7 Simple Suggestions To Deal With Anxiety

There are many reasons why you might feel very anxious nowadays. And googling for solutions might drown you in an avalanche of information. Here are 7 simple suggestions that I have for you.

Disclaimer: They are very simple. If you are looking for something hard, complex please do not read. 

1. FEELING ANXIOUS IS OK. Anxiety is natural. Heart/pulse races, slight sweating, clouded mind. Not a catastrophe. Feel it. Let it be. It passes, if you let it. Fighting it is like trying to settle muddy water using your hands. The more you try, the worse it gets. So just let it be.

Anxiety is natural. Let it be. It passes, if you let it.

But if the anxiety is affecting your ability to function productively in your day-to-day life…then read on:

2. FOCUS ON ACTION: As your mind goes crazy with scary “What if X happens!!” scenarios, ask “Whatever happens in future, what do I DO now?” Then do it. Repeat. Example: “What if my boss yells at me, what if he gives me a bad rating? What if I don’t get the promotion? What if my friends mock at me?”…ask “What do I DO now?” Answer can be as simple as “Just get back and finish today’s tasks”. Do it 🙂

3. REMIND: If there is nothing to do(maybe you are anxious about your upcoming yearly ratings or exam results – there is nothing to do as such), and your mind is going crazy, then remind yourself: “It is OK to feel anxious, guilty. But nothing is in my control. I will feel helpless. It is OK too” Breathe deeply, without any expectation. Don’t judge yourself for feeling more or less anxious. Remember this is all human. Natural.

Fighting anxious thoughts is like trying to settle muddy water using your hands

4. DISTRACT OR RELEASE: Watch movies, baby videos, read books, talk to friends, work, write, paint, sing. Anxiety is just neutral energy. If you experience a racing pulse, rapid heartbeat, slight sweating – in a different context(like say while getting into a roller coaster), you might have called it ‘excitement’!

But in this case, you have judged it as ‘bad’. And labelled it ‘anxiety’. But it’s just neutral energy. So you either need to distract yourself from that ‘bad’ judgement, or use up that energy in doing something.

5. PREVENTION: Take a break from scary Whatsapp news and frustrating political discussions. You cannot solve overthinking with more thinking.

6. SEEK HELP: If it is affecting sleep, appetite, energy for more than a few days – don’t analyze. Seek help from a coach, doctor or therapist.

7. Do whatever else makes YOU feel better. There is no ‘One size fits all’ formula. The fundamental rule is to reduce effort when feeling anxious…rather than increase it.

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For a deeper understanding of the nature of anxiety, read A radically different way to deal with Social Anxiety