How to Fight Anxiety

Anxiety can feel crushing at times. Maybe you have only recently developed anxiety due to a traumatic or stressful event, or perhaps you have always been more anxious than everyone else. Temporary or situational anxiety is normal. However, chronic anxiety can make you physically and mentally sick.

Read below for ways to fight anxiety.

Why We Develop Anxiety

Anxiety is tightly linked to the fight or flight response, the body’s natural inclination to protect itself, whether through fighting a predator or running away. When your fight or flight response is triggered, you may experience a rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, and feelings of dread or danger. These reactions are preparing your body for a physical fight to the death or to sprint away from danger.

In today’s world, we rarely find ourselves in that type of danger, but our bodies still recognize situations that make us fearful. Temporary or situational anxiety occurs when you are in an uncomfortable situation. You might be Christmas shopping in a crowded mall with thousands of other people or standing on a stage for a presentation. Although the danger is not life or death, your mind and body react in the same manner.

Chronic anxiety is more subtle. It stays with you, and you may be unsure why you feel this way. You may have experienced a trauma or stressful situation in the past, but your mind and body are still hanging onto those thoughts and sensations.

How to Fight Anxiety

You can learn to fight anxiety by consistently practicing new habits. Unfortunately, many of us start a new practice for a few days and then stop, never making it part of our daily routine. To overcome stress and anxiety, you must make a new habit part of your life.

It may not seem like much change in the beginning, but consistent practice, day after day, will compound into significant results. You will find that a few weeks or months from now, you can manage your stress better. You may have fewer panic attacks as your healthy habits ease the tension and anxiety.

Choose one or two habits and incorporate them into your daily routine for a month before adding a new habit. As you continue to habit stack, you will feel a difference.

Practice deep breathing exercises

When the fight-or-flight response is activated, your breathing becomes shallow; you are preparing to run. Deep breathing exercises can help center your breathing and bring you back into the present. To start, try inhaling through your nose for the count of four, holding your breath for the count of seven, and then exhaling slowly to the count of eight. Repeat as necessary. Try to lie down during your deep breathing exercises.

Distract your mind

What we focus on can influence our thoughts and emotions. If you focus on the anxiety, the level of your symptoms may increase. For example, if you focus on the feelings of anxiety, you may experience panic, hyperventilation, and chest tightness. To combat this, distract your mind from your anxiety symptoms. Watch a comedy show on television, read a book, or call a friend. Eventually, the symptoms will subside.

Brew a pot of tea

Perhaps European countries are onto something when it comes to fighting anxiety – sipping tea. Tea contains antioxidants and amino acids to help soothe nerves, alleviate stress, and decrease inflammation. Brewing tea can also be calming for some people. Choose black, green, oolong, or herbal teas, but skip the caffeinated teas before bed.

Journal your thoughts

Worrisome thoughts lead to anxiety and feelings of helplessness, sadness, and fear. If you are wondering how to fight anxiety in the middle of the day, try journaling. You can journal with a notebook and pen, an app on your phone, or through an audio file (although there is something cathartic about pen and paper). Journal your thoughts, worries, dreams, goals, and blessings. You may find that your anxiety dissipates once you begin focusing on your blessings.

Talk to a friend

There is something therapeutic about sharing your worries and frustrations with a friend. A trusted friend will see a situation unbiasedly and give you the truth, even when it hurts. They will pull you back if you move too far from your life’s path. List the people in your life who you can confide in and who will also make you laugh and help distract your mind when needed.

Exercise

One of the best ways to fight anxiety is to boost endorphins naturally. You can do this by incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Working out at a moderate pace causes the heart to pump blood harder and triggers the release of chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Get clearance from your physician, and then aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week.

Practice relaxation techniques

The day’s chaos can take over our minds and make it seem impossible to find a break. Yet, we need these pauses in our hectic routine to center ourselves and relax, or we will be anxious.

Try a few of the following relaxation techniques:

• Stretching or yoga poses.
• Deep breathing.
• Prayer.
• Aromatherapy.
• Creative hobby.
• Go outdoors.
• Take a walk.
• Read a book.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique for concentrating on specific muscle groups. To begin, lie on a bed or the floor and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noticing tense spots. Now, starting at your feet, tense the muscles for a few seconds and then release, noting how you feel afterward. Continue progressively tensing and releasing muscle groups throughout your body until you reach your head.

Create a playlist

Music has been shown to lower the stress hormone cortisol levels. Listen to slower, more relaxing music when you need to calm your nerves and decrease your heart rate. More upbeat music can help to change your perspective, giving you a brighter outlook.

Create a playlist for different situations. Maybe you prefer louder music with a beat to feel more confident and a slower playlist to calm your mind after work. Praise music in the morning can help you set the tone for the day.

Overhaul your diet

Specific ingredients and chemicals consumed can aggravate anxiety symptoms. The food industry packages more ultra-processed foods now than ever before, taking a toll on American health. The British Medical Journal published a study that reports that eating these foods increases the risk of anxiety, depression, obesity, and cancer. Choose foods with as little processing as possible and items without added chemicals or dyes.

Work on your sleep schedule

Sleep deprivation affects cortisol levels and can increase anxiety. Without enough sleep to rest and recharge, you may find it difficult to manage your emotions. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adults ages 18 and older get at least seven to eight hours of sleep nightly. If you are getting less than this amount, try changing your evening routine to turn in earlier, signaling to your anxious mind that it is time for sleep.

Treatments for Anxiety

A counselor should personalize treatments for anxiety to the individual. If you opt for a counselor, they may use talk therapy, group therapy, Exposure Response prevention, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Treatments combined with lifestyle changes can create a dramatic shift in your thinking and reduce anxiety.

Do you need help for anxiety?

Are your anxiety symptoms interfering with your daily life? Do you want to learn more about how to fight anxiety? Christian counseling could be the answer. You were never meant to stay bound by anxious thoughts and a weary heart. Christ gave us freedom through the cross to break every chain.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. – Isaiah 58:9a, NIV

We would love to help you get started with personalized treatment for anxiety. Contact us today to at Tacoma Christian Counseling to schedule a session with a Christian counselor in Tacoma, Washington.