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Managing Anxiety

Almost everyone experiences anxiety at times. It's a natural response to stressful situations. When it pushes you to think more clearly and perform at a higher level, a bit of anxiety can sometimes be a good thing. However, intense or long-lasting anxiety can make you less able to cope with life's challenges or even handle the ordinary tasks of daily life. Here are some tips on managing anxiety, including information on when and how to seek help.

Signs of Anxiety

Anxiety can cause physical symptoms. It can also change how you think and act. People often ignore signs of growing anxiety until they become overwhelming or debilitating. Noticing its signs is the first step in learning how to manage anxiety. Signs of anxiety can include

• Muscle tension
• Headaches
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sweating
• Loss of appetite or nervous eating
• Trouble sleeping
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating
• Overfocusing on worries

Anxiety can make you reluctant to try new activities and avoid places and situations that you associate with anxious feelings. Intense anxiety can grow into feelings of panic.

Ways to Manage Anxiety

When you notice signs of anxiety, try using these short-term ways to calm yourself and clear your thinking:

• Take slow, deep breaths. People breathe slowly and deeply when they're calm, and breathing this way can help you become calmer.
• Go for a walk or engage in another physical activity. Even light exercise can steady your breathing and your heartbeat, and the physical exertion can help you feel more relaxed. Some activities, like yoga, are designed to help you relax.
• Jot down a brief note about what's worrying you, and decide on a time when you will give it more attention.

Those are quick ways to deal with a flood of anxious feelings. If you're anxious often or experience recurring waves of anxiety, some additional longer-term steps may be helpful:

• Notice what's triggering your anxiety. It may be obvious to you—a difficult work assignment, for example, the prospect of making a presentation, or money worries. But if it's not, step back and think about what's happening in your life when you become anxious. Some people find it helpful to keep a journal to record the times when they feel anxious and note what was going on or what they were thinking about at those times.
• Talk to a friend about what's causing you to be anxious. Through conversation, you might realize it's not such a big deal, or you might come up with fresh ideas for dealing with what's making you anxious.
• Think about one small step you can take. Make a list of what's worrying you, with space beside each item to note steps you might take to address that worry. Then pick a small step and take it. It might be learning or practicing a skill. It might be blocking an hour to think about a project or begin writing a paper. Notice how it feels to make even a tiny amount of progress in dealing with that one source of anxiety.
• Take care of your health. Eat healthy foods. Get regular exercise. Get the rest you need by establishing a regular sleep schedule with time to wind down before you go to bed.

There are also some things you should not do:

• Don't ignore signs of anxiety.
• Don't hold your anxiety inside and keep it to yourself.
• Don't use drugs or alcohol to cope with anxiety.
• Don't try to address all of your worries at once. Take it one small step at a time.

If specific activities, people, or situations make you anxious, it can be tempting to avoid them. That might be OK if they aren't important to you or if avoiding them doesn't keep you from being who you want to be. However, if you find that avoidance is holding you back or making daily life difficult, you'll need to face them. Try dealing with these things by handling them in small steps or with gradually increasing exposure, perhaps with the help of a friend or a professional counselor.

When and How to Get Help with Anxiety

There's no need to suffer from anxiety alone. If your anxiety is more than a temporary or occasional disturbance, consider seeking professional help. You might start by talking with your primary care doctor, the student mental health center, or your employee wellbeing program. A professional counselor can help you

• Understand the sources of your anxiety
• Deal with fears and phobias
• Challenge unrealistic thinking and change unhelpful thought patterns
• Learn techniques for calming yourself when you feel anxious

A professional counselor or medical doctor can also advise you about medications that may be of benefit. Anti-anxiety medications include tranquilizers, beta-blockers, and anti-depressants.

For More Information

"Anxiety and Panic Attacks," Mind (2021)
Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/about-anxiety

"Anxiety, Fear and Panic," National Health Service (NHS)
Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/anxiety-fear-panic

"Managing and Treating Anxiety," Better Health Channel
Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/anxiety-treatment-options

"Tips and Strategies to Manage Anxiety and Stress," Anxiety & Depression Association of America (Revised 2022)
Link opens in a new windowhttps://adaa.org/tips