Occasional anxiety is a normal reaction especially when things feel uncertain — we all worry and get scared.
For people suffering from anxiety, they may feel like they’re being consumed by their fears.
These fears may seem irrational to others but may feel very real to people with anxiety.
Helping someone with anxiety can be challenging because we may find it hard to relate to their concerns.
Managing Your Anxiety
We’ve put together a list of ways to help you get through and manage your anxiety or be able to help someone going through it. It is also advantageous to understand its roots — what anxiety is and what causes it.
Anxiety can stem from several risk factors:
- Genetics
- Brain Chemistry
- Personality
- Specific Life Events
Self-Soothing Tips for Anxiety Attacks
There are ways you can regain a sense of control when panic strikes despite these overwhelming feelings. With patience, perseverance, and consistency, panic attacks can be managed. Remember that you are much braver than you think you are.
Here are a few self-soothing techniques and strategies you can do during an anxiety attack:
1. Recognize and understand your anxiety.
Tell yourself, “My nervous system is kicking into high gear because I’m worried about [thing X].”
2. Don’t criticize yourself for those feelings.
Instead, say “this is a normal, healthy response by my body to these circumstances, which are complicated, stressful, or difficult. It’s OK to feel this way.”
3. Know that you can have anxiety and still function well.
Dealing with anxiety and supporting a loved one with anxiety are different situations. It’s distressing to know that a loved one experiences panic attacks and deals with anxiety. You play an important role in supporting them, there are ways you can help. Support starts with recognizing the signs of excessive worry and understanding the best ways to support them.
We’ve put together a few ways to get started:
1. Provide validation.
People with anxiety have fears that may seem irrational to others. The key is to avoid judgement and provide them with validation that what they are going through is real and what they are feeling is valid. Their anxiety does not have to make sense to you in order for you to help them.
2. Express your concern.
When you start to notice your loved one acting differently or withdrawing from activities that they used to enjoy, gently talk to them and express your concern for them. This will open up the doors toward better communication with one another and approach them in a warm and positive way when doing this.
3. Know when to seek professional help.
If your loved one’s anxiety starts to disrupt their ability to enjoy life professional counseling may help. You can support them by opening up the conversation about seeking professional help and also accompanying them to their sessions if needed.
