Coping with Anxiety (2)

by Beth McHugh | More from this Blogger

14 Jun 2006 12:41 AM

Anxiety got you by the throat? Or perhaps it has your stomach in knots and your heart in a vice. Help is at hand. Following on from Coping with Anxiety (1) here are some more tips for dealing with those anxious feelings that just won't go away.

• Give yourself permission to feel anxious about the issue that is concerning you. We often give ourselves a hard time over the way we are feeling, and in doing so, we make our anxiety worse by minimizing or even dismissing the reason that we are feeling anxious. We believe other people would "deal with it better" or that the issue simply isn't serious enough to be worried about. But our bodies do not lie. If we feel anxious, we feel anxious, and therefore that is a warning that we need to attend to the issue that is distressing us. It's okay to feel anxious, even if we do not want to be anxious. By giving yourself permission to feel anxious, our anxiety levels will actually be reduced.

• Listen to your self-talk. Is it positive or negative? For people suffering from anxiety, it is most likely to be negative. And yet, this is the very time that we need to fill our minds with positive talk. Thinking negatively can become a very bad habit. But it is only a habit, and habits can be broken. Once you become aware of the nature and frequency of your negative thoughts, you can then take action to counteract them with positive thoughts. Positive thoughts can help you win the war against anxiety and stress.

• Pay attention to the talk of others. Do the people who spend most of your time with speak in a positive way, or are they constantly bringing your mood down with talk of depressing topics and general whining? The environment around you can significantly impact on your mood so it is important to be aware of just how beneficial or otherwise your nearest and dearest are to your mental health. If you constantly associate with people who enjoy moaning and using negative talk, your health is bound to be affected. Make a concerted effort to associate with happy, cheerful people who are positive about their lives, themselves, and the world that they live in.

• Constantly pat yourself on the back for your achievements, however small. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone who would tell you how great you are on a regular basis? Well, you've got access to someone who can do just that. Yourself! Praise yourself regularly for things that you achieve throughout the day, no matter how small. Think it sounds ridiculous? Well, if you are telling yourself negative thoughts all day, you may as well change the tune and be positive instead. If you don't think the negative ones are having a real effect on you, try three weeks of positive thinking. You'll notice the difference.

Anxiety is an entity that begins with a problem and is fed and nourished by denial, refusal to accept the anxiety, being unaware of our daily environment, both internal and external, and not addressing the issue that is bothering us. By dealing with each and every issue surrounding anxiety we can help to minimize and overcome this distressing disorder.

Contact Beth McHugh for further information or assistance regarding this issue.

Learn more about Beth McHugh

Beth McHugh began her career as a geologist and worked both in industry and as a university researcher.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger