How to cope with anxiety. How to overcome fears and anxiety? Advice from psychologists

On the one hand, everything is fine both at work and at home, but on the other hand, we something haunts me from within.

This feeling forces us to look closely at the problems of our inner world.

Psychologists call this “feeling” “anxiety,” and it quite well studied by specialists.

Some people have an increased predisposition to anxiety from birth. Such a person begins to worry more often if his parents pay little attention to him, raise him incorrectly, and the child is stressed.

When a person is often worried, he can quickly lose psychological balance.

But there are some simple ways to get rid of this feeling. There are a huge number of people on the Internet who suffer from anxiety, shares his advice.

How to get rid of anxiety

Here are the simplest and most popular tips from people:

1. Blow bubbles.

Some people carry a small bottle of soap bubbles with them. If a feeling of anxiety arises, they simply find a secluded place and start blowing soap bubbles. This exercise slows down rapid breathing, forces you to breathe deeply, and also helps the person focus on what they are doing.

2. Create a to-do list.

Some people create lists of things they should do. Some items in the list can be divided into sub-items. Doing simple things helps a lot with anxiety. Instead of just writing “clean up”, you can write: “wash things”, “throw out the trash”, “wipe the table”, etc.

3. Take a walk.

Walking in the fresh air clears your mind and puts everything in its place.

4. Game "Redirect attention".

This method is especially helpful when you are in a public place and cannot find a secluded corner. The game is that wherever you are, you need to focus your attention on individual things - first on individual smells, then on the sounds around you. During this time, you also do breathing exercises.

For example, if you are in an office, try focusing your attention on the sounds of pencils writing, the air conditioner, a colleague's footsteps, etc. You can also focus on the smell of perfume, for example. Focusing on the little things around you will help you concentrate and overcome anxiety.

5. Do some cleaning.

Some people find it helpful to simply clean their home. Cleaning helps you take your mind off things instead of worrying. You will be disturbed by dust and uncleaned things. Eventually, the feeling of anxiety will pass and you will be able to complete all your household chores.

Anxiety and excitement

6. Give yourself time to process your feelings.

Before you start worrying, tell yourself “you are worried.” Just realize that this feeling is the same as feeling happy or sad. This awareness will help bring you back to a reality where you have nothing to worry about.

7. Pet your favorite animal.

This method helps some because the thought of selfless love from a dog, cat or other animal is something to be grateful for.

8. Remind yourself that this has happened before.

When a strong feeling of anxiety arises, some people advise closing your eyes, taking a deep breath and telling yourself that you have experienced this before and survived this. It will become easier for you when you realize that you have already experienced this and survived it. And if you succeeded, then you can do it now.

9. Tactical breathing.

Some people who have been in the military have learned tactical breathing - inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, and exhale through your mouth for a count of four.

10. Tell yourself that everything is fine.

You can overcome the feeling of anxiety if you take a deep breath and tell yourself “I’m okay, I’m fine, I’m safe.”

Alarm state

11. Solve some problem.

Try giving yourself a task, such as neatly arranging books in a certain order. The task can be anything, and it must be related to organizing things (real or virtual).

You can simply put together a puzzle, play Tetris, or another simple game where you need to organize something. Cross-knitting while listening to calm music can also help you.

Putting things back in their place helps you feel like you have everything under control.

12. Be kind to yourself.

It's very easy to start blaming yourself for what you are experiencing, but the fact is that your emotions are sometimes difficult to control and you should not blame yourself. And overall, know that you are, in fact, amazing, and you will cope with anxiety.

13. Draw something in a notebook.

Some people bite the skin near their nails when they are anxious. To avoid this and calm down, carry a notepad and a pencil or pen with you.

Every time anxiety hits you, take out a pencil and start drawing something in your notebook, whatever the first thing that comes to mind. You can not only draw, but also write something (your own or someone else’s poem). When you finish drawing, you will calm down and your heart rate will return to normal.

