Anxiety is a natural human experience, serving as a crucial survival mechanism that prepares us for danger. However, when this response becomes excessive or occurs without a real threat, it can become overwhelming and disabling, significantly interfering with daily life, relationships, work, and overall well-being. Many people seek ways to stop anxiety from controlling them. While the ompletely eliminating anxiety is an unrealistic goal because it’s an innate part of being human, it is possible to learn techniques and strategies to significantly stop its disabling effects and regain control over your life.
Anxiety can manifest in various ways, from mild and situational to severe and pervasive. It’s often described as an umbrella term for symptoms produced by activating the stress response. These symptoms can be physical, emotional, or behavioural. Stopping anxiety requires understanding how it works and identifying its patterns and triggers in your own life.
One significant factor that perpetuates anxiety is avoidance. People often develop a pattern of avoiding situations, places, or even internal feelings and thoughts associated with anxiety in an attempt to get away from the discomfort. Ironically, this avoidance often makes the anxiety worse and restricts one’s life. Trying to control or fight anxiety can also be unworkable as a long-term solution.
Anxiety involves complex processes in the brain. The amygdala is always involved in creating an anxiety response. Understanding the pathways in the brain that contribute to anxiety can help in choosing effective strategies to stop its influence.
There are many practical, easy-to-apply, and effective techniques that individuals can use immediately to start controlling and reducing their day-to-day anxiety. These methods often focus on changing reactions and building new habits.
- Physiological Techniques to Calm the BodyAnxiety is hard to maintain when the body is relaxed. Simple techniques targeting the physiological symptoms can help stop anxiety in the moment.
- Deep Breathing Taking slow, deep breaths can help calm the body and counteract the physical effects of adrenaline released during anxiety. Learning and practising proper breathing regularly, even when not anxious, helps make it a default state. Breathing techniques can help dissipate anxiety and are particularly useful during panic attacks. Applied relaxation, which includes correct breathing, can help calm down instantly.
- Muscle Relaxation Techniques that involve relaxing the muscles can help to reduce physical tension associated with anxiety.
- Exercise and Physical Activity Engaging in physical activity can be helpful for calming amygdala-based anxiety. Exercise can also help in dealing with stress, which is closely linked to anxiety.
- Mental and Focus StrategiesAnxiety is often fueled by thoughts. Learning to manage focus and respond differently to thoughts is key to stopping the cycle of worry and fear.
- Mindfulness and Meditation Learning basic mindfulness skills, often through meditation, can significantly help with anxiety. Mindfulness involves learning to focus on the present moment, often the breath, and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment or excessive engagement. This helps to disrupt the cycle of anxious thinking and allows for acceptance of internal experiences. Consistent practice can change the brain in positive ways, helping it better withstand stress and reduce anxiety.
- Conscious Questioning Asking structured questions about what anxiety is focusing on can help organise anxious thoughts and channel energy intentionally. Questions like “What are my strengths and resources?” or “What do I need to do to prepare?” can help bring focus to possible actions rather than just potential problems.
- Distraction In some situations, finding a temporary distraction can be a quick method of relief from anxious thoughts. Engaging in activities like watching a film, doing a puzzle, or being social can help disengage from overthinking.
- Facing Fears and Overcoming AvoidanceSince avoidance makes anxiety worse, actively facing feared situations or triggers is a powerful way to stop anxiety’s hold. This process, sometimes involving exposure, requires willingness to experience the anxiety without avoiding it.
- Graded Exposure Gradually approaching feared objects or situations allows the brain to learn that the perceived danger is not real or manageable. This helps to weaken the connection between the trigger and the anxiety response. It’s important to stay in the situation until the anxiety diminishes.
- Stopping Safety Behaviours Identifying and eliminating safety behaviours – actions taken to feel safer in a feared situation – is crucial because they block the experience of anxiety diminishing on its own.
- Taking Opposite Action Often, anxiety dictates avoidance. Learning to compassionately take control and do the opposite of what anxiety is telling you is a key step in stopping its control.
