Helpful Tips for Overcoming Anxiety

Helpful tips for recovering from anxiety

Anxiety is now the number one mental health condition in the U.K. and with all the new stresses in our daily lives, it has become somewhat of an epidemic. But contrary to what a lot of people think it is a very treatable condition and a lot of people do overcome it with the right help and advice.

When we first seek help in recovering, we usually just find ways to manage anxiety and although this was part of my approach, it was more important to me to find the underlying cause of my condition. I wanted to truly understand what was creating it so as to cut out the root.  I did not want to spend a lifetime treating the symptoms of anxiety; I wanted to be fully free of the condition.

Below are some helpful tips that helped me move on from my anxiety.

Tips to help with anxiety

  • Take up a new hobby – Rather than sit around brooding try and fill your day with something you enjoy. Relaxing or outdoor hobbies serve the most benefit. This could be joining a Buddhist or yoga class, taking up painting, or creating something. To take advantage of the outdoors you could join a walking/running group or take up cycling.
  • Get involved in volunteering – Doing something positive can change your mindset and help you mix with new people. There are usually many local organisations that need help if you do a quick search in your area.
  • Take up meditation – This can help you let go of that busy mind and mentally switch off. I often meditate to this day and find it hugely beneficial. If you would rather do this in a group setting you should be able to find a class or meet-up group near you.
  • Stop blaming the outside for how you feel and avoid conflict – When we feel anxious we can sometimes take how we feel on those around us or blame others for how we are feeling. This only tends to lead to fallouts with those we care most for and only serves to create more drama and toxic feelings in our lives. The result of this is just more stress and an increase in our anxiety levels.
  • Talk to others about how you are feeling – Opening up to others can have huge benefits, from being able to drop the act of being O.K to lightening the burden you feel. You will also find that people are far more understanding than you think and in many cases find out that they are going through their own private struggle too.
  • Don’t use food or alcohol to suppress how you are feeling – No one is perfect, and I am not saying you shouldn’t have the odd drink or always eat correctly. It is more about not using junk food or alcohol to suppress how you feel. Both will have the opposite effect and will most likely increase your anxiety, make you lethargic and reduce your self-esteem.
  • Cut down on the worry. Worry and stress are the most significant contributors to anxiety, indulging in either only hurts you, it doesn’t solve anything. This period of your life is a warning and a time to take stock of your life and make some real changes.
  • Have some downtime – In this busy day and age of smartphones, computers and 101 channels to choose from, many people now find that their brain is always stimulated. It is so routine now that some even feel uncomfortable if they aren’t watching TV or staring at a phone, is it any wonder that people’s minds are busier than ever?  If you can find half an hour each day to switch everything off and just be with yourself with no distractions, you will see considerable benefits in the long term for doing so.
  • Be loving and patient towards yourself – Don’t have any guilt for the way you feel or fall into any self-pity mode. Also, don’t expect or want to be better than yesterday, give the mind and body all the time they need to heal while at the same time being patient and kind to yourself.
  • Don’t obsess about anxiety – Filling your day with the subject can end up with the thoughts about anxiety becoming sub-conscious and with this habit, you find you are unable to think of anything else. There is no benefit to going over the subject or how you feel continuously. Learning to cut down on being so self-absorbed and going back to living will serve you much better
  • Don’t avoid life or triggers – Don’t fall into avoidance behaviours because you don’t wish to feel anxiety. This avoidance only creates new problems and ends up giving you a very narrow existence. The truth is recovery lies in these places; it lies in allowing yourself to feel anxious. Regaining your life and former you will never come through avoidance.
  • Do the best you can – Recovery can take time and progress can be slow at first, so just do the best you can for now and don’t expect too much too soon. In time you will look back at be amazed at how far you have come.
  • Lose the negative people in your life – If there are people around you who tend to bring you down or pull you into their drama for whatever reason, then it may be time to think of having a spring clean and give yourself some distance for a while.

For more tips take a look at some helpful anxiety quotes or visit my Q&A page, where you will find more Anxiety Questions Answered