14. Treat your anxiety as something separate from you.

Some people advise treating anxiety as a separate entity. Try to do the same and try to calm this creature downin your head. If you are alone, you can talk out loud about your anxiety. This method can help you calm down.

Anxiety and worry

15. Take care of yourself.

Don't focus on what's bothering you. Address your physical needs first. Perhaps you haven't showered, shaved, washed the dishes, or done laundry yet.

Small feats can help you return to normal reality and collect yourself. In addition, it is always nice to feel clean and well-groomed. Pamper yourself with baths, maybe with foam, or just take a shower and enjoy.

16. Lie on your stomach or hug yourself.

If you are at home, try lying on your stomach. Some people find that feeling of slight pressure in their chest or torso helps relieve anxiety. If you're not at home, just sit and hug yourself.

17. Drink a glass of water.

Some people, when they feel anxious, drink water and it calms them down. This helps regulate breathing. It gets easier with every sip.

18. Find the smell that calms you down.

Some people like the smell of lavender and like to use it to relax.

19. Read a book.

People who love to read will love this method. As you read, you focus on something interesting from the book and stop paying attention to anxiety. Books allow you to immerse yourself in another world, even if sometimes only for a short time. After reading this you will feel like a new person.

Anxiety for no reason

20. Listen to your favorite music.

Some people find listening to music helps cope with anxiety. It can help you relax, breathe deeply, and forget about what's making you worry.

21. Call a friend.

You might feel better if you call your boyfriend/girlfriend. This is especially important if your friend knows about your concerns. When you start to panic, call a friend and talk to him to calm down.

22. Try some simple math practice.

Some people do simple math exercises to calm themselves down. Just open a 3rd, 4th or 5th grade textbook and solve a few examples on paper. Add and subtract large numbers.

In general, do what you know how to do. When the brain is busy doing something, it forgets about anxiety.

23. Do some crafts.

Try doing some crafts - it will help you focus on what you are doing instead of panicking. You can do something simple. Well, if you know how to knit, then take up knitting - repeated actions calm you down.

In addition, while knitting you also need to count, and this in turn also has a positive effect on the body. Even beginners can knit - just try it and you might like it.

24. Sculpt something from plasticine or polymer clay.

Every time you start to worry, take some clay and start sculpting. The main thing is to keep your hands busy, which in turn keeps your brain busy.

Many people worry about the smallest things, even if nothing serious has happened. Such feelings bring nothing but anxiety; they destroy the nervous system. People who worry a lot cannot live a full life. They are constantly tense and feel discomfort. By turning to psychology, you can understand the essence of these phenomena and get rid of them.

What is the difference between fear and anxiety

Fear and anxiety, both of these phenomena may seem the same at first glance. But in reality, they don't go hand in hand. If causeless anxiety destroys the nervous system, then fear, on the contrary, mobilizes the body’s strength.

Imagine that a dog attacks you on the street, a feeling of fear will force you to act, to take any action to protect yourself. But if you simply worry that the dog might attack you, it will make you feel bad. An excessive sense of fear also does not lead to anything good.

Feelings of anxiety can vary in degree, from mild to severe. This feeling of anxiety and fear for no reason may depend on the state of the body, on upbringing or hereditary factors. This is why there are people suffering from phobias, migraines, suspiciousness, etc.

Main Causes of Anxiety

In this condition, a person experiences an internal conflict that gradually grows and makes him feel bad. Certain factors contribute to this. Let's look at the causes of fear and anxiety:

• psychological trauma in the past,
• irritating actions,
• suspiciousness of character, when a person is not sure of anything,
• psychological trauma in childhood, when parents put too much pressure on the child, made excessive demands on him,
• sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet,
• the beginning of life in a new place, previously unfamiliar to a person,
• negative events in the past,
• character traits when a pessimistic attitude towards life becomes a lifestyle,
• disorders in the body that destroy the endocrine system and cause hormonal imbalance.

The destructive effects of anxiety and fear

A person only makes things worse for himself when he constantly lives in a state of anxiety and fear. Not only his psychology suffers, but also his health. When a person experiences a constant feeling of anxiety, his heart begins to beat faster, he lacks air, and his blood pressure jumps up.

