Managing Anxiety on a Day-to-Day Basis
Anxiety is a natural emotion, but when it becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can disrupt daily life when one is not able to get a handle on such an overtaking feeling. For those new to managing anxiety, it may feel like an impossible challenge, especially when you don’t know where to start. However, by approaching it step by step, with patience and self-compassion, you can develop strategies that work for you and before you know it, live anxiety-free.
Step 1: Recognizing Your Triggers
The first step in managing anxiety is understanding what triggers it. (If you’d like to learn more about what triggers mean and how to manage them, read “Understanding Anxiety Triggers: Complete Guide”.) Triggers can be anything from certain situations or places to people, tasks, or even your own thoughts. For some, anxiety may surface when they face a work deadline, social gatherings, or conflict. For others, anxiety might arise when they think about their future or replay past mistakes which has to do with a guilty conscience or overthinking the future to avoid making the same mistakes that make them feel guilty now.
Begin by paying close attention to when and where your anxiety spikes. Keep a journal, note down how you feel, and record the circumstances surrounding those moments. Over time, you’ll start to see patterns that will help you identify your triggers more clearly. This awareness is crucial because it allows you to take proactive steps to manage or avoid those situations before anxiety gets out of hand.
Step 2: Learning About Your Anxiety
Once you identify your triggers, the next step is to start learning about how anxiety works for you. Understanding that anxiety is often a reaction to fear, uncertainty, or the feeling of being out of control can help you frame it differently. It’s also important to remember that anxiety doesn’t have to be permanent and can be healed overtime.
Incorporate tools that help you understand your anxiety better. Listening to certain songs that brings you to the trigger point so you can face it head-on and perhaps change the way you feel inside about that memory or traumatic event that took place. You might want to read books on the subject, listen to podcasts, or watch videos from mental health professionals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, such as thought-stopping or reframing negative thoughts, can be beneficial. The more you educate yourself, the more you’ll be able to develop an action plan for when anxiety arises. This also would be a good time to incorporate faith. Take the time to work on your relationship with The Most High, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, so that He can help you not feel anxiety about the things that you cannot control.
Step 3: Start with Small, Manageable Steps
Managing anxiety is not about completely eliminating it in one sitting. Instead, it’s about making small, manageable changes to how you respond to it to create a new habit which in turn creates a new character trait. Start with gentle techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness exercises. These can help reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a racing heart or shallow breathing, and create a sense of calm.
Once you start feeling more in control, experiment with other tools, such as grounding exercises, which can help anchor you to the present moment when anxiety pulls you into the past or future. Meditation and yoga are also effective in helping reduce anxiety over time, even if you start with just a few minutes each day. Writing, singing, dancing, skating, collecting, whatever hobby allows you to go to a safe space in your head to express yourself in a positive light. Sharpen that skill and use that as an avenue to channel the anxiety into something positive.
Step 4: Understand What Motivates and Drives You
As you become more aware of your anxiety, it’s also important to explore what motivates you and what drives your emotions. What are your values? What brings you joy or purpose? By reconnecting with the things that inspire you, you can build resilience against anxiety. This is the key to creating a new habit and reframing your thought process. Every day you have to set your mind to start and end the day on the why you are doing it. Why you are living, why you are working on your anxiety. Who inspires you? What inspires you? Keep that in your mind and heart each time you feel anxiety coming and triggers rolling around, that motive and drive is what you should feel and see to ultimately stop anxiety from taking over and the goal that you have to drive instead.
For example, if you know that physical activity helps you release stress, make it a point to include some form of exercise in your routine, whether it’s a walk, a workout, or yoga. If creativity or time with loved ones lifts your mood, find ways to incorporate these things regularly. This is a slow process, and it’s okay to take your time. But don’t just exercise just because it relieves stress, attach the unseen goal and drive that is more long-term so that you can keep in mind on the times when you aren’t exercising. Because realistically, you cant just stop anywhere you are and exercise when you have a trigger, so keep the motive in the forefront of your mind every day until it becomes involuntary.
Step 5: Be Kind to Yourself
The journey of managing anxiety is ongoing, and there will be days when it feels like you’re back at square one. It’s important to be patient with yourself and recognize that progress is not always linear. Celebrate the small victories, and remember that you’re learning to cope with something challenging.
With time, effort, and self-compassion, managing anxiety can become a more natural part of your life. By recognizing triggers, learning about your anxiety, and gradually applying strategies that align with your personal motivations, you can start to reclaim control and feel empowered, even in the face of anxiety.
