No matter how hard you try, it seems impossible to overcome your anxiety.
Your emotions and feelings are so overwhelming, they seize control when you least expect it.
Forcing yourself to not feel anxious hasn’t worked, and you are already seeing a therapist. So now what else can you do?
In order to overcome anxiety, it’s important to take an approach using multiple angles. Certainly, entering therapy and working on your internal monologue (also called self-talk) are good first steps. However, there are more tools available than you realize.
For instance, consider these eight ways to overcome your anxiety.
1. Apply Logic
As mentioned above, you might have already used self-talk in combatting your anxiety. Yet, logic is a different approach to this technique. Instead of saying to yourself, “Don’t feel anxious!”, turn the moment into a thought exercise.
For example, ask yourself:
- Why am I feeling anxious?
- Is my anxiety based in reality or contrived?
- What are the consequences if I act on my anxiety?
- Is there a better way to cope with these feelings?
One of the advantages of logic is that it allows you to break down the situation and work through the problem. This can help you to feel less overwhelmed and more in control.
2. Give Your Anxiety a New Name
Another way to overcome your anxiety is to give your anxiety a new name. Instead of calling it “anxiety,” use a goofy, silly, or even ridiculous label for what you are feeling. That way, it’s less intimidating and clinical. In fact, you might even be able to laugh off your anxiety.
Whatever name you apply to your anxiety, it should be able to help shift your mindset away from being anxious. That way you won’t feel like you are losing control.
3. Overcome Your Anxiety with Writing
Writing down what you’re feeling as your emotions are happening can also help with seizing control. When you get anxious all of those thoughts are bouncing around inside your head. This, in turn, only makes the problem worse.
However, by writing or journaling what you are feeling in that very moment, you can get that anxiety out of your head. The process of writing helps to transfer those thoughts, emotions, and feelings from your mind to the paper (or tablet, or computer, etc.). It’s a great way to get the burden of that anxiety baggage off your shoulders.
4. Employ Mindfulness to Cope with Anxiety
Practicing mindfulness is a great way to learn how to cope with anxiety. For instance, meditation can teach you not to fear your emotions. Rather, you acknowledge the anxiety, but then, you let it drift away.
Also, practicing breathing techniques related to mindfulness when you are not feeling anxious will help when anxiety does strike. Breathing allows you to stay in control and not get overwhelmed. This, in turn, helps you be more capable of using other positive coping strategies.
5. Don’t Fear Your Anxiety
Of course, when you do have a serious bout of anxiety, it can be scary. Nobody likes feeling out of control or overwhelmed. That’s why a great way of combatting anxiety is to not fear it in the first place. How can you do that?
Even when you are experiencing anxiety, you can remind yourself that these are just feelings and emotions. They cannot do you any real harm unless you let them. In fact, it’s normal to have feelings of anxiety just as much as any other emotion. Normalizing the anxiety will make it less scary and, therefore, more manageable.
6. Use Cognitive Reappraisal
This is a technique in which you redefine situations that trigger your anxiety. Rather than looking at these situations as problems, see them as chances to expand your horizons.
An example of this can be having to take your child to the amusement park. Now, you know that you get stressed being among large crowds. However, you still want to take your child to the park. Instead of seeing this as a problem, think about how this is a chance to have a closer relationship with your child. In a way, redefining a problem as an opportunity.
7. Don’t Take Things Personally
Cognitive reappraisal can also be useful when you are receiving feedback or criticism. When you have those moments, remind yourself that these are opportunities to improve yourself.
Feedback (even strong feedback) need not be seen as personal attacks or reminder that you are somehow deficient. Instead of being a reflection of who you are personally, it is merely focused on whatever situation is at hand. Using logical thinking can be particularly helpful here.
8. Embrace Your Mistakes
Are you the kind of person who gets down on themselves for making mistakes? If that is the cause of your anxiety, then seize control by reminding yourself: “It’s okay. Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes.” But those mistakes don’t have to define who you are.
Moreover, sometimes it’s necessary to make mistakes in order to find success. These reality checks and reminders can be helpful in the moment when you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed with anxiety.
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As you can see, there are many things you can do to overcome anxiety. Seizing control of your emotions and feelings can be very empowering. Of course, it’s not always easy to do this alone. A therapist trained in anxiety treatment can give you the support you will need to learn from your experiences and expand upon them. Why not contact me today and learn more about my approach.
