Top 5 Anxiety Coping Skills
Anxiety can be an overwhelming emotion that can quickly take over your mind and emotions. We’ve all been there when we can’t seem to distract ourselves enough to feel better. But taking small steps to cope with those intense feelings can be as easy as taking a walk outside or writing down your initial thoughts.
Here are our top 5 ways of coping with stress and anxiety:
Write it Down - When you are feeling something so intensely it can be difficult to see the truth. Your initial feelings and emotions are valid but may not be helpful in identifying what is completely true about a situation. Your mind can pick up offenses or fall down a rabbit hole of imaging ‘what ifs’. By writing down all the thoughts in your mind, you will start to see which are emotionally based responses and which are helpful facts to respond to.
Anchor Yourself with Deep Breathing - Stress can cause a list of behaviors, but one of them that can actually worsen your anxiety is holding your breath. Slow, deep breaths can actually trigger your brain to think it’s ok, safe, and that you are in control of the situation.
The Power of Self-Talk - Negative self-talk can become so normal we barely recognize it as a bad habit. You make a mistake and the first thing you say is, ‘ugh I’m the worst’. You see someone on social media, compare yourself and think, ‘ugh they are much better than me’. You were not invited to something and you say ‘no one likes you’. Being cognizant of this type of self-deprecating talk and rework some of those thoughts and phrases to be more positive and encouraging like ‘I made a mistake and now I am grateful I have the opportunity to learn from it’ or ‘That hurt my feelings so now I am more aware to not hurt others’. Speaking to yourself in kind and patient ways, as you would others, can start to reprogram your brain on how you actually see yourself and your circumstances.
Turn Up the Beat - Music can be a very powerful way to change how you are currently feeling. We recommend making a playlist of happy or encouraging songs that boost your current mood and can be quickly accessed. It’s been proven that moving your body to the beat of the music has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body. Word of caution: choose your music selection wisely as music has the ability to manipulate your emotions.
Take a Walk Outside - Just a 10 minute walk outside has been proven to boost your serotonin levels, calm nerves, and so much more. Nature and physical movement combined can be an extremely impactful tool for dealing with stress and anxiety. Not wanting or feeling up to a walk outside? Go to step 4 and pump yourself up with your playlist.
Learning coping skills takes time and energy so be patient with yourself as you learn and grow. If you have children, these are also some great ways to teach managing emotions to them, especially with the school season in full swing. They will see you act this way when feeling overwhelmed and will mirror your behavior.
We’re here to better help you on your journey to manage stress and anxiety. Schedule an appointment with one of our therapists to learn more specific ways to deal with your anxiety.
