Anxiety is a common human experience, and it’s often viewed as a negative emotion that we should try to eliminate or suppress. In a world where quick fixes are popular, I want to offer an alternative.
Instead of aiming to eliminate anxiety, let’s explore how we can manage your anxiety.
Practice Mindful Presence
When you’re anxious, you’re often not in the present moment. Your mind might be racing into the future with all its ‘what-ifs.’ One way to manage this is by practicing mindful presence. This simply means paying full attention to what is happening right now, without judgment.
Simple Exercise: Take a deep breath. Feel the air moving in through your nose, filling your lungs, and then slowly exhaling. Notice the sensation of the breath, the rise and fall of your chest or belly. Do this for a few breaths. It’s a simple way to anchor yourself in the present.
How This Helps: By focusing on the here and now, you are giving your mind a break from worries about the future or regrets about the past. It’s about co-existing with your anxiety, not trying to push it away.
Engage in Values-Based Actions
Think about activities that are meaningful to you – the things that reflect what you care about most. Is it family, creativity, helping others, learning, or something else? Engaging in these activities, even when you are feeling anxious, can be incredibly grounding.
Simple Exercise: Make a short list of three activities that are important to you (like calling a friend, going for a walk in nature, or playing an instrument). Commit to doing one of these activities today, no matter how you are feeling.
How This Helps: Aligning your actions with what is important to you can create a sense of purpose and direction. This might not remove the anxiety, but it often makes it feel more manageable.
Observe Your Thoughts
When you’re anxious, your mind is often full of worrying thoughts. Instead of getting caught up in them, try to step back and observe them, almost as if you’re watching a movie.
Simple Exercise: The next time you have a worrying thought, instead of getting hooked by it, say to yourself, “I’m noticing the thought that I might fail” (or whatever the thought is). This is a way of reminding yourself that thoughts are not facts; they are just mental events that pass through our minds.
How This Helps: This practice creates a small space between you and your thoughts. In that space, you can decide whether to get swept up in the thoughts or to let them pass by like clouds in the sky.
There Are Always Ways To Manage Anxiety
Managing anxiety can be challenging, but these strategies offer a different approach. They are about learning to coexist with anxiety and moving forward in life in a meaningful way, rather than trying to eradicate anxious feelings. By practicing mindful presence, engaging in values-based actions, and observing your thoughts, you can begin to relate to your anxiety in a new and more manageable way.
If you found these strategies helpful and are interested in exploring this further in greater depth, feel free to reach out for more personalized guidance. You’re not alone in this, and support is available.
