Anxiety is the mind and body's reaction toward unaccustomed, stressful and alarming circumstances. It is a feeling that many of us have experienced and a certain level of anxiety helps us stay alert and aware. However, high levels of anxiety can be associated with stress, which can affect health and ability to function and think.
Here are a few tips to help you reduce and manage high levels of anxiety:
1) Try a short breathing exercise
Resonant breathing, also called coherent breathing, can help you calm anxiety and get into a relaxed state. To try it yourself:
Lie down and close your eyes.
Gently breathe in through your nose, mouth closed, for a count of six seconds.
Don’t fill your lungs too full of air.
Exhale for six seconds, allowing your breath to leave your body slowly and gently. Don’t force it.
Continue for up to 10 minutes.
Take a few additional minutes to be still and focus on how your body feels.
2) Learn how to manage anxious thoughts
Learning how to manage anxious thoughts is easier said than done. Ability to manage stress can be achieved when accepting help from others.
If stress is affecting your daily life or causing you distress, call NHS 111 or talk to your GP. In England, you can also refer yourself for psychological therapy through the NHS IAPT service without seeing your GP.
You can also receive support from:
Time to Change- https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
Samaritans-https://www.samaritans.org/
Mental Health Foundation-https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/stress
Stress Management Society-http://www.stress.org.uk/
Keeping a mood diary can allow you to release suppressed emotions that may be causing you to be anxious. It can be used to track:
-Panic disorder symptoms
-Medications
-Triggers
-Coping techniques
-Sleep patterns
-Major life events or changes
By tracking fluctuations in mood, you may be able to identify patterns or interpretations that are associated with particular life events or day-to-day activities.
Healthline - https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercises-for-anxiety#resonant-breath
Very Well Mind -https://www.verywellmind.com/mood-and-anxiety-chart-2584083