How to reduce anxiety

HEIDI WITTEN, RESEARCH PSYCHOLOGIST AND LECTURER

1 Breathe deeply.

When you feel anxiety creep in, or start to feel any physical symptoms of your anxiety, take slow, deep breaths to relax your body and mind. This exercise helps to put the physical body in a state of calm and relaxation. While taking those breaths, try not to think of what’s actually making you anxious, or that the physical symptoms are as a result of that anxiety. Just for a moment, keep the focus on the breathing.

2 Get moving.

Exercise not only helps you to feel good and maintain your health, but it also helps when you’re anxious. A quick walk in the fresh air can help to clear your mind. But whatever activity you choose, try to stick to something you’re familiar with. Trying something new in a moment of heightened stress or anxiety could place unnecessary pressure on yourself and make your anxiety worse. Even if all you can physically do in the moment is sit outside in the fresh air, do it!

3 Trigger warning.

Find out what your triggers are and figure out how to manage them. Is it your chaotic office space, family dinners or social gatherings? Keep a journal and note when you feel anxious – it will help you to identify a pattern of when you feel anxious and what led to it. Doing so will enable you to identify what your triggers actually are, so you can start working on a strategy to manage those anxiety-inducing scenarios or perhaps avoid them entirely. Most importantly, if you reach a point where nothing you have tried has helped, I suggest seeking professional guidance.

❛Exercise not only helps you to feel good and maintain your health, but it also helps when you’re anxious.❜