At the end of these five tips there are links to each tip for further reading.
I'm sure many of you have read similar tips before. These are things that have helped me control my anxiety. Help control mind you. I sill consider myself to have a problem managing anxiety but I'm getting better at it.
Physical Aspect of Anxiety
Tip 1- Getting to know the "Fight or Flight " response
Understanding how the human body can react to the anxious mind has helped me. It's just made me feel more educated as to why we often respond to anxious thoughts wit an automatic physical reaction. I've learned that this was an important survival mechanism in prehistoric times (and still is sometimes), but that basically in the current age, the brain jumps the gun too easily, triggering the fight-or-flight response. Truth be told we (mostly) don't need to do either (fight or flee). Simply knowing how and why the body responds in this way is unlikely to bring significant relief to your anxiety on its own, but I think it's worth understanding.
Tip 2- Be aware of your breathing
The general aim here is to be aware if you end up "over breathing" and take steps to slow your breathing down. You don't necessarily have to be in the midst of a panic attack to have your breathing affected by your anxiety. Some people unintentionally change their breathing even when experiencing only mild anxiety. Breathing too fast makes the oxygen levels in the blood go up and the carbon dioxide levels go down. The pH of your blood then goes up. This type of breathing can eventually (and also quite quickly at times) lead to hyperventilating. All of which is likely to make you feel worse (more anxious). Even if your breathing doesn't change at all wen you are anxious, this tip is still relevant, as there are several breathing exercises that are known to b helpful when feeling anxious. I have included all the links (including a good YouTube clip) below.
Understanding how the human body can react to the anxious mind has helped me. It's just made me feel more educated as to why we often respond to anxious thoughts wit an automatic physical reaction. I've learned that this was an important survival mechanism in prehistoric times (and still is sometimes), but that basically in the current age, the brain jumps the gun too easily, triggering the fight-or-flight response. Truth be told we (mostly) don't need to do either (fight or flee). Simply knowing how and why the body responds in this way is unlikely to bring significant relief to your anxiety on its own, but I think it's worth understanding.
Tip 2- Be aware of your breathing
The general aim here is to be aware if you end up "over breathing" and take steps to slow your breathing down. You don't necessarily have to be in the midst of a panic attack to have your breathing affected by your anxiety. Some people unintentionally change their breathing even when experiencing only mild anxiety. Breathing too fast makes the oxygen levels in the blood go up and the carbon dioxide levels go down. The pH of your blood then goes up. This type of breathing can eventually (and also quite quickly at times) lead to hyperventilating. All of which is likely to make you feel worse (more anxious). Even if your breathing doesn't change at all wen you are anxious, this tip is still relevant, as there are several breathing exercises that are known to b helpful when feeling anxious. I have included all the links (including a good YouTube clip) below.
Thinking aspect of anxiety
Tip 3- Cognitive Distortions aka Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) generally. Even if you've tried CBT before, or a friend has and said it's useless (fact is, it doesn't help everyone), I urge you to still consider the cognitive distortions element of CBT anyway. If you are anything like me when in a state of anxiety, it's highly likely that there is a cognitive distortion (or several!) there somewhere that is provoking the anxiety. It doesn't mean what you are worrying about doesn't exist. It just means being open to the possibility that your mind is exaggerating the 'threat'. If you do identify a cognitive distortion, you can then try a variety of exercises to tackle it (links provided below).
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) generally. Even if you've tried CBT before, or a friend has and said it's useless (fact is, it doesn't help everyone), I urge you to still consider the cognitive distortions element of CBT anyway. If you are anything like me when in a state of anxiety, it's highly likely that there is a cognitive distortion (or several!) there somewhere that is provoking the anxiety. It doesn't mean what you are worrying about doesn't exist. It just means being open to the possibility that your mind is exaggerating the 'threat'. If you do identify a cognitive distortion, you can then try a variety of exercises to tackle it (links provided below).
Behavioural Aspect of Anxiety
Tip 4- Avoidance
I'm sure many sufferers are sick to their back teeth of being told they have to just confront their fears and do what they avoid doing in order to get better. So, I'm not going to tell you that you have to go out there, speak in public, go to a busy supermarket, drive on the motorway or whatever it is that frightens or overwhelms you. However, speaking personally, most (but not all) of my improvement relating to social anxiety and general anxiety disorder have come about from avoiding things less, and looking closely at my behaviour and the way I respond to anxiety. The hard part is having faith that your feelings of anxiety will reduce after you go ahead and expose yourself more. Unfortunately it is often that way round, as opposed to the anxiety being defeated before you start to do things more (expose yourself to triggering situations). See the links for further strategies in addressing avoidance.
Tip 5- How is your relationship with uncertainty?
