Moderated by
Jessica McDaniel, LPC, LCPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
I have been practicing cognitive behavioral psychotherapy since 2007 with a diverse group of adult clients with various diagnoses, all races, and socioeconomic classes.
Top Rated Answers
Most importantly for me at least, having social anxiety, the first thing I do in the morning is talk to as many people as possible. It sets me up for the day and gets my confidence up for later interactions, which keeps those anxious feelings at bay. I also identify and confront those things that stimulate my social anxiety in the first place. I look people in the eye, raise my head, and open up my body language. I do my best to ensure that I do not avoid social interactions or hide in social situations. Finally, if I feel I'm beginning to become anxious in a social setting, I try to focus on the other person, what they are saying, and get cues from them. That keeps that internal voice quiet.
Some ways that I personally deal with my anxiety is meditation, realizing that I'm being anxious, telling others about my anxiety, going to a therapist once a week to talk about my anxiety, staying away from high caffeinated beverages, and trying to fight my anxiety head on (not avoiding it). Dealing with anxiety is very hard but it is definitely doable. Anxiety is not impossible to beat.
I lock myself into my room and just surround myself with music. I normally pull out old sheet music and re live my past performances since I was calm and happy then.
Anxiety is something that can be really challenging to deal with. I deal with anxiety by doing some physical activity, which can be a great way to relieve tension and stress. I also make sure I always have some "me-time" throughout the week where I do something I enjoy, like reading a book, watching a movie, or taking a long shower!
I try making myself as busy as possible. That way I take the anxious energy and put it to use. I feel more productive, which makes me feel more in control. I do things like prepare meals for the week, clean my apartment, or get ahead on assignments.
I do yoga, relaxation techniques, read, write, draw, doodle, drink water, stretch, and think calmly, and listening to music also really helps me.
I deal with anxiety by writing, playing piano, taking drives by the beach. Anything peaceful to help give myself clarity. The more engaged and active you are with a passionate hobby, the more stress levels go down.
There are many ways to deal with Anxiety, but my favorites are..
-Mint gum, because it keeps you from tensing your jaw, and the mint soothes you
-Aromatherapy is a very powerful toolfor me. Lavender scents are very soothing. You can find aromatherapy at health stores and bath and body works.
Progressive Muscle relaxation is also great. Starting from your face and going all the way down to your toes, it is first tensing and then releasing said tension in each part of your body.
Anonymous
September 11th, 2014 2:05pm
Prayer, Telling someone, deep breathing, music, TV, Going to the movies, taking a walk, spending time with friends.
The tapping process helps. There are herbal things, I personally found rescue remedy to be a great help. One you have control over anxiety it is a very small problem in time. Take time for you, set a space in your day to relax and do nothing. Yoga maybe, or even meditation. There are some good things on the internet and youtube. It's what works for you that'll be the best way.
i'll calm the person & make them relax, build repo, when they feel comfortable then ask about their issue
Listen to loud music which I actually find to be very relaxing, go for a run, and more importantly, write down the things bothering me so that I can deal with them one at a time and not overwhelm myself with everything all at once.
Anonymous
October 5th, 2014 8:47pm
I deal with anxiety by first taking a deep breath and try to calm myself down then I usually try to take my mind off it by doing something else.
Ive learned how to breath and take a minute to myself and think about the situation i'm in and remember its not as bad as my mind is telling me it is.
i read, i find that rocking back and forth also helps.music is also a big helper and drinking tea :)
Taking medical drugs may always help, however if the anxiety is not very serious, slowly breathing in and out during panic attacks may help.
I usually talk about it with my friends, or even people here on 7 Cups. Alternatively, I keep myself busy with a combination of video games and comedy. I also turn to prayer and long walks, too.
When placed into a situation which makes me anxious i use music to help calm myself down. i walk around town with one headphone in with my music on low so i can hear that while having to deal with the things i have to do.
I have learned to keep a journal and that writing out what you are feeling seems to help me. Also, when I am havign a panic attack I try to do crossword puzzles, suduko, and other games like that to try to take my mind off of the panic. Hope that helps!
Dealing with anxiety is hard for me. I usually just try to take a deep breath and talk myself through whatever I'm feeling anxious about at the time. Sometimes, I'm anxious about things that won't even matter in the long run.
Anonymous
November 4th, 2014 8:30pm
When I a m feeling anxious I find it is calming to take slow breaths in, hold it for about 6 seconds and then slowly breathe out. I repeat this 3 or 4 times and I feel a lot better.
Anonymous
November 5th, 2014 3:39am
Anxiety can wreak havoc on our day to day activities. Learning to cope with exercises you can do to calm yourself can help. Relaxation videos on youtube are great, anxiety help guides are good resources as well. Exercises such as counting to ten, analyzing your situation in a healthy way, staying active, talking about it, not overloading yourself but not letting it keep you from what you need to accomplish. Just some ideas
Depending on how severe your anxiety gets to you there are all sorts of ways to dealing with it! When I have an anxiety attack, I usually find something to distract me from it. Like, putting something really cold on my arm, thinking about a favorite memory, or even just daydreaming helps me. Now, I also try to focus on my breathing like how you do when you meditate. That's also a great way to distract you. I have heard that there actual breathing methods that are scientifically proven to help you as well! Hope this helps! (:
Distract yourself by watching videos on youtube. Playing computer games. Reading books. Playing sports. Having fun with your friends. Watch a movie at home. Talk to a therapist.
Summary: Find a way to distract yourself.
distracting myself, usually by doing something with my hands. also by evening and calming my breathing
One thing I do to calm myself down is take a long walk, preferably at night. Then I come home and watch a good movie. One of my favorite movies is "Fat kid rules the world" or "Blue is the warmest color" .
Anonymous
November 13th, 2014 9:25pm
Well first off there is treatment which I actually just learned this week is different than just management and dealing with it.
How I deal with anxiety is: I have a planner, I try to keep organized (my mom always says clean room = clean brain), distract myself and be around friends if I think anxiety is starting, and I try to take an active response by preventing it before it starts. What I mean by preventing is: if you know that you get anxiety when you wake up late, set three alarms to make sure you get up early.
I hope this helps!
Deep breathing, stretching, exercise, making sure to get adequate rest, making sure that I am not over or under eating.
writing in a journal, drawing my feelings, watching a show or movie, reading, hanging out with close friends
JUST BREATHE! This is not the only thing I do to deal with anxiety, but it is definitely the first thing I focus on! Sometimes just focusing on my breathing is enough to calm me down, and if not, at least it makes it 100 times easier to move onto the next step if my breathing is under control!
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