7 Tips for Beating Anxiety

Anxiety has replaced depression as the Number 1 mental health problem in the country.

  Here are some techniques to help overcome anxiety:

1) Change the “What if’s” to “What next?” This switches our thinking from the imaginary to the real: from awfulizing to seeking solutions, from the huge, nebulous, fear-filled unknown   to the next concrete step we can take. It empowers us and most importantly changes our focus.

2) Our focus determines our experience! What am I focusing on? The negative? If ten people

compliment my new haircut, and only one says she doesn’t like it, do we focus on the ONE negative?!

3) Choose to believe that “I am not a victim, I can control my attitude about this. Although I cannot control other people or the circumstances, I can control my own attitude.”

4) When we make mistakes, we need to admit it, and then stop beating ourselves.  “I made a mistake, that doesn't mean I have no value, nor does it negate all the good in my life.”  One person said, “There are no such things as mistakes, only lessons.” What can I learn from this one?

5) Make it a goal to say at least one positive thing to as many family members & friends as possible, and   to yourself each day.

6) Some people find it useful to limit their worrying to 15-20 minutes a day. At 8:00, set the timer for  8:15. During this 15 minutes, WORRY, do all the “What if’s,” and think of solutions to the worst case scenerios. Then when the timer rings, put all the worries back into a Worry Box, and don’t worry about them again until tomorrow, at the Worry Time. Elementary kids can even make a physical Worry Box that they put their worries in, until Worry Time. This really works! I use it all the time with my clients.

7) People of faith recognize that ultimately humans are not in control.  This is very helpful to remind ourselves if our belief system includes the idea that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. It allows us to relinquish control.

We can get the upper hand on anxiety! Exchange it for the peace that passes understanding.