How to control anxiety, in 7 helpful steps

Anxiety is behind many of the unpleasant experiences that we go through on a day-to-day basis. Fear of public speaking, fear of failing an exam, wanting to go home after spending too much time in a place that we do not know... The number of contexts in which this psychological phenomenon stalks us is very big.

So that, knowing how to control anxiety is something that can be very helpful, since there are some strategies to achieve this that can be applied in practically any situation, and in a relatively simple way.

• Related article: "The 7 types of anxiety (causes and symptoms)"

How to control anxiety? Tips and strategies

Anxiety is a state of activation of the nervous system that is oriented towards the anticipation of a danger, be it real or imagined. Being something so general, it has a physiological aspect and a psychological aspect: in the first, phenomena such as tremors appear, sweating and rapid pulse, and in the second there are phenomena such as the emotion of fear, the desire to avoid an aversive stimulus, Y difficulties in controlling emotional responses to a situation.

Now... how can we control anxiety and make its effects dampened or even disappear? Let's see.

1. Eliminate anxiety binges

Many people fall into the trap of going to the fridge to gorge themselves on food every time they notice that the anxiety is becoming excessive.

This can be a very short-term solution, but it has a very damaging effect in the medium and long term. Why? Because you enter into a dynamic of rewarding the appearance of anxiety episodes. The body gets used to this busy emotional life and that, of course, is anything but healthy.

Thus, something as simple as setting clear limits with meal times can go a long way to stop causing anxiety to develop.

2. Take care of yourself and do moderate sports

Many times we forget that anxiety is also connected to our self-esteem and self-concept. If we believe that we are insignificant beings and whenever we think of ourselves we focus only on our imperfections, obviously we will come to the conclusion that day to day is full of dangers for us, and that therefore we must be always alert.

Something as simple as playing sports regularly, trying to eat healthy and maintaining good personal hygiene will make us feel better about ourselves. The results of this are surprising, and they tend to be noticed in a matter of a few days. If the way we think about ourselves changes, our way of seeing the world changes as well.

3. Practice breathing techniques

In many ways, our moods and emotions largely depend on the degree of activation of the nervous system. If oxygen is lacking, we will experience more stress, since our body will go into alarm phase to find a solution to that situation. What happens is that part of this oxygen deficit may be due to how we breathe.

Breathing techniques help to get the maximum potential out of our lungs, and this allows us gain a significant advantage in specific moments in which we feel too activated. In addition, the fact of offering us a simple exercise in which to focus our attention helps us to lose sight that unpleasant feeling of being overwhelmed due to the need to do several tasks at the same time, something very typical of anxiogenic contexts.

• You may be interested: "The 4 types of breathing (and how to learn them in meditation)"

4. Stop what you're doing and go for a walk

Many times, anxiety is due to the fact of being surrounded by elements that remind us of something that worries us. Therefore, it is useful to disconnect, even for a few moments, and then return with renewed strength.

When we go out for a walk, we have the possibility of finding new stimuli that demand our attention and that allow us to "refresh" our mind. Specifically, if you go through totally unknown places, the references that evoke the memories linked to what worries us will be much less abundant. In this sense, the environments in which nature prevailsLike fields or large parks, they have been especially effective against anxiety.

These phases in which distraction prevail help to rest, and in this way we gain the power to change what worries us once we have returned to the routine.

5. Avoid caffeine

If you consume products with caffeine, such as coffee or certain cola drinks, you will be cheating yourself. Remember that the distinction between body and mind is just a mirage, and many of the substances we regularly consume affect how we feel. Caffeine makes us more likely to activate ourselves to stimuli that we would not normally give much importance to. Controlling anxiety is also achieved through diet.

6. Sleep well

This condition is indispensable, since in a sleepy state it is very easy for everyday situations to overwhelm us. Sleeping well makes us much more prepared to face the day to day. In fact, a lack of sleep has been shown to greatly increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders. In addition, the mental exhaustion of not getting enough rest makes us perform worse and have difficulties concentrating and reasoning, and this can favor the accumulation of responsibilities.

So, the best thing is that you organize a clear schedule in which the moments of the days of the week are detailed in those that you will go to bed, taking into account the tasks that you must perform before, so as not to create little expectations realistic.

7. Control rumination

Psychological rumination is a very frequent phenomenon in the day-to-day life of a good number of people who suffer from excess anxiety. It consists of the phenomenon by which intrusive thoughts with negative emotional charge "invade" the consciousness of the person and this struggle to get rid of them, which increases the level of anxiety, because one enters a state of alert in case one of these mental images reappears, and this favors the appearance of these through a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The most effective way to combat rumination is not to try to totally eliminate these intrusive thoughts and accept their presence, but without giving it more importance. In this way it is easier to direct one's attention to other sensations and stimuli.

Bibliographic references:

• Gu, R.; Huang, Y.X., Luo, Y.J. (2010). Anxiety and feedback negativity. Psychophysiology, 47 (5): pp. 961 - 967.
• Kendler, K.S. (2004). Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. FOCUS. 2 (3): pp. 416 - 425.
• Rosen, J.B.; Schulkin, J. (1998). From normal fear to pathological anxiety. Psychological Review, 105 (2): pp. 325 - 350.
• Waszczuk, M.A.; Zavos, H.M.S.; Gregory, A.M.; Eley, T.C. (2014). The Phenotypic and Genetic Structure of Depression and Anxiety Disorder Symptoms in Childhood, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood. JAMA Psychiatry. 71 (8): pp. 905 - 916.