- Addressing Thoughts and Self-TalkWorry is a significant symptom of anxiety, often appearing as word-based fearful thinking that dwells on worst-case scenarios. Identifying and changing unhealthy thinking patterns is essential.
- Identifying Anxious Thoughts Becoming aware of the specific thoughts and internal dialogue that contribute to anxiety is a crucial first step. Writing down preoccupations can help get them out of the head.
- Questioning Worry Learning to recognise unproductive worries and finding ways to think about them differently is part of stopping the worry cycle. Sometimes, exaggerating fears can make them feel less impactful and help disengage from the anxiety.
- Focusing on Goals Identifying life goals and pursuing valued activities, even when anxious, helps shift focus away from solely managing anxiety. This demonstrates that rules or evaluations driven by anxiety (“I can’t do X because I’m too anxious”) are ineffective.
- Lifestyle and Self-CareSupporting overall physical and mental health helps build resilience and reduce vulnerability to anxiety.
- Prioritising Sleep and Exercise Sufficient sleep and regular physical activity can help reduce the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is involved in anxiety responses.
- Diet and Substance Use Certain dietary factors like caffeine, sugar, and processed foods may impact anxiety levels. Using alcohol or drugs to cope provides only temporary relief and doesn’t address the underlying issues. Consulting a doctor about potential drug or supplement triggers is also advisable.
- Reducing Stressors Identifying and minimising major sources of stress in life, such as a congested commute, negative media, clutter, or pessimistic people, can help manage overall anxiety levels.
- Tracking Progress and Building Self-AwarenessJournaling and regularly reflecting on experiences can help in identifying triggers and patterns, tracking progress, and reinforcing new habits.
- Keeping a Journal Writing about daily struggles and achievements provides a concrete record of progress.
- Identifying Triggers Thinking about when and where anxiety usually happens, and what specific scenarios are involved, helps to identify personal anxiety triggers.
- Focusing on Strengths and Progress Reflecting on things that went well, even small steps, helps build confidence and motivation. Identifying personal strengths and protective factors provides resources to rely on.
While self-help tools offer powerful ways to manage and reduce anxiety, there are times when seeking professional help is highly recommended and can be the most effective path to stop anxiety’s pervasive influence. Seeking professional help is described as an act of compassion and courage.
- Complex or Severe Anxiety If anxiety is severe, pervasive, or interferes significantly with relationships, work, or overall functioning, professional guidance is appropriate. For individuals dealing with conditions like obsessive thinking, compulsive behaviours, or severe, encoded trauma, self-help alone may be insufficient.
- Lack of Progress with Self-Help If using self-help techniques has not led to sufficient improvement, this indicates a need for specialist help. Psychology professionals can assess the nature and causes of anxiety and develop a tailored programme.
- Guidance for Specific Techniques Some approaches, like exposure therapy, which involves facing fears, are often more effectively undertaken with the support and guidance of a professional who understands the method.
- Dealing with Trauma While not explicitly mentioned in the provided materials in the context of specific therapies, some sources indicate that addressing trauma requires professional skill.
- Accountability and Support A professional can provide accountability and support throughout the process of making changes and facing challenges.
It is important to find a professional you can trust and collaborate with. They can help address concerns about seeking help and provide support for overcoming complex issues.
Summary: Stopping the disabling effects of anxiety, while acknowledging its natural presence, is achievable through various self-help methods and, when needed, professional support. Key self-help strategies include employing physiological techniques like deep breathing and relaxation to calm the body, and engaging in exercise. Mental approaches involve using mindfulness to manage focus, questioning anxious thoughts, and employing distraction. Behaviourally, actively facing fears through methods like graded exposure and stopping avoidance behaviours are crucial. Lifestyle changes, such as improving sleep and diet and reducing stressors, contribute to resilience. Tracking anxiety patterns through journaling and focusing on progress and strengths also aids in the process. For severe, complex, or persistent anxiety that doesn’t improve with self-help, seeking professional help from qualified practitioners is a valuable and courageous step towards regaining control and significantly stopping anxiety’s negative impact on life.