8 coping techniques for managing anxiety
Anxiety is a normal feeling that everyone experiences from time to time. It can manifest in many ways, from mild uneasiness to full panic attacks. At times, this worry can feel overwhelming, but there are many coping techniques that can help manage and alleviate anxiety symptoms. Understanding how to use different coping tools can help you gain control over your anxiety and achieve a calmer state of mind.
How anxiety can affect your daily life
Anxiety isn’t always bad; it helps us stay alert to potentially dangerous situations and can motivate us to reach our goals. It becomes a problem when it’s frequent and interferes with your daily life. When left unmanaged, anxiety can impact many aspects of your life, from your ability to maintain basic personal hygiene to your work and relationships.
A lot of things can trigger feelings of anxiety. For one of our clients, Adele, the challenge of handling her job as a woman of colour in a new, unfamiliar city was very stressful. “Being in this really challenging role without anyone else that I could really see, meant a huge amount of anxiety,” explained Adele. She continued to share how this affected her, “Lots of self-loathing. I think when I first moved here, I was in a pretty self-destructive path: a lot of drinking, a lot of not eating or sleeping, and a lot of crying.”
The feeling of not being in control is another common cause of anxiety, and it can have damaging effects on your wellbeing. For our client, Luis, this was especially true. The recent COVID-19 pandemic added levels of stress for Luis because he felt like all of the things he cared about were being taken away from him. As a result of his anxiety, Luis started isolating himself from his friends and family and gained over 30 pounds. “The moment I knew that I needed to get help was when I started self-harming again,” shared Luis.
By learning coping methods for managing anxiety, you can develop a toolbox that you can use when you start feeling anxious. Next time you’re feeling stressed, try using one of the following techniques:
8 coping techniques for managing anxiety:
1. Breathing techniques
When you’re feeling anxious, you want to slow down your breathing so that you can slow down your heart rate. This will change the physiological reaction your body is having to the anxiety, so you can start to feel relaxed. Begin by doing a breathing exercise like triangle breathing:
Concentrate, and inhale for three seconds
Hold your breath for three seconds
Exhale for three seconds, and then repeat until you start to feel yourself calm down
2. Use your five senses
A common and effective tool for decreasing anxiety is using your five senses to help ground yourself. This is a great tool because it’s easy and can be done anywhere. For this technique, pause and notice:
Five things you can see around you
Four things you can touch around you
Three things you can hear
Two things you can smell, and
One thing you can taste.
Taking a moment to do this exercise allows your brain to slow down and focus on the present, instead of your anxious thoughts.
3. Yawning
It might sound strange but force yourself to yawn ten times. Eventually, these will turn into genuine yawns, and you’ll notice your body calm down. This is because yawning stimulates nerves in your jaw that then stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve handles many bodily functions, including heart rate and breathing. Once the vagus nerve is stimulated, it immediately tells your nervous system that you’re safe. Once your body feels safe, the anxiety will decrease.
4. Limit caffeine intake
Did you know that too much caffeine can make your anxiety symptoms worse? Take a minute to think about how much caffeine you’re consuming and try to decrease it. After a week of reducing your caffeine intake, reflect on your mood and see if it made a difference on your stress levels.
5. Listen to music that doesn’t match your mood
A lot of the time, we listen to music that aligns with our emotions. For example, many of us are guilty of putting on a sad playlist when we’re feeling down. While this can be a helpful tool for letting yourself experience and feel your emotions, it isn’t the best when you’re trying to come out of that state of mind and change your mood. Try listening to quiet peaceful music, or a calming playlist while you do something relaxing like walking, journaling, or yoga.
6. Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Many of us struggle with getting enough hours of sleep each night, but having a consistent sleep routine is key to managing anxiety. Sleep deprivation can increase feelings of anxiety and stress. The amount of sleep you need differs from person to person, but generally, you want to aim for between seven to nine hours a night. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day will help regulate your mind and body, and ensure you have a good sleep.
7. Move your body
Anything that regulates the nervous system will help decrease feelings of anxiety. The best way to regulate your nervous system is by physical activity. This doesn’t mean you have to do a strenuous workout, even going for a ten-minute walk can be helpful. Doing something physical outside is even better because it puts you in a new environment, and away from whatever was causing you anxiety.
8. Reach out for help
If you’re struggling with anxiety and notice that it’s affecting your ability to complete daily tasks, it might be time to reach out for support. Counselling can be a great way to learn more about your anxiety and how to manage it, so that you can live a more fulfilling life. Learn more about how counselling can change lives and hear first-hand how counselling helped our clients manage their anxiety.
Information for this blog post was provided by registered psychologist, Amy Ramler and registered social worker, Haley Slade. Learn more about our counsellors.
Listen to our Living Fully podcast episode about managing anxiety.