Finding unique ways to manage anxiety can be fun.
But we all know that reducing and managing your anxiety can feel like a full-time job.
The constant weight of prolonged anxiety can become a burden too heavy to carry. This burden can impact all areas of our life, including; work, relationships, social life, and overall mental health. Over time anxiety can also lead to bouts of depression, higher stress levels, and other physical and emotional ailments.
There are several ways to reduce anxiety, such as deep breathing, therapy, and meditation. Depending on the person and their unique situation, some ways work better than others. If you’re familiar with extreme anxiety, you are likely familiar with many of the well-known anxiety-reducing techniques taught by psychologists, therapists, coaches, and other medical professionals. Common techniques can help, but sometimes you might seek a more specific technique cattered to you.
Some techniques and methods are not as well known – in fact, some that are hardly talked about at all.
These are the ones I focus on in this article – unique ways to manage anxiety.
Before we get started, let’s consider a few things about anxiety.
ANXIETY ON THE RISE
Anxiety, unfortunately, is on the rise in the United States and other areas around the world. Millions upon millions of people are affected by anxiety every day around the globe. So it has become something of an epidemic. If heightened anxiety doesn’t directly affect you personally, chances are it affects someone close to you.
Throughout my travels and business ventures, I have met people of all ages and from all walks of life who suffer from anxiety. I’ve learned that anxiety doesn’t discriminate – no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, or social status, anxiety can affect anyone. Sure, some people are more prone to anxiety than others based on certain genetic and environmental factors, but it can still affect those who aren’t.
In addition, the conversations I have had with people have been an eye-opener for me because I realized I wasn’t alone in my struggles. Therefore, these conversations created a space where I could relate to others and vice versa.
ANXIETY DATA
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States.
- People who suffer from an anxiety disorder are six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders.
- Data in 2018 showed that 40% of Americans are more anxious than the previous year.
- Over 40 million adults in the United States suffer from an anxiety disorder.
- Approximately 7% of children between the ages of 3-17 suffer from issues related to anxiety.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder affects 6.8 million adults, over 3% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% of those 6.8 million are receiving treatment.
- Approximately 15 million Americans suffer from social anxiety disorder. Both Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are closely related to anxiety disorders.
MORE DATA ON OCD AND PTSD
- OCD affects 2.2 million adults, or around 1.0% of the U.S. population. OCD is equally common among both men and women. Data shows that the average age of onset for OCD is 19, with 25% of cases occurring by the age of 14. One-third of adults who suffer from OCD first experience symptoms in childhood.
- PTSD affects 7.7 million adults, or around 3.5% of the U.S. population. Women are more likely to be affected by PTSD than men. Rape is the most likely cause of PTSD, with many victims of rape experiencing PTSD. Sexual abuse during childhood is a good predictor of lifetime likelihood for developing PTSD.
- Many people who suffer from an anxiety disorder also have a co-occurring disorder or physical illness, which can make their anxiety symptoms worse and their recovery more difficult.
- Anxiety is as common among older adults as it is among young adults.
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder among older adults. Anxiety disorders in the older population are frequently associated with traumatic events such as a sudden fall or acute illness.
7 UNIQUE WAYS TO MANAGE ANXIETY
USE A THOUGHT RECORD
Thought Records are used to challenge our fear-based thinking. Anxiety can produce a heavy dose of negative thoughts that seem to occur repeatedly. These negative thoughts directly affect our moods; they tend to reaffirm negative beliefs, propel a fear, or stir up more anxiety.
A thought record starts with writing down a thought or situation that triggers us. The first thing you do is write the thought or situation down on a piece of paper. Then, you run it through a thought record, a series of questions geared towards deconstructing the thought and getting to the root by challenging the thought with logic.
You start by rating how strong the emotion is associated with the thought feels and then answer questions that either prove or disprove the thought’s core belief. Then, you rate the emotion attached to the thought to see if there has been any mood improvement.
This is an easy and unique way to manage anxiety.
REMEMBER THE 90-SECOND RULE
This is a term coined by Harvard brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor. She discovered that when a person has an emotional reaction to something in their environment, there’s a 90-second chemical process that occurs. Any emotional response beyond that 90-seconds is the person choosing to stay in that emotional loop.
What does this mean?
According to Taylor’s observation, from a neurological standpoint, we can choose moment by moment how we want to be in our environment.
This is powerful stuff.
Especially for those who suffer from anxiety. Because emotional triggers can cause the same circuitry in the brain to activate repeatedly by us thinking the same thought and experiencing the same emotion, the 90-second rule becomes essential in hindering that repetitive circuitry.
But how do you let the 90 seconds pass without engaging the emotions?
Awareness.
