that sleep is a critical part of optimal living. Poor sleep hygiene and sleep architecture can wreak havoc on your health and well-being in the short and long term. Imagine having a weekend where you drank too much and slept too little. It's a scenario most are familiar with. When Monday arrives, are you more or less likely to be irrationally irritated? Better rest equals better resilience. The general advice on good sleep hygiene is simple: Try to have a consistent bed and wake time. Try to avoid stimulants both visual and ingested before bed and try to keep your bedroom cool, dark and as clutter-free as possible.
Exercise
Physical activity is well-publicised as the great anxiety reducer. It releases endorphins, can improve mood, and comes with a host of health benefits. How often have you felt too tired and unmotivated to attend the gym, a class or play sports with your friends only to return feeling refreshed and invigorated afterwards? I find most sports and exercise work great for my symptoms. I can’t ever remember leaving the gym feeling depressed.
The obvious exceptions usually involve competitive or performance-based sports, where results are presumed to be more important than improved physical and mental health levels. This is perhaps more common when the individual’s exercise is also part of their career but it can affect anyone. Golf is an obvious example of this. I have experienced many golfers stepping onto the course with an abundance of positivity only to finish the game mentally beaten.
Diet
I certainly didn’t invent the phrase; ‘you are what you eat.’ But there is a lot of truth to it. It’s not a revelation to state that limiting caffeine and alcohol can significantly improve anxiety. But food choices can play a significant role in mood for many people. Choosing the less processed options and limiting refined sugars works for me, but everyone is different. It’s also important to note that trying to be overly perfect with your diet can lead to higher anxiety. There must be a balance, and only you know what works for you.
Nature Therapy
Spending time in nature, or even simply being outdoors, has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exposure to natural light helps regulate serotonin and our circadian rhythm, and in Scotland, it’s a luxury you definitely can't afford to miss. But be mindful of overexposure – it's never a good thing.
Limit Social Media
Social media can be a breeding ground for comparison and negativity, both of which can worsen anxiety. Twitter or X as it’s currently known offers a voice to everyone, sadly, most of the things that people write will only upset or annoy you. Other socials relying more on photos and video reels can provide a distraction and some can be informative but mostly offer little long-term satisfaction. By design, most of the media portray other people's highlights, forcing you to dwell on your own perceived misgivings.
Cold Exposure
Open-water swimming, cold plunges and the simple cold shower are the most common ways that people are literally jumping into this increasingly popular method. The list of claimed benefits is vast, although the thought of even trying this likely causes anxiety in people to rise. I started taking cold showers around a year ago. I started warm and progressed after around 2 months to a 3-minute cold-only shower first thing in the morning. Can’t say that I look forward to or enjoy the process but I have made it a habit. I have noticed the benefits in both physical and mental health and have documented the results in a YouTube video review.
Techniques For Effortless Relaxation
Breathing
Right at the top of this section is breathing. Breathing is one of the few vital bodily functions that can be controlled both consciously and unconsciously. Now I adopted breathing at an early age and I have found it to be a useful tool in the pursuit of staying alive. But seriously, what else can it offer? In my experience learning to breathe properly and purposefully is probably the single best tool as far as simplicity and effectiveness you can adopt to deal with anxiety. By using controlled focused breathing, you can transition from the all-guns-blazing sympathetic nervous system to the calming, relaxing parasympathetic state. I have found it useful in dealing with feelings of unease, and stress and also for increasing focus in situations where you have to perform.
Mindfulness & Mediation
Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment, focusing on what's happening right now without judgment. Meditation is the structured process and environment that allows you to develop the skill. By quieting the mind and body, you can experience greater clarity of thought, reduce anxiety, improve focus and create a sense of calm and relaxation when required. Learning to be mindful is an incredible skill, and there are many ways to develop it. While meditation techniques like breathing exercises, visualisation, mantras, and guided meditations can be powerful tools, mindfulness can also be practised throughout the day. The truth is, practice doesn't require a specific posture or setting, you can meditate anywhere and anytime that you are not required to be fully present. With regular practice, you can hone this skill and experience its many benefits.
Journaling
Writing down your thoughts and feelings is a fantastic way to understand your tendencies. Highly successful people often write down ideas, plans, and mistakes. I found that in moments of severe anxiety, it is useful to sit with a pen and paper. Set a 20-minute timer on your phone and until that timer ends write every single thought that enters your head. I always find that by the end of 20 minutes, my mind is much quieter.
Music
Music can help relax the mind and body. Whether it's a sad song that helps you cry, an angry anthem that lets you vent, or some high-tempo dance music that motivates you to push out those extra reps at the gym, music can be a powerful tool for emotional expression. How often has a song come on that reminds you of a time or place many years ago? I once read that it is almost impossible to be depressed while dancing. Don’t take my word for it. Try it!
Techniques For Improved Thinking Habits
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps identify negative thought patterns and develop coping mechanisms. A therapist can guide you through CBT exercises. I have only tried CBT through books and online exercises. To be honest I found it difficult to do in times of bad anxiety, a bit too much like homework, and not all that effective. But others I have spoken to have had a lot of success with it.
