Anxiety is as much a part of your life as are TV, cellphones and PT. You worry about paying next month’s rent or mortgage, panic when you think about your upcoming promotion board or presentation, and stress over making weight, tape or a good first impression with your date’s father. Anxiety is all around us and it’s not going anywhere.
Most people associate managing anxiety with seeking professional help. The truth is that you can effectively manage anxiety by engaging is some basic and straightforward techniques. Often the most successful techniques are those based more in common sense rather than some abstract psychological theory.
These 10 techniques are simple, yet effective. Your goal is to do each one for a week. Keep track of the techniques that are most helpful and integrate them into your routine. Although there are no guarantees, I’m confident that these simple behaviors will reduce your anxiety.
1. Take a warm bath or shower before bed. Warm water relaxes your muscles, dilates your blood vessels, and increases oxygen flow to your body.
2. Listen to your favorite music. Research shows that listening to music decreases arousal and promotes relaxation. Dial in to your more mellow tunes; loud and frantic music can increase arousal.
3. Sit quietly and think of pleasant childhood memories. Conjuring up childhood memories stimulates positive thoughts and feelings.
4. Do something that you’ve been putting off, even a small thing. Procrastination makes you feel overwhelmed.
5. Turn off the TV if you’re not watching it. Life is filled with background noise, which contributes to anxiety. Traffic, barking dogs and your neighbor’s music are probably enough.
6. Avoid someone who makes you anxious. Generally, avoidance is not a healthy strategy for dealing with anxiety. But, in some instances, staying away from someone who makes you anxious can be helpful.
7. Give in on something. People with anxiety have high standards for just about everything. Relax your standards on at least one thing each day.
8. Stay in the “now” during conversations. A hazard of multitasking is that you probably aren’t providing your full attention during conversations with your loved ones. When talking with your spouse, friends, children or other loved ones, devote 100 percent of your attention to what’s being said.
9. When you have to wait, sing. Waiting is a source of stress for most anyone. Singing while you are standing in line at the store, in traffic or in the doctor’s waiting room is a great way to reduce your stress. If other people are around, you may want to use your “quiet voice.”
10. Practice forgiveness. Find an opportunity to forgive someone for what they did to you. Forgiveness is a great way to let go of anxious and hurtful emotions.
Bret A. Moore, Psy.D., is a board-certified clinical psychologist who served two tours in Iraq. Email him at kevlarforthemind@militarytimes.com. This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to convey specific psychological or medical guidance.
