Experiencing anxiety is a perfectly natural reaction to situations that can be perceived as threatening or unfamiliar. However, anxiety can become an issue if this feeling does not go away or if it is associated with situations that shouldn’t be perceived as negative or that are blown out of proportions. Here is how to relieve anxiety.
1. Acknowledge this negative feeling
If you often experience stress and anxiety and depression, you need to accept these feelings and put them into words. You can acknowledge your anxiety and analyze this feeling by learning to express it. You can for instance complete one of these sentences: ‘I am depressed because of…’ or ‘I feel stressed because I am afraid that…’
2. Put things into perspective
Anxiety and depression are often the result of a situation that is perceived as more threatening than it really is and you feel powerless to do anything about it. This is often the case when you experience stress at work. You need to put things into perspective by taking a break from what you are doing and reminding yourself that your job is not your entire life and that the problems you are experiencing are not as bad as they seem.
3. Focus on your breathing
Breathing exercises give you something to focus on and have a very calming effect. You will be able to think more clearly after completing one of these exercises and breathing deeply and calming will cause your entire body to relax. All you have to do is inhale deeply, wait a couple of seconds and exhale slowly. Repeat this simple exercise until the anxiety is gone. If things feel really out of control, then this simple exercise is often recommended to be used several times thru the day. The more you use it, the calmer you’ll feel.
4. Use visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool and a great way to relax. Visualization can also help you solve the problems that are causing your anxiety. Find a space where you feel comfortable and can be alone with your thoughts. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and visualize a place or a landscape that you find relaxing. Listing to some relaxing music or sounds can have the same effect.
5. Identify what triggers your anxiety
You can learn how to relieve anxiety by better understanding what causes this response. Ask yourself what is causing you to feel stressed and anxious. You might find that some situations or people cause you more stress than others. Avoiding these situations or people can be tempting but this isn’t a good way to handle your negative feelings. You should instead focus on understanding why some specific situations trigger a negative response. Managing your stress will be easier if you can prepare for these situations or encounters in advance.
If your depression continues and or increase in it’s intensity, you should think about getting help from a counselor or from a psychologist. Learning to relieve your depression will improve the quality of your life and help you accomplish a lot more but finding a method that works for you can take some time and will require you to do some introspection in order to better understand why you are experiencing these negative feelings.
