10 tips on anxiety management

This is what I've learnt about anxiety management from my own experience with anxiety, and that of others.

1. Anxiety may be trying to tell us something valuable, IF WE BOTHER TO LISTEN, which most of us don't because we are so absorbed in trying to get rid of it.
2. Listening to our anxiety and the reason it may be there, can be a painful process, but, if we stay with it long enough, on the other side of the pain may be the brighter life we are longing for. This helped me when I needed anxiety management. I discovered my anxiety was trying to tell me to stop being a workaholic.
3. Sometimes all our anxiety is telling us to do is to be better prepared and to have more skills.
4. Instant solutions to "cure anxiety" are usually gimmicks.
5. There are an enormous number of valuable anxiety management techniques that are available to help us become at ease with anxiety, reduce anxiety and allow it to go altogether.

There is not ONE anxiety management technique that suits everyone. Each of us needs to be willing to put in the time, effort and patience to find the technique(s) that work best for us. 

6. Building up a determination not to give up finding a way through the anxiety and not to give in to the anxiety can make the difference in overcoming it. It took me 18 months to sort out my panic attacks not 18 hours or days.
7. Usually we need a combination of anxiety management techniques to get the best results; one technique on its own may be nowhere near as long lasting and successful as a combination of techniques.
8. Medication on its own may only suppress anxiety and not remove the fear of it, and thus we may remain ever vigilant against anxiety and fearful of coming off the medication. Medication on its own, may keep us stuck in a self-perpetuating cycle of anxiety.
9. If, when medication eases the symptoms of anxiety we take it as an opportunity to grow and develop in the way that we need, we may then be able to remove the need for medication. Thus, medication when supplemented with other techniques, may free us from anxiety and be a successful anxiety management technique.

PS: An extra tip on anxiety management: Mixing alcohol and anxiety can produce lethal results.

What are your anxiety management tips?

Written by Rachel Green.  Professional Speaker | Trainer | Coach | Author.

Rachel has used meditation to overcome panic attacks. She is the author of the 2 CD set: "Happy not hassled: Using meditation to manage your emotions". It is Confident Woman's most popular CD set. Click here to get your copy.

Rachel also conducts a live webinar "Managing anxiety - creating calm" that you can enrol in throughout Australia. It only takes an hour and if you have a computer you can join in at home or at work. Click here for more details.

She can also speak at your conference or event on: Managing anxiety: don't panic yet!
This is an inspiring speech, hilarious, practical and relevant.

Copyright Confident Woman Australia, 2010.
NB: This article is for your information only and does not constitute individual advice. Everyone is different. It is not provided as an alternative to obtaining professional advice from an appropriately qualified practitioner. Please seek the help you need.

Comments

[Hazel Harris]

I would use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or EmoTrance first. They're good for self-help as well as practitioner led. Learning to meditate on a regular basis would come next as it's also very useful. We need to take time out to just 'be' instead of continually 'doing' but most people look for a quick fix and don't allow themselves time out or, as you say, to really listen to what their condition is telling them. Meridian tapping, for some, can work really quickly.

[Michelle Anderson]

First of all I'd like to reinforce Rachel's first point - that anxiety might be our body's way of trying to tell us something. I know that I ignored my anxiety for years and what I realise now is that my body was trying to tell me that the job I was performing was becoming too stressful for me to handle. I chose to ignore the signs though and instead avoided the real issue - to my own detriment.

Personally, one of the most effective anxiety managment tools I use is deep breathing - I have been told that it is physically impossible to remain feeling anxious while engaging in 10 to 15 minutes of deep breathing.

[Rachel Green]

I am with you on the EFT Hazel, in fact I have been using SET - Simple Energy techniques and studying them with Steve Wells and finding they have a huge benefit. I have now started using them with clients and finding it can shift anxiety especially around public speaking. we have made a video on the here: http://www.youtube.com/RachelGreenCom#p/a/u/2/iTTnKNrC7GI

[Marion]

when I have a panic attack I feel I have one foot bolted to the floor and I am just going round and round in circles. I decide to go somewhere and look forward to it, and then I can't go, 45 mins beforehand I will freeze and have a panic attack. It is awful. what should I do.

[Rachel Green]

Hi Marion,

When I had my panic attacks I became terrified of them, I was always on the look out for some small sign that would tell me another one was lurking round the corner and that it meant one was about to grab me. I dreaded them so much.

I finally realised that it was my very fear of them that made them so bad. If you can start to let go of the fear and know it is just anxiety without adding fear of anxiety on top of the anxiety it may help.

I learnt to focus on my breathing in and breathing out, breathing in and breathing out ...

Of course going to a good Dr, getting help from a good psychologist, and calling Lifeline 13 11 14, are other options too.

Blessings
Rachel.