Anxiety can threaten to derail your day. It comes on fast, giving you heart palpitations and feelings of doom, or it lingers in the background, just threatening you the whole time. It sucks, but it doesn’t mean you can’t nip it in the bud. By having some quick tricks up your sleeve, you can control it and get on with what you need to do. Here are 10 small but meaningful ways to handle anxiety when it tries to throw you for a loop.
1. Tell The Anxiety To Bring It On.
While you might think the last thing you should do is tell the anxiety to get stronger, it actually works well to diffuse it. This is because speaking to it means you’re standing up to the feeling, and what you resist persists. If you don’t try to resist the anxious feelings, they actually end up showing themselves out a lot of the time. Try it, it works!
2. Go For A Quick Walk In Nature.
Nature is filled with things that can help to calm your mind when you’re feeling panicky. So, stroll through the park and pay attention to your surroundings to occupy your mind. Look at the beautiful white clouds and the sunshine on the trees. Nature has a way of giving things perspective, which can help you feel more chilled.
4. Do Something That Consumes You.
Distraction can help you to take your focus away from the anxiety. But, choose an activity that will consume you. This can be different things for different people. Maybe for you it’s writing in a journal, dancing, or calling a bestie to find out how her date went. Whatever it is, do something that will completely distract you for a few minutes. (And hey, if you want to find someone to pursue your passions with, our sister site, Sweetn, can help. They have amazing advice on revolutionizing your love life that are quick, easy, and super effective. Check them out here.)
5. Do A Quick Grounding Exercise.
Grounding is a form of mindfulness that helps you to connect to your environment so you focus on something other than what’s going on in your head. A quick one to do when you feel anxiety come over you is the 3-3-3 exercise. This is when you notice three things in your surroundings, listen to three sounds, and move or touch three body parts.
6. Trade Coffee For A Glass Of Water.
Coffee is packed with caffeine that gives you heart palpitations and shallow breathing, which can feel like a panic attack or intensify anxiety. Put down your mug of coffee! You might want to reach for a tall glass of water instead. It eliminates dehydration that can cause anxiety-like symptoms such as palpitations.
7. Sniff Lavender.
When you’re feeling stressed out and anxious, reach for a bottle of lavender essential oil. Put a few drops on a tissue and inhale it. Lavender has been proven to treat stress and fear because it affects the body’s parasympathetic nervous system that regulates processes linked to anxiety, such as breathing rhythm and heart rate. It also smells lovely, so you’ll want to carry it around wherever you go. Note to self: buy lavender-scented everything.
8. Tell Yourself You’re Fine.
Positive affirmations can help you when you’re in the throes of an emotional response. Think of them as a reset button or the voice of a kind friend who reminds you that everything’s okay. So, tell yourself, “I’m fine” or “I can handle this.” These statements can immediately flip the switch on your anxiety by putting you in the control seat. They also remind you that the anxiety isn’t a big deal and it’s not going to kill you, so you don’t have to fear it.
9. Tell Someone!
When you have intense anxiety attacks, you might avoid telling other people for fear that you’ll feel worse or the sensation will intensify. But, the opposite usually happens – the intense anxiety starts to dissipate. This could be because saying something out loud challenges the thought/feeling, or because expressing what you’re going through feels calmer than locking up your feelings and getting tense about them. It’s similar to how venting to a friend about a problem makes you feel better.
10. Grab A Snack.
Sometimes, feelings of anxiety can be triggered by a bout of low blood sugar. Quick science lesson: if your blood sugar drops, your body works hard to try to raise it such as by pumping adrenaline that makes your heart beat faster. This also makes you feel anxious. Help your body out by reaching for a healthy snack such as fruit or peanut butter to boost your blood sugar. When your blood sugar goes back to normal, your anxious feelings go away, so you don’t have to feel shaky and stressed out anymore.
11. Run Around The Block.
Those anxious feelings can give you a feeling of adrenaline – your hands shake, you heart races, and you feel jumpy. Get rid of these upsetting sensations by working up a sweat. Go for a quick run around the block or do some squats in your living room. Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, which will boost your mood and help you feel calmer.
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