Too strong emotions make a person very tired, and his body wears out faster. Trembling appears in the limbs, he cannot fall asleep for a long time, pain appears in the stomach for no apparent reason. Many body systems suffer in this condition, women experience hormonal imbalances, and men have disruptions to the genitourinary system. Therefore, you need to know how to get rid of fear and anxiety.

Identifying problems

There is no such person who would not be afraid of anything. It is important to realize how much this interferes with life. Each person has their own fears: some are afraid to speak in public, others have problems communicating with the opposite sex, others are simply embarrassed by their character, they do not want to show themselves too smart, stupid, etc. By recognizing your problem, you can begin to fight it and overcome fear.

Coping with Fear and Anxiety

There are many ways to get rid of anxiety and fear.

1. When you feel anxious, tension always arises. And if this tension is removed, then the negative feelings will dissipate. To stop constantly worrying, you need to learn to relax. Physical activity helps with this, so try doing exercises, or better yet, engage in physical activity as a team. Walking in the fresh air, jogging, and breathing exercises will also help combat excessive anxiety.
2. Share your feelings with loved ones you trust. They will help you dispel feelings of fear. To other people, other people's fears seem insignificant, and they will be able to convince you of this. Communication with loved ones who love you will remove the burden of problems that are weighing you down. If you don’t have such people, then trust your feelings to a diary.
3. Don't leave problems unresolved. Many people worry about something but do nothing to change it. Don't leave your problems as they are, start doing at least something to cope with them.
4. Humor helps us get rid of many problems, defuse tense situations and make us relax. So hang out with those people who make you laugh a lot. You can also just watch a comedy program or read about something funny. Anything that makes you feel happy can be used.
5. Do something that is enjoyable for you. Take a break from your negative thoughts and call your friends, invite them for a walk or just sit with you in a cafe. Sometimes it’s enough just to play computer games, read an exciting book, you can always find something that gives you pleasure.
6. Imagine more often a positive outcome of events, and not vice versa. We often worry that something might end badly, and we imagine it in vivid colors. Try to do the opposite and imagine that everything ended well. This will help you reduce anxiety neurosis.
7. Remove everything from your life that gives rise to an anxiety disorder. Typically, watching the news or crime programs, which often talk about something negative, creates an even greater feeling of anxiety. Therefore, try not to watch them.

Psychological tricks to help get rid of fear

Give yourself 20 minutes a day when you can completely surrender to your anxiety and think about what worries you most. You can let yourself go and even cry. But when the allotted time comes to an end, stop yourself from even thinking about it and get on with your daily activities.

Find a quiet place in your apartment where nothing will disturb you. Sit comfortably, relax, breathe deeply. Imagine that in front of you is a burning piece of wood, from which smoke rises into the air. Imagine that this smoke is your alarm. Watch how it rises into the sky and dissolves completely until the piece of wood burns out. Just watch it without trying to influence the movement of the smoke in any way.

Do some handicrafts. Monotonous work helps to distract from unnecessary thoughts and make life more serene.

Even if you can't get rid of anxious thoughts at first, over time you will learn to do it. The main thing is to follow the advice and you will gradually become less worried.

Getting rid of fear - advice from psychologists

Psychologists suggest using several tricks to get rid of fear.

