How to reduce anxiety

Everyone feels anxious from time to time. Occasional anxiety is a normal reaction to uncertainty about what’s going to happen next, whether that’s in the next few minutes, days, or months. Mental health experts define anxiety as worry over a threat that’s still in your future. Thinking about a conversation you dread, for example, could twist your stomach into knots days before it happens. Your heart may race before an exam or presentation. You might lie awake at night worried about whether you’ll catch COVID-19 at the grocery store. It’s also normal to want to get rid of those uncomfortable, pit-of-the-stomach feelings as quickly as possible. But that approach can make you more anxious, says David H. Rosmarin, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “When you worry about getting rid of your anxiety, you’re signaling your nervous system that you have even more to be anxious about. And that makes your anxiety worse,” he says. Keep in mind that if your anxiety is long-lasting and interferes with your daily life, you could have an anxiety disorder. In that case, you may need treatment to overcome it. Calm Anxiety by Accepting It It’s not what people expect to hear. But one of the most effective ways to ease occasional anxiety is to accept it, says Rosmarin, who is also founder of the Center for Anxiety in New York City. “When we let anxiety run its course in the moment without fighting it, ironically, that makes it less. On the other hand, f...

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. How does anxiety work? Anxious thoughts chase each other like a dog chasing its tail. “Imagine a woman who has a headache, and the very next thought that jumps into her mind is, ‘Oh no, maybe it’s a brain tumor,’” says Dr. Albers. “That creates anxious energy. She tells her husband about the headache, who says, ‘This is the first headache you’ve had in years. It’s probably just a headache.’ “That feels good for about 20 seconds because it’s true. But then she thinks, ‘This is unusual, I’ve had this headache for 30 minutes. He wasn’t really listening to me.’ Next thing you know, she’s online, checking out symptoms for brain tumors. She doesn’t meet any of the criteria until she sees ‘headache’ on the list and thinks, ‘That’s no good!’” Now she’s back to square one. This is one small example of how trying to quell anxiety with reassuring thoughts, or to “fix” anxious thoughts with other thoughts, just doesn’t work. It’s also exhausting. “Reassuring thoughts are like a short-acting drug; they wear off quickly,” says Dr. Albers. “Then, the irrational thoughts come flooding back in.” What to do when you feel anxious So what can you do if you’re feeling anxious? Start by facing your anxiety, advises Dr. Albers. Then, there are a few strategies you can take to calm that anxious feeling to a more manageable level....

If you deal with anxiety, there are strategies you can use to help manage immediate symptoms, as well as long-term methods to combat recurring issues. Anxiety is the body’s response to real or perceived danger. It’s a natural process that every person deals with at one time or another. People often use anxiety as a blanket term for a general feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. However, there’s a difference between feeling anxious and having an If your anxiety is sporadic and getting in the way of your focus or tasks, some quick natural remedies could help you take control of the situation. Suppose your anxiety is focused on a situation, such as worrying about an upcoming event. In that case, you may notice the symptoms are short-lived and usually subside after the anticipated event takes place. 1. Question your thought pattern Unhelpful thoughts can take root in your mind and distort the severity of the situation. One way is to challenge your fears, ask if they’re true, and see where you can regain control. 2. Practice focused, deep breathing Measured breathing practices The 3. Use aromatherapy Whether they’re in 4. Exercise Sometimes, the best way to stop anxious thoughts is to leave a situation and get moving. Focusing on your body and not your mind may help relieve your anxiety. Low impact exercises like Getting some quick exercise can help 5. Grounding techniques Grounding techniques such as journaling and the The 333 rule involves naming three things you can see...

Written by Last updated September 6, 2022 Living with anxiety is never easy. Millions upon millions of people just like you struggle with anxiety daily and are looking for ways to find relief. Learning to control anxiety is a long-term process - not something that can be completed overnight. But there are ways to fight your anxiety that can be integrated into your daily life. If you're suffering from anxiety right now, or you suffer from anxiety often enough that you need immediate relief, try the following anxiety reduction strategies. Tips to Stop Anxiety Now Living with anxiety can be incredibly difficult. It's important that you don't allow yourself to live with the symptoms forever. You need to make smart decisions and commit to long-term treatment. The following ten strategies can help you begin to lessen your anxiety today. 1. Control Your Breathing Severe anxiety symptoms are often linked to poor breathing habits. Many men and women with anxiety suffer from poor breathing habits that contribute to anxiety and many of the most upsetting symptoms. Controlling your breathing is a solution - and it's not what you think. Even if you feel you can't take a deep breath, you actually need to slow down and reduce your breathing, not speed it up or try to take deeper breaths. Take more controlled, slower breaths, using the following technique: • Breathe in slowly and gently through your nose for about 5 to 7 seconds. • Hold for about three or four seconds. • Breathe out slowl...