Challenge Negative Thoughts
Don't believe everything your mind tells you. Challenge negative thoughts with more realistic and positive ones. Every time my mind goes into a negative scaremongering mode, I try to ask myself this question: “Based on what evidence is this true?” Remember it’s not your thoughts that define you, it's your actions.
Organisation & Planning
Feeling disorganised can contribute to anxiety. Create routines and to-do lists to feel more in control. Do the most important tasks first.
Exposure Therapy
This involves gradually exposing yourself to anxiety triggers in a safe and controlled environment. As we have discussed, when we fear something, we naturally try to avoid it. This might make us feel better in the short term, but it strengthens the fear in the long run. By slowly exposing yourself to what you fear, you learn that it's not as dangerous as you thought. You can experience the anxiety without anything bad happening. In the same way, people dip their toes in first to test the water, let out a shiver, say ‘Oh it’s cold’ and then proceed to get in anyway. People seldom come out of the water with the thought: ‘I wish I hadn't bothered getting in.’
Relationships, Community & Positive Connections
The Power of ‘No’
Don't overload yourself with commitments that will cause stress and anxiety. You can’t help others if you don’t first take care of yourself.
Socialise
Spend time with loved ones: Strong social connections can provide support and help you feel less alone. Countries with strong social support systems and a sense of community tend to have lower depression rates.
Gratitude
Focusing on the positive things in your life can improve your mood and outlook. Do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Things are usually better than they seem.
Helping Others
Helping others can take the focus off your own worries and anxieties. It should come as no surprise that unless you are a narcissist then helping others with things that perhaps they can’t do alone or have become overwhelmed with can not only be a useful distraction when your mind going mental but genuine appreciation from others is a powerful emotion and can be very rewarding
Laugh
No this isn’t a joke! Laughter is a great stress reliever. Watch a funny movie, spend time with people who make you laugh, or read something humorous. Sometimes I watch stand-up comedy clips on YouTube. If you are lying in bed right now and feeling down then why not try it?
Professional Help
If your anxiety is severe or interferes with your daily life, don't hesitate to seek professional help from a therapist or counsellor. It is important to note that what works for one person might not work for another and this applies to finding the right therapy and even the right therapist.
Do These Strategies and Techniques Work?
The short answer is yes. All of the techniques listed above can help understand manage and improve out-of-control anxiety.
Most of them are not new. These ideas and techniques are documented in books, articles, YouTube videos, websites etc. If you look up anxiety books on Amazon you will find thousands of highly rated books all making the same claims of providing rapid relief, inner peace, a calmer mind, and the untangling, overcoming, and unwinding of anxiety.
Then why, you might ask, with new books and methods constantly being released are the global anxiety baseline levels constantly rising?
The more important question is: What do we do with these techniques and advice that have been proven to help us cope with and overcome anxiety? How do we commit to them? In theory, this should be easy, but the reality is somewhat different. Based on my experience, client consultations and conversations with colleagues and GPs, it can be challenging to integrate them into our daily lives. Without the appropriate support and dedication, the likelihood that we will commit to them and make them a habit is very low.
Why is that?
In part 2 of this blog series we explained that the brain is constantly trying to conserve energy for survival, that’s why it loves habits and routines, and what it doesn’t like is change. No matter how simple any of the above strategies and techniques may seem, your brain will provide resistance. You can understand what's happening and discover solutions through reading and therapy. But change requires commitment and effort. You can’t improve your physical health by reading alone, mental health is no different. If you don’t integrate and use the tools in daily life the changes will not appear. This is the fundamental reason prescription medication use is constantly rising. It offers a much easier way to obtain a perceived result. It’s the same reason professional athletes are drug tested constantly. If a pill can provide a shortcut to results, we are tempted to take it.
In my experience there is no such thing as a quick fix or ‘guaranteed to beat anxiety’ technique. If you invest time, you will see results. Incremental improvement is a powerful way to achieve significant results over time, even if the individual changes seem minor. I know that if I spend only 20 minutes a day focusing on calming my mind, focusing on the thoughts that I do want to believe, I will be in a far better state and far more productive. I also know that if I practice relaxation techniques with music and stretching before bed it dramatically increases the quality of my sleep. Do I do it every day? No. I know that perfection is not a realistic goal. All I have to know is that I will do it on enough days that I can keep moving forward.
I hope you have enjoyed this series on anxiety and found it useful in your own battles with it. While anxiety is a powerful force, it doesn't have to control your life. But like your body and your relationships, it is something that can't be avoided or neglected without consequences.
In my next series we will examine anxiety's frequent companion, ’depression’. I can’t promise it will be a barrel of laughs but it might make you feel better, more informed and help you realise, you are not alone.
Lasty if you are struggling with Anxiety and need some help, I'd happy to have a discovery call. We can discuss how its affecting you personally and explore how I can help you.
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