7 Tips to Manage Anxiety

Anxiety continues to be one of the most recurring problems among the population. This feeling of anguish, apprehension, worry, or fear towards certain events or activities, can appear promptly or give rise to more serious clinical conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder.

On the other hand, it should be said that despite the high incidence of this psychological condition, not all people take the step in search of specialized help.

Furthermore, data such as those revealed in a study by Dr. Jordi Alons from the Medical Research Institute of Barcelona, Spain, indicate that health services still need to greatly improve in identifying these cases.

Be that as it may, there is an aspect that we can never leave aside. Anxiety disorders must be treated as soon as possible. It is necessary to be sensitive to this type of reality and always seek expert and specialized help.

Likewise, and in a complementary way, we can also improve life habits.

Anxiety and predisposing factors:

The appearance and maintenance of anxiety depend on multiple factors, such as:

Predisposing factors: genetics. Studies such as the one carried out at the Würzburg University Hospital reveal that, when developing certain anxiety disorders, there may be a biological predisposition.

Activating factors include the social context and the way of reacting to certain stimuli.

Maintenance factors: personality, educational style, and lifestyle also determine the appearance and maintenance of anxiety.

Recommendations to control anxiety:

There are various alternatives to deal with the symptomatic picture of this condition. They are simple approaches, techniques that we can apply daily and with which we can not only reduce the impact of anxiety but also (and no less importantly) prevent it.

1. Express and manage emotions

Therefore, we must avoid keeping quiet, let ourselves be eaten by doubts and the vision of the worst scenario, and, instead, dare to verbalize needs assertively, name emotions, share concerns, and defend personal limits…

We must express ourselves; whatever we say to ourselves, it is best to get it out of us.

In a situation where we experience anxiety, one of the factors that enhances this feeling of stress is that we do not give ourselves permission to share what is happening to us, which isolates us from others. By expressing it, we take the first step to stop feeling separate.

Expressing emotions, after all, is key to mental health.

2: Write:

Therapeutic writing is another great tool to better manage and cope with anxiety.

This exercise is suitable and very effective for clarifying needs, expressing concerns, and translating mental tension into words…

A notebook and a pencil are enough to put it into practice, and have that hour a day to undress emotions on a blank sheet.

3: Self-knowledge: What does this strategy allow us?

Know what our real needs are.
Understand what motivates us, where our limits are, and where our potential is.
It is also that path to find a vital purpose that goes with us. The one with which to awaken new illusions, turning off part of our fears.

4: Mindfulness

It is a cathartic and healing practice to reduce the effects of stress and anxiety.

It allows us to be more present, connect with our needs, and learn to breathe better…

Likewise, this approach allows us to integrate new relaxation techniques to reduce mental tension and have greater control over our thoughts and emotions…

Mindfulness is that accessible tool for everyone to use a fuller awareness, where we can improve our attention and learn to take advantage of the opportunities of the here and now.

5. Realizar ejercicio físico

Going for a walk, running, dancing, swimming, riding a bike… All these common exercises help us produce endorphins, oxygenate the brain, increase our dose of serotonin, and reduce the body’s cortisol level. Therefore, physical activity is always an excellent and healthy tool to reduce anxiety symptoms.

6: Release control

“Be yourself, be yourself”. We are so aware of what people will say, what others will think that we forget who we are. We can ask ourselves what we want to change or who we want to change. Is there something we are doing without wanting to do it?

7: Take action

Suppose we habitually feel anxiety in a certain place or at a specific time. In that case, we can begin to investigate what danger that particular situation hides, wonder why we are experiencing this in this way, and, above all, what we can change.

In situations of anxiety, we can interpret that our body is crying out for a reaction on our part.

Not everyone reacts in the same way to the same situation. Each one reacts based on their interpretation; it depends on the memories, experiences, and familiar context. Every anxiety situation is an opportunity to discover hidden aspects of our history.