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Going for a walk or exercising is very beneficial. You are not only taking more deep breaths, you are also improving your mood and distracting yourself from negative thoughts. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
We live in an age of anxiety. We worry about our health, our finances, our work, our children, our parents, our taxes, our snowstorms.
Now, thanks to the Internet and the media, we also worry about global warming, floods, earthquakes, terrorists, and a myriad of other concerns.
When we aren’t feeling safe and secure, when we feel powerless, overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted—that’s when anxiety rears its ugly head.
While anxiety and stress may be part of life, there are things we can do to manage it better and keep it from affecting our quality of life.
Deep Breathing. Take deep breaths from your diaphragm, inhale to a count of 4, hold it in for a count of 4, and let it out for a count of 6. This simple exercise is an effective way to diminish anxiety.
Statistics. Did you know that a study found that 98 percent of the things we worry about never come to pass? This is a good statistic to remember whenever you are feeling anxious.
Questions. Ask yourself, “How important will this be in five years from now?”
Distract Yourself. Tell yourself a joke, or sing a song, or pet your dog and see how taking your mind off your worries helps calm your anxiety.
Negative Self-Talk. The average person thinks between 50,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day, and 87 percent of these thoughts are usually negative. Become more conscious of what you are thinking
Keep a Journal. Keeping a journal can be very effective when dealing with anxious thoughts. Expressing your anger and fears on paper helps to let it go.
Exercise. Going for walks or exercising is also very beneficial. You are not only taking more deep breaths, you are also improving your mood and distracting yourself from negative thoughts.
Get Support. Talking to positive-minded friends lowers anxiety. It distracts you from your problems and improves your mood.
Avoid Caffeine. Caffeine increases anxiety. Just cutting down on the number of cups of coffee or tea you consume per day can make a big difference.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Lack of sleep can contribute to anxiety as well as depression. Increasing your hours of sleep will lower your anxiety and give you more energy to follow these tips.
Rhonda Rabow M.A. is a psychotherapist with a private practice in Montreal. To sign up for her free monthly self-empowerment newsletter, go to www.rhondarabow.com and click on “Newsletter.”
