The RAE defines anxiety as: “The state of agitation, restlessness or anxiety of the mood.” However, really, those who have suffered from it at some time, suffer from it sporadically or for those who are their great daily companion, it is something that deserves a definition of more than nine words.
First of all, not all anxiety is harmful to our body and mind, there is a certain level of positive anxiety, that small restlessness that helps us succeed in complicated situations. That is, it helps us to be alert to possible dangers or attentive to relevant events. It functions as a kind of inner “guardian angel.”
On the other hand, we find the negative anxiety…How is it different from the previous one? This type of anxiety causes an exaggerated and irrational fear of an event. (such as the fear of speaking in public, of taking an elevator, etc.) which, apart from the obvious psychological reactions, is accompanied by physical reactions (sweating, palpitations, tremors, gastric discomfort…) to the expectation that something catastrophic happens even if it is very unlikely.
Various disorders arise from negative anxiety, such as:
Techniques to reduce anxiety
Although each of them has a specific treatment, we can add a series of techniques that help improve anxiety states:
physical exercise It will help us avoid excess activation of the nervous system and achieve a more restful sleep.. If our physical condition does not allow us to exercise, we can opt for gentle rhythms at short intervals.
2. Sleep and eating habits
An unbalanced diet can harm some gastrointestinal symptoms associated with some anxiety states, A healthy and balanced diet will help us control it. Regarding sleep, the benefits of sleeping well are obvious, if we see that anxiety does not let us sleep (or worse, the thought that we cannot sleep does not let us sleep) we can choose to read something boring until sleep itself comes. to visit us.
3. Modeling (observation)
As we learned from Albert Bandura, we can use the modeling observing other people who do not show anxiety about events that we do not show those feared sensations. Even talking to people who have managed to overcome anxiety problems and having them tell you about the techniques that have worked for them will make you regain hope that it can be controlled.
4. Sense of humor
Our tendency when faced with situations that cause anxiety is to react with negativity and take it too seriously. Sometimes a person with anxiety may not realize how ridiculous their reaction can be. It is also important to see the fun and optimistic side of the issues. For example, when faced with a recurring thought, we can try singing it or telling ourselves it in another language.
5. Meditation and Mindfulness
You’ve probably already heard of Mindfulnessis a meditation technique that will help you achieve full attention. In a relaxed environment, where you can be sure that no one will disturb you, focus on your breathing, body sensations, sound or an object and practice mindfulness. If you want to know different ways to practice Mindfulness, you can read our article: “5 Mindfulness exercises to improve your emotional well-being.”
If we use appropriate distractions we can interrupt, even temporarily, the thought that causes us anxiety: stop thinking, reading, leisure, walking, among others.
7. Psychotropic drugs
Your anxiety may have a physical component. If your doctor confirms that your illness is not physical but mental, he can make an appointment with a psychiatrist and have anxiolytics help you. Medications can be very useful, although you must also do your part. Don’t even think about self-medicating even if someone else has told you that it went well.
Relapses when one suffers from anxiety
If you have been or are attending psychotherapy, do not take relapses as a failure, but rather something that we can learn from and know ourselves better to be able to prevent it in the future.
Before finishing, a piece of advice…
And remember, of course, that anxiety is like our inner guardian. Learn from her, Learning to manage it can help us be alert to the right situations and succeed in our personal challenges. from day to day. With these seven techniques and strategies to reduce anxiety you can be closer to setting a new course in your life.
