Top Tips for Managing Anxiety

By Gemma Louise Bull

Whilst the suggestions below are tried and tested strategies for helping with anxiety, they do not act as a replacement for medical advice. Please contact your doctor or a counsellor if you are going through a significant anxious episode, so you can be offered appropriate treatment.

It is estimated that over 3 million people in the UK have an anxiety disorder and the reported figure is steadily rising, especially since the Covid 19 pandemic.

If you, or your child, are coping with anxiety, you need clear, effective ways to feel better. There are many different strategies that can help reduce anxiety, but here are our Top Tips. Hope they help!

Tip 1: Talk it Over

Anxiety makes us feel uncomfortable and unsettled and sometimes discussing the symptoms can be tricky. However, by talking through how you feel with someone you trust, it can be incredibly powerful and help lessen overwhelming emotions. That old cliché ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ is a cliché for a reason. Trust the people you love to listen, support and advise.

Tip 2: Write it Down

Anxiety is like listening to multiple radio stations, at the same time, all in one space. Our brains swarm with questions, worries, fears, scary thoughts, which lead to anxious physical sensations. By writing down how you feel, the thoughts are removed from your head onto the paper, resulting in a more manageable emotional level.

Tip 3: Relaxation

If you are managing anxious thoughts and feelings, it is important that you find time to relax. You need to allow your body time to reset and feel calmer. Sometimes it can be difficult to feel relaxed but, if you find something to do that makes you happy, those warm and fuzzy feelings will come. Possible suggestions might be to have a bath, kick a ball, take a walk, bake a cake, read a book - whatever works for you.

Tip 4: Exercise

Anxiety creates an overproduction of adrenaline in the body which, in turn, leads to more anxiety. One surefire way to lower adrenaline levels is to burn off the feelings with exercise. A quick run on the spot can work wonders, a run in the park is even better. Exercise realises endorphins so you’ll be flooded with happy hormones in no time. Any exercise works so just do what you can, when you can.

Tip 5: Nutrition

Studies have shown a clear link between nutrition and anxiety. The excessive amount of sugar packed into processed food products is a major culprit. There are some simple steps you can take with your diet which will significantly help your anxiety levels. Foods that contain selenium (such as Brazil nuts), Omega 3 (such as salmon) magnesium (such as dark chocolate) and tryptophan (such as turkey) are clinically proven to aid people with anxiety.

Tip 6: Sleep

Often people with anxiety find sleep a challenge. Keeping to a good routine can be really helpful. Try to go to bed at the same time, make sure your bedroom is comfortable and you have limited LED light which can be distracting. If you can’t get to sleep, or you keep waking up, try not to worry as your body won’t relax enough to sleep if you do. Instead, have a drink, read a book, listen to music etc. until you can nod off.

Tip 7: Stretching, Prayer and Meditation

Yoga is known to be a great reducer of stress but, if you are not up for a downward dog, simple stretching can be just as effective. There are loads of stretches that actively lower chemicals in the body, resulting in loosened muscles. The child pose and ragdoll are especially powerful as they physically lower levels of adrenaline.

Taking time out to quietly think and reflect can be an effective remedy for anxiety too. Try some relaxing music and sit silently concentrating on your breathing. If you find it difficult, there are lots of apps you can download which will help you focus.

Tip 8: Praise and Gratitude

Humans are often wired to focus on their mistakes rather than their achievements. So, even when you have had a tough day, praise yourself for getting through it, for surviving whatever happened. Taking time to give yourself a pat on the back will make you feel more positive and stronger for the next day.

Sometimes it is hard to see things we are thankful for. We become so caught up in the things that haven’t gone right, and we can take what we have for granted. Try to be thankful for three things every day.

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