Anxiety comes in many forms from social anxiety to agoraphobia to OCD. In all cases, it’s caused by irrational fear over everyday activities. This can cause a mental barrier to form that makes it harder to tackle these activities. Fortunately, you can beat anxiety if you’ve got the determination to do so. Here are just several ways to overcome anxiety.
Face your fears
You can’t beat anxiety if you keep avoiding the triggers. Take the leap and face your fears head-on. If you have social anxiety, this means forcing yourself to partake in social activities. If your OCD causes you to fear to get your hands dirty, go out of your way to get your hands dirty such as eating sticky foods with your hands (such as bbq ribs).
Research the facts
You’ve most likely convinced yourself that the worst will happen. Start looking up the right kinds of stats and facts – you may realize how slim a chance there is of disaster striking. If you’ve got anxiety around taking lifts in case you get trapped, start researching into lift safety. Don’t dwell on the risks. Did you know having a cat could help with anxiety? Check out this article about emotional support animal registration.
Transport your mind to a happy place
Often you can take yourself away from an anxiety-inducing situation by pretending that you’re somewhere else. If you have massive fear surrounding public speaking, start picturing yourself in a room at home with a couple close friends when giving a speech. If you’re crossing a bridge and hate heights, convince yourself that you’re walking on the ground level. Most people like to transport themselves to a beach or a meadow where they can fill themselves with happy energy.
Control your breathing
Breath control can stop you from working yourself up. By controlling your breathing, you can usually help slow down your heart rate and blood pressure. There are many emotional health platforms that you can use to help with breathing exercises – these may include apps that speak to you and help you to control your breathing. Breathing is a big part of meditation and there are lots of sources online where you can learn how to meditate.
Take your time
When in an anxiety-inducing situation, many people’s first reaction is to get out as soon as possible, but this can often make things worse and may even increase the risk of the disaster that you’ve been dreading. In the case of public speaking anxiety, don’t try to talk fast in order to get the public speaking over and done with as soon as possible – slow down your speech so that you don’t lose track of what you’re saying. If you have driving anxiety, don’t try to drive as fast as you can to get home – accelerate and brake gradually and take the journey in your own time. You’ll feel much more relaxed by doing this.