By definition, anxiety is a feeling or worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an upcoming event or something with an uncertain outcome. Anxiety can leave us with feelings of hopelessness. Everyone experiences some anxiety or fear at times; however, some people are likely to suffer from higher levels of anxiety that interfere with life. Today, lets openly talk about what is anxiety and hopefully find a step that can help you recover from an onset of anxiousness. Have you or do you suffer from anxiety? Understanding anxiety, owning it and trying different techniques to overcome can help you the next time you feel overwhelmed. Ready to take a look?
What Causes It?
There are many factors that can lead to anxiety for us. Most often, we can be affected by multiple scenarios which can increase our nervous feelings. Recognizing the things that trigger you, owning that feeling, using a coping skill and moving forward can benefit each of us. Being able to voice how you really are. We don’t have to allow anxiety to get the best of us. There are steps we can take to help during times of anxiety. Below are several factors that can lead to creating anxiety.
- Current Life Stress
- Childhood or Past Trauma/Experiences
- Physical, Mental, Sexual or Emotional Abuse
- Loss of A Loved One
- Bullying or Racism
- Financial Trouble
- Over Use of Drugs and/or Alcohol
- Mental Health Issues
What Helps During?
Anxiety can be brought on a number a ways and can affect your life and relationships. There is hope! It doesn’t have to own your life. There are also many ways to fight back against it. It is important to recognize if you struggle with anxiety. Owning is a first step to overcoming! Below are ways that could be helpful for you to manage your anxiety. Not each one will work for every person. Try a suggestion and if that doesn’t seem to help you, try another one. Just don’t give up!
- Distraction (count objects you see, count colors, count backwards)
- Get Creative (draw, color, paint, origami)
- Meditation (redirect your thoughts, focus on something right here right now)
- Breath (breathe deeply in as deep as possible and deeply out – slowly)
- Grounding is another option to try during these times. You can drip cold or warm water on your skin. Try touch different things around you. Shake your hands to feel them. Squeeze a safe object close by.
- One other technique is to engage your senses. Speak out loud to yourself, if possible. What do you see? What do you smell? What can you touch? What do you hear? What can you taste?
How Can I Improve?
Besides taking steps during anxiety, there are also steps you can take to possibly decrease chances of anxiety. There are certain lifestyle choices that increase anxiousness. This isn’t to say that every person has to follow all the below suggestions, but if you find that you have several lifestyle habits that contribute to more feelings of anxiousness, maybe you can take a step to change one thing at a time. Remember, most circumstances in our lives don’t heal or go away overnight, but with consistent and intentional care of ourselves, can improve over time. Which of the below suggestions stands out to you as a possible contributor to your anxiety?
- Get Proper Sleep Each Night
- Exercise Every Day
- Talk About Your Feelings and Progress
- Stop Drinking Caffeine
- Eat Healthy Balanced Diet
- Avoid Sugars
- Avoid Drugs and Alcohol
Not everyone suffers from anxiety that affects their daily lives, but for those who do, the common thread is they don’t want it to. If you have tried different methods to help you through feelings of hopelessness and feel you could use some help, you are not alone! We are here to listen to your circumstances and help you develop steps forward.