You need to be persistent in your awareness and observation of your thoughts and emotions. If you continually lack awareness, you will inevitably get lost in subconscious thoughts, react instead of respond, and become susceptible to engaging emotions longer than needed. Awareness also creates a sense of self-control. If you’re fully aware of your emotional state of being, you’ll be less likely to fall down the rabbit hole of clinging to strong emotions for long periods, even when you are triggered.
Practicing mindfulness can help strengthen your awareness muscle.
Set aside a week and practice the art of becoming more aware of your emotions. Then, jot down moments when you seem to get caught up in a strong emotion. Note the cause of the trigger and how long you experienced said emotion. Over a few days, you’ll begin spotting patterns. Once you spot these patterns, they are much easier to change.
Now, armed with this new information, you can focus your awareness on those emotional triggers and purposely use the 90-second rule to wait out the strong emotion until it chemically leaves your system.
Try focusing on your breath during this time. This will distract you from the thoughts surrounding the emotion that may cause you to leap back into it.
After a while, you can train yourself to spot the trigger and respond appropriately without getting caught up in the emotion.
IMPROVE BOTH VERBAL AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Nonverbal communication makes a difference. Many people who have SAD tend to have a “closed off” stance, which can be tense. How you carry yourself can make a difference in how you feel since tensing up usually makes us feel more restricted. Instead, try a more relaxed posture with eye contact and your hands at your sides.
Verbally, learn how to start conversations and keep them going so that you don’t feel awkward or forced into dialogue. Learning to listen intently and pay attention to others as they speak is another huge aspect of verbal communication. When you first join a conversation, listen for a little while to understand what is being discussed before commenting. Learning appropriate verbal communication skills can help in these social settings.
Understanding and improving communication skills is another unique way to manage anxiety.
PRACTICE THE TRAIN CAR TECHNIQUE
I have been practicing this for quite some time and have begun to master it. My cousin, a psychologist, first taught me this technique when I struggled with obsessive thoughts over a failed relationship. He said, “Try to think of those obsessive thoughts as though they are on a train car, and the train car is coming down the tracks, and you see it, acknowledge it, and then let it pass.”
This strategy has been arguably the most successful to combat my obsessively anxious thoughts.
It’s another unique way to manage anxiety
As soon as I see the thought and feel the emotion that comes with it, I put it on a train car (or boat, or plane) and see it coming down the tracks (feel it), watch it pass, and then let it go. Visualizing this can be extremely beneficial when it comes to managing anxiety. Once you let it go, focus on whatever task or situation is in front of you.
REMEMBER THE WORD HALT
HALT is an acronym for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.
It’s used in drug-rehabilitation programs to help those struggling with addiction to remember that they will be more prone to using whenever they are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.
But this same acronym can also apply to managing anxiety.
Whenever you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, you will increase the odds of falling into a bout of anxiety. Try remembering HALT as a way to avert that anxiety. If you find yourself experiencing one or more of those four words, then take action to remedy the situation. By taking action, you will give yourself a great chance at staving off any anxiety.
USE ROLE-PLAYING
I’m sure some of you will laugh when you think of “role-playing” for a few different reasons. But role-playing can play a substantial role in shaping better habits and learning how to respond instead of reacting in challenging or volatile situations.
Role-playing can also help in other areas, such as; becoming more assertive, practicing and improving social skills, and acquiring more confidence in certain situations.
Let’s look at an example:
ASKING YOUR MANAGER FOR A RAISE:
Have someone close to you play your manager, and go over every likely potential response they may give to you. And then try responding precisely the way you would want during the actual negotiation.
Do this enough times, and you’ll begin to feel more confident and less anxious.
TRY BEFRIENDING YOUR ANXIETY
One of the natural tendencies of people who deal with anxiety is to find a way, any way, to avoid feeling the emotion attached to it.
Avoidance can lead to unhealthy behaviors used to mask anxiety, such as binge drinking, drug use, overeating, and other vices. The problem with this approach is two-fold; you now have added an unhealthy coping mechanism, and the anxiety is still there.
One technique I’ve learned through CBT is to befriend the anxiety instead of running from it. I look at the anxiety as if it’s a troubled friend, and I embrace and accept it. I’ll say things to my anxiety, such as, “I know you’re having a rough time today, but you’re going to make it through.” By befriending the anxiety, you start to detach yourself from its power by acknowledging its presence and then comforting it with your healthier self.
IN REVIEW
Struggling with anxiety can become overwhelming when you don’t have the proper coping techniques. Finding unique ways to manage anxiety can make the process more lighthearted and fun. And even with those techniques, it can still be challenging at times. The key is to be diligent, mindful, and willing to make the appropriate changes to manage and reduce them. You will never fully rid yourself of anxiety. Still, you can certainly manage it to where you’re living a healthy, balanced, and happy life without the constant weight of prolonged anxiety.
If you have any questions or would like a free anxiety coaching consultation – contact me at brad@upplifter.com.
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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