7 Best Ways of Coping with Anxiety

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines anxiety as apprehensive uneasiness, usually over an impending or anticipated ill. Going by this definition, we all experience anxiety at some point in our life; but how you manage your anxiety makes the difference.

If not checked early enough, anxiety can lead to anxiety disorder, which can cause stroke, heart attacks, kidney diseases, or even sexual dysfunction.

How do you know when you’re anxious?

You’re anxious if:

You worry too much
You feel restless
You have difficulty sleeping
Fatigue sets in easily
You’re finding it difficult to concentrate
You feel easily irritable
You’re tensed
You experienced increased heartbeat
You experience sudden sweat breakout
You’re sweating in your palms
You’re having feelings of terror looming ahead

What Can Make You Feel Anxious? (Anxiety Triggers)

Anxiety triggers vary with individuals and personalities, but the following are general triggers that cause anxiety in more people.

Caffeine
Alcohol
Tobacco
A stressful day at work
Money issues
Driving long distance
Side effects of some types of medications
Withdrawal from drug use
Trauma
Fear of crowd (agoraphobia)
Fear of small spaces (claustrophobia)
Terminal illnesses
Depression

The list is endless. If you’re experiencing anxiety and have not been able to identify what triggers your anxiety, seeing a therapist can help you identify your anxiety triggers and suggest possible anxiety-management therapies to help you deal with anxiety.

How to Deal With Feelings of Anxiety: Seven (7) Ways of Coping with Anxiety

1. Get Enough Rest

Getting about 8 hours of sleep every night lowers your anxiety level by giving your brain and body enough time to heal and helping you to manage anxiety triggers and symptoms like depression better.

Not getting enough sleep can increase your anxiety level and worsen your health by lowering your immune system, making you forgetful, hungry, or aggressive.

2. Exercise Often

Regular exercise can improve your physical health, reduce stress and anxiety disorder, improve your mood, and help you tackle anxiety symptoms.

It is often advisable to start out slowly, e.g., you can start with a daily walk, move on to brisk walking, jogging, and running for 5 minutes, and increase it daily. Here are some exercises you can engage in:

Taking 30 minutes brisk walk
Running or jogging
Yoga/Meditation exercise
Dancing
Jump backs
Burpees
Pushups
Stretches

3. Take a Walk in the Nature Park

Walking in a nature reserve can significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels by calming you down and relaxing your nerves.

A weekly or daily walk (depending on your schedule and distance) in a park and observing the green scenery will take your mind off your worries and make you see the beautiful side of life.

Alternatively, staring at images or watching videos of nature has been shown to have the same effect on your mental health as being physically present in a nature park.

4. Practice Grounding Exercise

Grounding exercise helps shift your mind away from anxiety triggers by engaging your senses of sight, taste, feel, smell, hear and sound by making you aware of your physical environment.

It is a form of mindfulness technique that helps you to detach yourself from mental and emotional stressors.

To practice grounding exercises, you can start with the 5-5-5 breathing exercise by breathing in for 5 seconds, holding your breath for 5 seconds, and breathing out for 5 seconds to normalize your breathing when you’re experiencing increased breathing.

After normalizing your breathing, you should focus on the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise to engage all your five physical senses by mentioning:

Five things you can see around you, e.g., family photo, TV, coffee mug, paintings, etc.
Four things you can touch, e.g., your cloth, hair, water, hands, feet, objects around you, etc.
Three things you can hear, e.g., the noise of traffic, music, the sound of the breeze, nature sounds, conversations, etc.
Two things you can smell, e.g., Perfume spray, food aroma, flowers, etc.
One thing you can taste, e.g., a cup of tea, fruits, food, gum, mint leaves, etc.

Other grounding exercises you can engage in are:

Taking a hot or cold bath
Shaking your hands, legs, or other body parts gently
Running your hands or legs in warm or cold water

5. Start a Journal

Journaling is you penning down your feelings and thoughts on paper or digital devices. Research has shown that journaling has helped people to cope with anxiety by helping them to:

Recognize personal concerns that can lead to anxiety
Identify your anxiety triggers
Manage your stress levels
Build confidence
Overcome unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.

If writing is not your thing, you can practice other forms of journaling, like keeping a bullet, gratitude, calendar, or a drawing journal.

Irrespective of your journal type, you should set aside time daily or weekly for your journal, keep it simple and free of rules, and decide if you want to share it.

6. Engage In Activities That Distract You

Distractions like watching a movie or show, listening to music, reading a book, going out with a friend, or attending a social gathering can help you to cope with anxiety by shifting your mind away from stressors and anxiety triggers.

7. Include Nutrient Supplements in Your Diet

Research suggests that vitamins, minerals, and other supplements help manage anxiety disorders. Supplements you can include in your diet include:

Magnesium Glycinate,
Vitamin D
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin C
Multivitamins
Curcumin
Omega fatty acids

However, you should discuss with your therapist or a doctor to be sure there are no possible risks or side effects before making supplements a part of your diet.

Conclusion

Exercising regularly, socializing with friends, listening to music, getting enough sleep, avoiding smoking and heavy alcohol consumption, eating a balanced diet, practicing yoga, or meditation, etc., can help you cope with anxiety and reduce your stress.

You can incorporate these anxiety coping techniques into your daily routine by:

Meditating daily
Journaling in the morning or at night
Taking a warm bath daily
Spending time out on weekends with your family in a nature park
Eating fruits and vegetables daily as part of your diet.

Daily practicing all of these coping techniques doesn’t guarantee that you will not experience anxious moments, but they will help you to adapt and respond better to negative thoughts that can trigger anxiety.

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