1. Art therapy helps cope with feelings of fear. Try to draw your fear and express it on paper. Then burn the piece of paper with the design.
2. When you experience panic attacks, switch to something else to do so that your feeling doesn't deepen and make you feel bad. Do something else that will absorb all your thoughts and your negative feelings will go away.
3. Realize the nature of your fear, sort it out. Try to write down everything you feel and worry about, and then light the paper.
4. The breathing exercise “Inhaling Strength and Exhaling Weakness” will help you get rid of fear. Imagine that as you inhale, courage enters your body, and as you exhale, your body gets rid of fear. You should sit up straight and be relaxed.
5. Face your fear. If you push through it no matter what, it will help you worry less. For example, you are afraid to communicate with someone, go and communicate with him. Or, for example, you are terribly afraid of dogs, watch them, try to pet a harmless dog. This is the most effective way to help get rid of fear.
6. When panic and anxiety have completely taken over you, breathe deeply 10 times. During this time, your mind will have time to adapt to the surrounding reality and calm down.
7. Sometimes it's good to talk to yourself. This way your experiences will become more understandable to you. You realize the depth of the situation in which you find yourself. Understanding your condition will help you calm down, your heart will no longer beat so fast.
8. Feeling angry will help you shift away from your fear, so find someone that makes you feel this feeling.
9. Find something really funny, it will neutralize panic attacks instantly. You will feel much better after this.

Stop being afraid of your fears

In fact, the feeling of fear helps us overcome life's obstacles and improve our lives. Many people have done great things out of fear. Great musicians were afraid that they would remain unrecognized and composed great music, athletes were afraid of defeat and reached incredible heights, scientists and doctors made discoveries out of fear of something.

This feeling actually mobilizes the strength of our body, makes us act actively and do great things.

You will never be able to overcome your fear by simply letting it go indiscriminately or by not paying attention to it. But you can become happier. Try to live with joy, enjoying the current moment. Don't worry too much about past mistakes and constantly dream about the future. This will help you live comfortably and be happy with what you have.

Do something you enjoy and you will feel important to other people. This will help you cope more easily with all the fears and worries in your life.

According to the US National Institute of Mental Health, there are several types of anxiety disorders. One of the most common is generalized anxiety disorder. It is characterized by constant excessive anxiety, tension and fear, which do not depend on external factors and can be accompanied by physical manifestations such as a “nervous stomach”, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat.

Anxiety disorder is different from stress. - This is a typical reaction of the body to external pressure or threat. This is fine. Anxiety, on the other hand, is an abnormal response when ordinary things like social interactions, paying bills, or going to work trigger fear.

During an anxiety attack, parts of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response are activated, and you cannot stop it at will. This condition prevents you from making decisions even on the simplest issues and creates many problems.

But how to determine whether there is an anxiety disorder, or whether a person is susceptible to other mental illnesses, for example?

Anxiety does not come alone and is difficult to detect.

Anxiety is often mistaken for something else. For example, a person comes to a place where he doesn’t know anyone, he has little experience communicating with people, and even more so in a noisy company. He begins to feel embarrassed, and anxiety takes over him so much that he can no longer utter a word, let alone get to know someone and start a conversation himself.

After leaving the party, which turned into real torture for him, he may think that he behaved withdrawn due to depression. But if he cared about all these people and he would happily talk to them, laugh and dance, but he simply couldn’t because of , then he doesn’t have any depression.

After all, he had a desire to have fun and communicate, but social anxiety did not allow him to do this. It was because of her that he sat through the entire party in the corner of the room, hiding behind a glass.

Of course, one can be a consequence of the other. For example, if a person becomes depressed and because of this breaks off all social ties. When depressive states leave him, he will, as it were, “forget how” to communicate with people. A long absence of social interactions can cause anxiety when they resume.

Yes, you don't want the attacks to recur, but you shouldn't hate yourself for it. You can only hope that the people around you will be sympathetic to your distress and provide you with the space to recover.

The problem is (not always) other people

Sometimes we think that other people can solve our anxiety problem. For example, that, accompanied by a good friend, you can safely go to a noisy festival: friendly support will help you avoid an anxiety attack.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Moreover, your friend may not support you when an anxiety attack begins, but leave you to your own devices or send you to a quiet and calm place and continue to communicate and have fun with everyone.

In such a situation, you may feel that you were betrayed and abandoned, that you were not helped. In fact, your friend is not to blame for your panic attacks (especially if he doesn’t know about them), and if you accuse him of betrayal, it will simply ruin yours.

