3 Coping Strategies for Anxiety

Anxiety is not a simple feeling of worry. It’s messy, unpredictable, and feels overpowering. It completely takes over your thoughts and sometimes your physical control, making you unable to breathe and speak. You go through this spiral of what if’s, incapable of jumping out of the feeling. You’re dragged from one thought to another as if you are drowning without hope.

What does anxiety look like?

If anxiety can be visualized, it feels like a knife stabbing your chest in every flow of your breathing. Some say anxiety looks like a brain explosion, with your thoughts spiraling out of control. It’s also a stream of negativity, like a rain cloud negatively speaking to you.

Have you ever felt that way? If yes, you know that anxiety is a scary feeling. We know the feeling, and we want you to know that it’s manageable. Even how overpowering it feels, there’s something you can do.

Coping strategies to manage your anxiety

Ask yourself: what if things work out?

One of the reasons why we fall into the anxiety trap is because of the fixation on a particular thought—the worst-case scenario. We worry about unanswered emails and messages, overdue bills, work mistakes, and so on. With every trigger, we instantly create stories in our heads. But that’s the thing: it’s a story we make. The truth is we don’t know the real story or what might happen.

The key to stopping your anxious thinking is switching your perspective by answering this question, “what if things work out?” Your thoughts will be triggered to think of positive possibilities, “What if this work mistake is good career redirection?” or “What if this project becomes my best one yet?” 

  1. Imagine your Higher Self and give yourself a pep talk.

When we are in a spiral of anxious thoughts, it’s easy to give in to negativity. Suddenly our inner voice is like a storm with endless negativity, full of discouragement and judgment. The moment you realize this, interrupt and acknowledge the thought. Then, envision the best version of yourself, your Higher Self—someone who is encouraging and understanding.

And with that voice, stop the festering sound of anxiousness. Tell yourself, “No, stop. We’re not going there. Not right now.” Give yourself compassion whenever you do it. Whatever you want to stay to yourself, wherever you want to say it out loud or not, we trust that you will find your own version to help you manage your anxiety.

  1. Move for the happy hormone.

Exercise is scientifically proven to be good for your mental health. Whenever your move or exercise, your stress hormones, called cortisol, decrease, making you feel better and happier. Exercise also boosts our endorphins, one of our happy hormones. It’s a natural painkiller that helps us feel less bad.

Working out is a reliable way to stop anxiety attacks. It’s a process of chemically changing your hormones to prevent those attacks. It will require willpower, but it’s an excellent way to manage your anxiety, even before they take over.