Anxiety

If you’re experiencing anxiety, several types of breathing techniques may help you feel calmer and more relaxed. It’s easy to get started. All you need is a quiet space where you can pay attention to your breathing.

If you’re lying down, place your arms a little bit away from your sides, with your palms up. Let your legs be straight or bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.

If you are sitting, place your arms on the chair arms.

If you are sitting or standing, place both feet flat on the ground. Whatever position you are in, place your feet roughly hip-width apart.

• Let your breath flow as deep down into your belly as is comfortable, without forcing it.
• Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Breathe gently and regularly. Some people find it helpful to count steadily from one to five. You may not be able to reach five at first.
• Then, without pausing or holding your breath, let it flow out gently, counting from one to five again, if you find this helpful.
• Keep doing this for three to five minutes.

Anxiety can lead us to think about things repeatedly in our brain. This is called ‘rumination’ and it’s not helpful. When you find yourself ruminating try to write down the thought and to challenge it. Is what you’re worrying about likely to happen? Are you being realistic? Have you had similar thoughts which have not turned into reality? This can make it easier to challenge the thoughts and stop them from overwhelming you.

It’s important that we don’t try to ignore our worries. Taking the time to keep a record of what’s happening in your life and how it’s affecting you can help you understand what is triggering your feelings of anxiety. Knowing this can help you better prepare for and manage situations that may cause anxiety.

Sometimes it helps to give yourself a certain time of day to be your ‘worry time’. It could be half an hour first thing in the morning for to sit with your worries and write them down in your journal. When that’s out of the way, you can move on with the rest of your day. This can help you take control and stop anxiety getting in the way of what you want to do.

Exercise is a good way of dealing with anxiety.

Remember, activity doesn’t have to be vigorous; try some gentle stretches, yoga, or seated exercises. Or just go for a walk. Going for a run, swimming, or taking part in a fitness class can give you something else to think about. It needs a bit of concentration, so takes your mind of the anxious thoughts. Any amount of exercise will help.

We know that spending time in nature has a positive impact on our mental health. It can help us feel calmer and less stressed. This can be as simple as tending some flowers in a window box or going for a walk in the woods. Any amount of time doing this is good for us, but to really get the benefit, try to spend time – maybe an hour or longer – when you can really connect with nature and immerse yourself.

A common cause of anxiety is money. If you’re worried about not being able to pay bills, are struggling to repay debt, seek help. Make sure you are claiming all the government supports that you’re entitled to. You can also speak to an organisation such as Citizens Advice or StepChange.

For many of us, feeling anxious might cause us to reach for sugary snacks, junk food or alcohol.

It’s important that we don’t turn to unhealthy foods or drinks to cope as they will do more damage in the longer term. Similarly, we should avoid smoking or taking recreational drugs.

Eating healthy food regularly helps us to regulate our blood sugar and gives us the energy we need to live well. Remember caffeine in coffee, tea and fizzy drinks can affect your mood and cause sleep problems so it’s best to have these in moderation.

Anxiety can feel very lonely. Connecting with other people can help a lot. Spend time with friends or meet other people through activities such as volunteering, sport or social clubs, or peer support groups. If you’re able to talk to people about how you feel, it can help to reduce your anxiety. Sometimes saying what’s worrying you out loud can take away its power over you.

Resting and having a good night’s sleep is hard when your head is full of worries but there are some things that can help.

If anxious thoughts keep you awake, write them down in your diary. If sleep is still not coming, get up and have a drink (nothing with caffeine!) and wait until you’re feeling more tired before going back to bed.

Keeping a note in your diary of your sleep patterns, what time you went to bed, what you ate, how often you woke up etc can help you work out a routine that will help you get better quality sleep.