Anxiety Counseling: Methods to Help Alleviate Anxiety

Nov 03, 2016

If you ever find yourself struggling to relax, unable to control your mind, nervous or fearful without an obvious cause, you are not alone. Anxiety is more common than you may realize and lucky for you there are several effective ways to alleviate your symptoms. So take a deep breath, finding comfort in knowing that help is all around you. To start you off on the right foot, here are 3 helpful tips on how to begin to rid your body of anxiety:

1. Meditate

Meditation often carries this connotation of being a "religious act". In actuality, meditation is quite simply the process of calming down and does not necessarily have to be a religious experience. It gives you an opportunity to focus on the type of thoughts that will relax your muscles and sooth your mind . If you're unfamiliar with the process and not sure what to do, here are some suggestions that might help:

Jot down a few positive words of affirmation that will interfere with the negative thoughts behind your anxiety. For example: "Everything is going to work out fine" or "This is only temporary". Repeat these statements to yourself repeatedly until you begin to feel a sense of calm.
Find somewhere nice and quiet and just breathe. Take in slow and rhythmic deep breaths and focus on that alone. This type of concentration will slowly begin to take your mind off of your anxiety and will also relax your body.
Search for guided meditation podcasts/CDs online or in a book store if you'd prefer the guidance of a professional.

2. Take Care of Your Physical Self

Your mind and body work together, so taking care of one will ultimately have a positive effect on the other. Make sure you're receiving adequate hours of sleep each night, fill your body with the right amount of nutrients each day, and limit the consumption of sugary foods and caffeine. Your mind has an excellent way of alerting you when your body is not being treated properly. Something as simple as exercising daily could make a world of difference for your mental health.

3. Understand Your Anxiety

When you know better, you do better. If you've already followed the aforementioned tips above, take a moment and contemplate the cause behind your anxiety. What are you most concerned about? Understand that thoughts and feelings aren't permanent. They come, and then they go. If you can begin to recognize the thoughts that trigger your anxiety, it will be much easier to let those thoughts come and go without interfering with your day-to-day activities. You are more than capable of controlling the way your mind behaves.

If you're looking for anxiety therapy, please contact me for professional assistance in your journey to mental freedom.

Resources:

Loading Conversation

« Previous