How to manage anxiety from healthy habits?

Anxiety problems are a very common source of discomfort. In fact, anxiety disorders are among the most widespread psychopathologies in practically all age groups, and the cases in which we suffer are even extremely common because we are anxious but we have not developed a diagnosable disorder (that is, cases in which we have subclinical anxiety but that is a problem in certain contexts).

But luckily, no one is condemned to suffer constant anxiety or to have to adopt a passive attitude towards this problem. While it is true that no human being can fully control their emotions or their mental state in general, there are many things what we can do to modulate stress, anxiety, obsessive thoughts that feed into each other in the best possible way, etc.

Therefore, in this article we will review several psychologically healthy habits that help us deal with anxiety, either managing it once it has appeared or preventing the possibility of it growing too much in us.

• Related article: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

How does anxiety affect us?

What we know as anxiety is a consequence of biological and psychological predispositions that lead us to enter into a state of alert when we detect that we must face a challenge, something that requires us to take control of our actions to avoid a risk or a danger.

For this reason, it is closely linked to stress, a set of physiological reactions that makes us more sensitive to stimuli from the environment and leads us to keep our muscles tense to react quickly, among other aspects related to the "alarm function" of our body.

Neither anxiety nor stress are problems that we should try to eliminate completely from our lives; on many occasions they predispose us to act quickly when faced with problems that must be resolved as quickly as possible. However, it is important to develop the necessary skills to manage them psychologically.

Why is it important to learn to manage anxiety?

As we have seen, anxiety is part of the natural predispositions that are present in the functioning of the body human, and in most cases not only does it not harm us, but it helps us to face the problems and complicated situations of the life.

But nevertheless, anxiety sometimes leads us to internalize unfounded worries or dysfunctional ways of coping with distress, so it becomes part of the problem. For example, it is what happens when the fear of failure paralyzes us and leads us to avoid thinking about it. that we must solve, which makes the problem get bigger and bigger by the time that we lose.

In fact, one of the hallmarks of dysfunctional anxiety is its ability to loop us. This occurs when the actions we take to momentarily relieve the discomfort that it generates, make us more vulnerable to future anxiety problems in the medium and long term.

A couple of clear examples: smoking to try to relax or eating without feeling hungry, even though that is not good for our health and even can make us feel guilty, dissatisfied with our body, discomfort if we do not have access to these physical resources, etc. And the dependence that we establish with those "fixed" ways of dealing with stress or anguish also means that our environment has more elements that remind us of what worries us.

That is why it is key to learn ways to harness the potential of anxiety and avoid getting into one of those vicious anxiety cycles.

• You may be interested in: "Types of stress and their triggers"

Habits to promote proper anxiety management

Although anxiety is largely a physiological phenomenon, that does not mean that faced with the problems that it sometimes produces, we must resign ourselves to suffering the symptoms.. The distinction between the biological, on the one hand, and what can be learned or corrected through behavior, on the other, is artificial, and that is why depending on what we do, we can experience anxiety processes in a more or less adequate.

Thus, there are a series of habits that help us regulate anxiety while maintaining a correct emotional balance and not reproducing behavior patterns that contribute to maintaining it at levels high.

1. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness (or Mindfulness) has been shown to be very effective in learning to regulate stress and anxiety problems, and even the discomfort generated by chronic pain. This set of practices allows us to focus our attention on the here and now, avoiding being trapped in the intrusive thoughts loop or in confusion between what we fear most and what is reasonable to expect from the future. It consists, fundamentally, in experiencing the stimuli and our mental states as what they are in the present, without prejudging them or granting them moral qualities linked to what we remember or what we hope that happen.

• Related article: "What is Mindfulness? The 7 answers to your questions "

2. Controlled breathing exercises

Controlled breathing and taking advantage of the full potential of our diaphragm is another way of placing ourselves in the present while we promote in ourselves a physiological state that corresponds to calm. It is a relatively simple and effective way of not letting ourselves be carried away by fear and focusing our minds on what we can do in the here and now.

• You may be interested in: "Diaphragmatic breathing (relaxation technique): how is it done?"

3. Fixed sleep schedules

Being very clear about when to go to bed and when to wake up is key to maintaining consistent sleep schedules. Keep in mind that Lack of sleep makes us much more vulnerable to anxiety, as our body enters a state of "damage control" in which the priority is to respond to the demands of the present, and not to ensure our well-being by keeping processes in motion biologicals linked to health in the medium and long term (such as the use of the immune system, a metabolism that allows a rapid repair of cells, etc.).

• You may be interested in: "10 basic principles for good sleep hygiene"

4. Spending time in satisfying social relationships

It is not only that talking about our feelings helps us assimilate them and stop fearing certain contents of our memory thanks to the fact of putting words to what causes us anguish; Furthermore, good company motivates us to improve, exposes us to inspiring examples and makes us be more aware of the social support network that we have.

Yes indeed, Quality is more important than quantity: it is preferable to relate to friends and loved ones who truly support us and show affection and empathy towards us, while if we get used to interact with those who only make fun of us or belittle our achievements, this wear and tear of self-esteem will harm us when it comes to managing the anxiety.

• Related article: "9 habits to connect emotionally with someone"

5. Eating a proper diet and not taking drugs

As long as we are not obsessed with avoiding going over calories or consuming overly processed ingredients, eating a proper diet is a protective factor that helps prevent anxiety. In this sense, it is especially important to avoid drugs, which includes minimizing or totally suppressing the consumption of alcohol, a substance that, due to the fact of being very normalized, ceases to be physically harmful and mentally.

Are you looking for professional psychological support?

In Adhara Psychology We offer therapy and training services in Mindfulness and meditation, serving people of all ages from a humanistic approach.

You can find us at our Psychology center in Madrid, or use the online session mode by video call.