A big theme of anxiety and worry in general is uncertainty. People suffering from anxiety are usually less able to tolerate and deal with uncertainty. I know when I was really bad, I would actually rather have a NEGATIVE outcome and BAD news if it meant getting the news right away. Waiting a few hours, or worse still overnight, or even worse still, the next week was awful. this lead to compulsive checking behaviour and sometimes harassing people for answers. Now, I try to deal with the fact I "don't know for sure". I try not to sent THAT text. To send THAT email. To make THAT phone call. It's hard to fight this urge, but I normally feel really chuffed with myself the next day if I manage it. It's important to r and learn that you CAN deal with uncertainty better than you give yourself credit for.
Tip 1 – Getting to know the “fight or flight” response
My recent blog post on it here http://sharingtohelp.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/fight-or-flight-response/
Fight-or-Flight summed up in picture format
http://hardanxiety.blogspot.ca/fear_3lg.jpg
Tip 2 – Be aware of your breathing
Useful articles on this
http://blog.humangivens.com/2012/10/how-does-deep-breathing-make-you-feel.html
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/07/22/reduce-your-anxiety-this-minute-3-different-types-of-deep-breathing/
https://sharingtohelp.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/calming-technique.pdf
Nice YouTube clip demonstrating https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRIV2R3jzaQ
Tip 3 – Cognitive Distortions aka Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Strategies for identifying and tackling them
http://www.apsu.edu/sites/apsu.edu/files/counseling/COGNITIVE_0.pdf
http://sharingtohelp.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/thought-challenging-techniques.pdf
Tip 4 – Avoidance
Strategies and techniques to address avoidance
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACFA29D.pdf
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/SHY-10-Exposureplan.pdf
http://www.working-minds.org.uk/documents/graded-exposure.pdf
Tip 5 – How is your relationship with uncertainty?
Strategies and techniques, and also a book recommendation!
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACF3C61.pdf
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACF109B.pdf
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Worry-Cure-worrying-start-living/dp/0749927240/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419782272&sr=1-1&keywords=the+worry+cure
Alex @sharingtohelp and @AJ628studentMH
Blog http://sharingtohelp.wordpress.com/
I'm sure many sufferers are sick to their back teeth of being told they have to just confront their fears and do what they avoid doing in order to get better. So, I'm not going to tell you that you have to go out there, speak in public, go to a busy supermarket, drive on the motorway or whatever it is that frightens or overwhelms you. However, speaking personally, most (but not all) of my improvement relating to social anxiety and general anxiety disorder have come about from avoiding things less, and looking closely at my behaviour and the way I respond to anxiety. The hard part is having faith that your feelings of anxiety will reduce after you go ahead and expose yourself more. Unfortunately it is often that way round, as opposed to the anxiety being defeated before you start to do things more (expose yourself to triggering situations). See the links for further strategies in addressing avoidance.
Tip 5- How is your relationship with uncertainty?
A big theme of anxiety and worry in general is uncertainty. People suffering from anxiety are usually less able to tolerate and deal with uncertainty. I know when I was really bad, I would actually rather have a NEGATIVE outcome and BAD news if it meant getting the news right away. Waiting a few hours, or worse still overnight, or even worse still, the next week was awful. this lead to compulsive checking behaviour and sometimes harassing people for answers. Now, I try to deal with the fact I "don't know for sure". I try not to sent THAT text. To send THAT email. To make THAT phone call. It's hard to fight this urge, but I normally feel really chuffed with myself the next day if I manage it. It's important to r and learn that you CAN deal with uncertainty better than you give yourself credit for.
Tip 1 – Getting to know the “fight or flight” response
My recent blog post on it here http://sharingtohelp.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/fight-or-flight-response/
Fight-or-Flight summed up in picture format
http://hardanxiety.blogspot.ca/fear_3lg.jpg
Tip 2 – Be aware of your breathing
Useful articles on this
http://blog.humangivens.com/2012/10/how-does-deep-breathing-make-you-feel.html
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/07/22/reduce-your-anxiety-this-minute-3-different-types-of-deep-breathing/
https://sharingtohelp.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/calming-technique.pdf
Nice YouTube clip demonstrating https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRIV2R3jzaQ
Tip 3 – Cognitive Distortions aka Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Strategies for identifying and tackling them
http://www.apsu.edu/sites/apsu.edu/files/counseling/COGNITIVE_0.pdf
http://sharingtohelp.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/thought-challenging-techniques.pdf
Tip 4 – Avoidance
Strategies and techniques to address avoidance
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACFA29D.pdf
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/SHY-10-Exposureplan.pdf
http://www.working-minds.org.uk/documents/graded-exposure.pdf
Tip 5 – How is your relationship with uncertainty?
Strategies and techniques, and also a book recommendation!
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACF3C61.pdf
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACF109B.pdf
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Worry-Cure-worrying-start-living/dp/0749927240/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419782272&sr=1-1&keywords=the+worry+cure
Alex @sharingtohelp and @AJ628studentMH
Blog http://sharingtohelp.wordpress.com/