If you deal with anxiety, there are strategies you can use to help manage immediate symptoms, as well as long-term methods to combat recurring issues. Anxiety is the body’s response to real or perceived danger. It’s a natural process that every person deals with at one time or another. People often use anxiety as a blanket term for a general feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. However, there’s a difference between feeling anxious and having an If your anxiety is sporadic and getting in the way of your focus or tasks, some quick natural remedies could help you take control of the situation. Suppose your anxiety is focused on a situation, such as worrying about an upcoming event. In that case, you may notice the symptoms are short-lived and usually subside after the anticipated event takes place. 1. Question your thought pattern Unhelpful thoughts can take root in your mind and distort the severity of the situation. One way is to challenge your fears, ask if they’re true, and see where you can regain control. 2. Practice focused, deep breathing Measured breathing practices The 3. Use aromatherapy Whether they’re in 4. Exercise Sometimes, the best way to stop anxious thoughts is to leave a situation and get moving. Focusing on your body and not your mind may help relieve your anxiety. Low impact exercises like Getting some quick exercise can help 5. Grounding techniques Grounding techniques such as journaling and the The 333 rule involves naming three things you can see...

Everyone feels anxious from time to time. Occasional anxiety is a normal reaction to uncertainty about what’s going to happen next, whether that’s in the next few minutes, days, or months. Mental health experts define anxiety as worry over a threat that’s still in your future. Thinking about a conversation you dread, for example, could twist your stomach into knots days before it happens. Your heart may race before an exam or presentation. You might lie awake at night worried about whether you’ll catch COVID-19 at the grocery store. It’s also normal to want to get rid of those uncomfortable, pit-of-the-stomach feelings as quickly as possible. But that approach can make you more anxious, says David H. Rosmarin, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “When you worry about getting rid of your anxiety, you’re signaling your nervous system that you have even more to be anxious about. And that makes your anxiety worse,” he says. Keep in mind that if your anxiety is long-lasting and interferes with your daily life, you could have an anxiety disorder. In that case, you may need treatment to overcome it. Calm Anxiety by Accepting It It’s not what people expect to hear. But one of the most effective ways to ease occasional anxiety is to accept it, says Rosmarin, who is also founder of the Center for Anxiety in New York City. “When we let anxiety run its course in the moment without fighting it, ironically, that makes it less. On the other hand, f...

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. How does anxiety work? Anxious thoughts chase each other like a dog chasing its tail. “Imagine a woman who has a headache, and the very next thought that jumps into her mind is, ‘Oh no, maybe it’s a brain tumor,’” says Dr. Albers. “That creates anxious energy. She tells her husband about the headache, who says, ‘This is the first headache you’ve had in years. It’s probably just a headache.’ “That feels good for about 20 seconds because it’s true. But then she thinks, ‘This is unusual, I’ve had this headache for 30 minutes. He wasn’t really listening to me.’ Next thing you know, she’s online, checking out symptoms for brain tumors. She doesn’t meet any of the criteria until she sees ‘headache’ on the list and thinks, ‘That’s no good!’” Now she’s back to square one. This is one small example of how trying to quell anxiety with reassuring thoughts, or to “fix” anxious thoughts with other thoughts, just doesn’t work. It’s also exhausting. “Reassuring thoughts are like a short-acting drug; they wear off quickly,” says Dr. Albers. “Then, the irrational thoughts come flooding back in.” What to do when you feel anxious So what can you do if you’re feeling anxious? Start by facing your anxiety, advises Dr. Albers. Then, there are a few strategies you can take to calm that anxious feeling to a more manageable level....

Diagnosis You may start by seeing your primary care provider to find out if your anxiety could be related to your physical health. He or she can check for signs of an underlying medical condition that may need treatment. However, you may need to see a mental health specialist if you have severe anxiety. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. A psychologist and certain other mental health professionals can diagnose anxiety and provide counseling (psychotherapy). To help diagnose an anxiety disorder, your mental health provider may: • Give you a psychological evaluation. This involves discussing your thoughts, feelings and behavior to help pinpoint a diagnosis and check for related complications. Anxiety disorders often occur along with other mental health problems — such as depression or substance misuse — which can make diagnosis more challenging. • Compare your symptoms to the criteria in the DSM-5. Many doctors use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, to diagnose an anxiety disorder. Treatment The two main treatments for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and medications. You may benefit most from a combination of the two. It may take some trial and error to discover which treatments work best for you. Psychotherapy Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a th...