Strategies for Dealing with Anxiety





Master our 5-step method to cope with anxiety





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We often hear people talk about anxiety, but what is anxiety? To put it not-so-simply, anxiety is a state of unrest that is experienced when we find ourselves in situations in which we sense a physical or psychological threat.

Understanding anxiety is one thing. It's another thing entirely, to deal with it in a healthy way. So if you find self-help for anxiety to be difficult, these five steps can help you develop anxiety management strategies that may ultimately lead to an anxiety-free life.

Step 1 – Determine The Problem

Make a list of moments in your life in which you felt anxious. Remember what feelings and emotions you had in each situation. Anger? Fear? Embarrassment?

Assess the degree of discomfort each problem caused you on a scale of one to three:

0 — It doesn't cause discomfort
1 — It causes mild discomfort
2 — The discomfort is moderate
3 — It is serious

This score will help you rank your problems and understand which ones you should prioritize.

Now that you have the problem you want to deal with first, analyze it in detail. What happens, when does it happen, where, how, why and so on. Analyzing this issue is the first step in overcoming your anxiety.

Step 2 – Setting Goals

What positive changes do you want to achieve? Focus on your thoughts and feelings and formulate one to three goals.

Step 3 – Develop Strategies

Create at least 10 strategies to help you achieve each goal. This could be slow breathing, or even something as simple as calling up a friend. Anything that helps you feel at ease could be used as a strategy when trying to control anxiety.

As you develop them, don't be critical of your ideas, even if they seem a little crazy or unrealistic. It will help you think outside the box. Just write down everything that comes to mind. Only try to perfect your list of strategies when you see it is already quite long.

Step 4 – Strategy Selection

When you are making your list of strategies, you will particularly be keen on some of them. It's useful to weigh all the pros and cons.

For each goal, choose the three best strategies and estimate the effects of implementing them. How will applying these strategies influence your feelings and needs? What about other people and their attitude towards you? How will it affect your life in the near and distant future?

After you've analyzed the main effects, estimate the likelihood of them becoming a reality. Before you start to implement your chosen strategy, think through the specific actions you need to take it in order to achieve your goal.

Step 5 – Act

You can adjust the strategy you have chosen in any way you see fit depending on your circumstances. When you've done everything, assess the results. Did your predictions come true? Are you satisfied with the outcome?

If you're successful, you can move on to solving more complicated problems. After a little while, you'll see how easy and straightforward it is to solve your problems with this five-step method.

Dealing with anxiety doesn't have to give you anxiety! These five simple steps are great coping mechanisms for anxiety and will give you the strength and the know-how to get it all under control. So what are you waiting for? Go on and give it a try and take back control of your mind!

If you want to learn more about different anxiety strategies, check out the Therappy app. It was developed by professional psychotherapists for people who want to solve mild mental problems on their own. To see if it suits you, choose a test period, and make a step towards a healthier you!
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