How to Manage Anxiety & Know When Its Time for Therapy
Anxiety is a normal response to stress or danger, and everyone experiences it to some degree. It is often paired with depression and in many cases stems from trauma. While anxiety is a normal human experience, it can look different for everyone. Some common symptoms of anxiety include:
Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
Having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
Having an increased heart rate or rapid breathing
Having difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
Feeling weak or tired
Having difficulty concentrating or focusing
Experiencing gastrointestinal problems, such as stomach aches or diarrhea.
One of the most frustrating things about anxiety is that it can be difficult to control and manage. The good news is that you can learn how to manage your anxiety by building daily habits into your routine. Here are 5 daily habits to try to help manage your anxiety:
1) Practice Mindfulness
Anxiety tends to have us fixated on worries about the past or fear of what may happen in the future. By practicing mindfulness, you learn to ground yourself in the present moment by focusing on your breathing and noticing your surroundings. This helps regulate your nervous system and helps guide thoughts to other outcomes (besides the worst-case scenario, like anxiety tends to go!).
2) Improve Your Sleep Routine
Not getting enough sleep does not help anxiety symptoms. If you can practice good habits, such as avoiding endless scrolling on socials before bed or sleeping at the same time even if you're not tired. Having a good sleep routine every night can help reduce your anxiety.
3) Start a Journal
Writing down what you’re thinking and feeling each day can help you to take control of your anxious thoughts. When you see them on paper, they might not feel as threatening or overwhelming. You can als use this as a form of reflection. Seeing past journal entries and seeing how far you’ve come.
4) Get Outside
Spending some time outside is wonderful for your mental health, it gives you a boost of energy and happiness. Even getting outside for just a few minutes a day can make a difference.
5) Connect with Others
Anxiety can feel very isolating. Talking to others about it helps, and can be validating for others to hear your experience too. If the above practices don’t seem to help, you might consider seeing a therapist for anxiety.
Here are some signs, that therapy can help:
You feel anxious or worried most of the time, even when there is no specific reason to be anxious.
Your anxiety is affecting your ability to perform daily tasks, such as going to work, school, or socializing.
You experience physical symptoms of anxiety, such as heart palpitations, sweating, or trembling.
You avoid situations that trigger your anxiety, such as crowded places or public speaking.
You have difficulty controlling your worries or negative thoughts.
You are experiencing panic attacks or phobias.
You have tried self-help techniques to manage your anxiety, but they haven't worked.
Remember…
Help is nearby. EMDR & Brainspotting are excellent types of therapy can that help with anxiety.
Get Support for your anxiety in the San Francisco Bay Area
We have therapists that can help you. Whether you are in Walnut Creek, Oakland, San Francisco, or anywhere else in California our therapists can help you identify your needs and help you with anxiety whether it's with family or romantic relationships. Then together we will help you develop a plan for when you are faced with them. If you're interested in starting counselling at Empowered Mind Therapy follow these steps:
Get in touch with our Client Care Coordinator at 925-257-0205 or book your free consultation
Start working with a therapist
Get started on your healing journey and finally feel better.
Other Counseling Services We Offer in the San Francisco Bay Area & Throughout California
We also offer a variety of counseling services for women of color. This includes relief and support for anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. Our caring therapists also offer Brainspotting. All of these services are available in person at our Walnut Creek, CA-based therapy practice or online throughout California.