Blaming someone is always easier than taking responsibility for your actions. And when you have an anxiety attack, it’s very difficult, so you simply shift responsibility for your feelings onto other people.

Yes, sometimes people can get to you. For example, you or a friend, communication with whom causes more frustration than pleasure. You can and should get rid of such sources of constant stress, but it is better to do this at the moment when anxiety leaves you.

Think as often as possible about how you can help yourself. The more you invest in your well-being and sense of calm, the easier it will be to cope with an anxiety attack the next time it happens.

How do you deal with anxiety and worry?

It's human nature to worry, but if your worrying becomes excessive, intrusive, continuous, and tiresome, you may be suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Symptoms include emotional, behavioral and physical aspects that are variable and worsen during times of stress. Use practical advice, study the root of the problem and seek help from a specialist to better control yourself and gain peace of mind. Attention: The information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any medications, consult your doctor.

Steps

How to respond to symptoms

Recognize the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Individuals with GAD always live with a feeling of stress. The disorder turns minor worries into intolerable difficulties and interferes with daily life. GAD can develop slowly over time, and sometimes the disorder is genetic and can affect multiple family members. Symptoms can wax and wane, so it's important to learn healthy ways to control it. Possible symptoms:

• anxiety gets out of control, and the person thinks only about what causes anxiety;
• the person cannot relax or be alone;
• sleep disorders due to anxiety;
• a person experiences a constant feeling of fear;
• anxiety negatively affects work and social life;
• a person needs to have a plan and know what will happen in the future in order to relax;
• a person constantly experiences irritation and nervous excitement.

1. Visit quiet, relaxing places. People with GAD have increased activity in the part of the brain that controls fear. Calming places usually help you relax. For example, walking in nature can bring many health benefits and help reduce anxiety and stress.

   • Sometimes a change of environment can help relieve the symptoms of GAD. For example, if you've spent the entire day at home worrying about unpaid bills, taking an evening walk around your block can help your mind shift to something else.
   • Choose a room in your apartment where you can sit and relax. Place things in the room that give you a sense of calm (candles with a calming scent, soothing photographs, paintings, posters).

2. Listen to music or sing. This is a good way to forget about worry for a while. If you listen to music or focus on singing, then excitement and anxiety will fade into the background - it is very difficult to sing and worry at the same time. When a person listens to music, the brain sends signals to the ears and is distracted from exciting thoughts. Singing reduces stress levels and allows difficult and problematic emotions to be released through the voice through the larynx.

   • In any exciting situation, try humming a melody to yourself. This tactic will help you in different circumstances, although it will not work in a situation where complete silence is required.

3. Breathe fresh air. The sense of smell helps create memories. Use your sense of smell to remember new calm and pleasant moments. Taking deep, cleansing breaths can reduce tension, lower blood pressure, and have a beneficial effect on your overall health.

   • In moments of anxiety, try to focus on breathing for a few seconds. Hold your breath and exhale slowly. Tell yourself that you are filling your body with peaceful, healthy air, and then exhaling all the anxiety and stress.

4. Enjoy delicious food. A tasty, leisurely meal can become a kind of peaceful ritual. Take your time and enjoy all the dishes: cold appetizers, main course and then dessert. Savor every bite of food and feel grateful for everything you have. Eating slowly will help reduce stress.

   Touch something pleasant. Touch helps you cope with anxiety. Smooth, soft, cool, warm - any texture and temperature can be just right to give you a sense of calm.

   Move. Use your energy to calm your anxiety. Sitting in one place can intensify emotions. It's important to let your feelings out, and physical activity is incredibly beneficial for your health.

   Learn relaxation techniques. Some people find it very difficult to relax. If you have the same problem, it is important to understand that it is quite possible to relax, but you need to learn it. Like any skill, it requires acquiring information, following instructions, and monitoring results.

   Use visualization techniques. Close your eyes and imagine yourself successfully completing difficult tasks while remaining calm. These could be various social situations that cause anxiety, active activities such as surfing, horse racing, participating in a music competition or asking for an autograph from a celebrity.