7 Strategies to Manage Anxiety and Maintain Mental Health

Hello, dear readers! I'm so glad you're here with me for another installment of our blog series on anxiety.

If you've been following along, you know that anxiety is a common and challenging condition that affects millions of people around the world.

But you also know that there are ways to cope with it and improve your mental well-being.

In this blog post, I'm going to share with you some practical and effective strategies that you can use to manage your anxiety and maintain your mental health.

These strategies are based on scientific research, personal experience, and feedback from other anxiety sufferers.

They are not meant to replace professional help, but to complement it and enhance your quality of life.

So, without further ado, let's dive into the 7 strategies to manage anxiety and maintain mental health.

Strategy 1: Meditation

Meditation is a practice that involves focusing your attention on a single object, such as your breath, a word, a sound, or a sensation.

Meditation can help you reduce anxiety and stress by calming your mind, relaxing your body, and increasing your awareness of the present moment.

Meditation can be done in various ways, but here are some tips on how to start:

- Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be disturbed.

- Set a timer for a duration that suits you, such as 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

- Sit or lie down in a posture that feels natural and relaxed.

- Close your eyes or lower your gaze and focus on your breath. Notice how it flows in and out of your nostrils or chest. Don't try to control or change it, just observe it.

- If your mind wanders to other thoughts or sensations, gently bring it back to your breath. Don't judge or criticize yourself, just acknowledge what distracted you and return to your focus.

- When the timer goes off, slowly open your eyes and take a moment to notice how you feel.

Meditation can be challenging at first, but with practice, it can become easier and more enjoyable.

There are also many resources that can help you learn and improve your meditation skills, such as apps (e.g., Headspace, Calm), videos (e.g., YouTube), books (e.g., The Mindful Way Through Anxiety by Susan M. Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer), etc.

Strategy 2: Journaling

Journaling is a practice that involves writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences on a regular basis.

Journaling can help you process your emotions, gain insight into your patterns and triggers, express yourself creatively, and track your progress.

Journaling can be done in various ways, but here are some prompts on what to write about:

- How are you feeling today? What made you feel that way?

- What are some of the goals that you have for yourself? How are you working towards them?

- What are some of the things that you are grateful for? Why are they important to you?

- What are some of the challenges that you are facing? How are you coping with them?

- What are some of the things that you learned today? How can they help you grow?

Journaling can be beneficial in many ways, such as increasing your self-awareness, clarity, creativity, etc.

There are also many resources that can help you get started and inspired with journaling, such as apps (e.g., Day One, Penzu), blogs (e.g., The Journaling Life by Mari L. McCarthy), books (e.g., The Anxiety Journal by Corinne Sweet), etc.

Strategy 3: Social Support

Social support is the network of people who care about you and who can provide you with emotional, practical, or informational assistance.

Social support can help you cope with anxiety and loneliness by giving you a sense of belonging, validation, feedback, and encouragement.

Social support can be built and maintained in various ways, but here are some suggestions on how to do it:

- Join groups or communities that share your interests or values. You can find them online (e.g., Meetup, Reddit) or offline (e.g., clubs, classes).

- Reach out to friends or family members who understand and support you. You can call them, text them, or meet them in person.

- Volunteer for a cause that matters to you. You can find opportunities online (e.g., VolunteerMatch) or offline (e.g., local organizations).

- Seek professional help if you need it. You can find therapists online (e.g., BetterHelp) or offline (e.g., referrals).

Social support can make a difference in many ways, such as providing comfort, advice, feedback etc.

There are also many resources that can help you improve your social skills and relationships such as apps (e.g., Bumble BFF), podcasts (e.g., The Art of Charm), books (e.g., How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie), etc.

Strategy 4: Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques are methods that can help you calm your nervous system and reduce anxiety symptoms.

Relaxation techniques can help you lower your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing rate, and increase your feelings of calmness and well-being.

Relaxation techniques can be done in various ways, but here are some examples of them:

- Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in your body, starting from your feet and moving up to your head. You can follow a script or audio that guides you through the process.

- Guided imagery: This technique involves imagining a peaceful and pleasant scene in your mind, such as a beach, a forest, or a garden. You can use all your senses to make the scene as vivid as possible. You can follow a script or audio that guides you through the process.

- Deep breathing: This technique involves taking slow and deep breaths through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. You can place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen to feel the movement of your breath. You can also count to four as you inhale and exhale.

Relaxation techniques can be done anytime and anywhere, but it is best to do them in a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be interrupted.

There are also many resources that can help you learn and practice relaxation techniques, such as apps (e.g., Relax Melodies), videos (e.g., YouTube), books (e.g., The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis et al.), etc.

Strategy 5: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that can help you change negative thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety.

CBT can help you identify and challenge irrational thoughts, such as catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, or personalizing, that cause you to feel anxious or fearful.

CBT can also help you expose yourself to the situations or objects that trigger your anxiety and learn to cope with them in a gradual and safe way.

CBT can also help you solve problems that cause you stress or interfere with your goals.

CBT can be done in various ways, but here are some examples of CBT techniques:

- Thought record: This technique involves writing down a situation that made you anxious, the thoughts that went through your mind, the emotions that you felt, the evidence for and against your thoughts, and a more balanced or realistic thought.

- Exposure therapy: This technique involves creating a hierarchy of the situations or objects that cause you anxiety, from the least to the most frightening. Then, you gradually expose yourself to each item on the hierarchy, starting from the bottom, while practicing relaxation techniques or coping skills. You stay in each situation until your anxiety decreases or becomes manageable.

- Problem-solving: This technique involves identifying a problem that causes you stress or prevents you from achieving your goals, brainstorming possible solutions, evaluating the pros and cons of each solution, choosing the best solution, implementing it, and reviewing the outcome.

CBT can be done with the help of a therapist or on your own.

There are also many resources that can help you learn and apply CBT techniques, such as online courses (e.g., MoodGYM), apps (e.g., MoodKit), books (e.g., Feeling Good by David D. Burns), etc.

Strategy 6: Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes are modifications that you can make in your daily habits and routines that can help you improve your physical and mental health.

Lifestyle changes can help you reduce anxiety and stress by enhancing your mood, energy, sleep quality, immune system, and overall well-being.

Lifestyle changes can be made in various ways, but here are some examples of them:

- Eating healthy: This involves consuming a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and water. It also involves avoiding or limiting foods that are high in sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol, or processed ingredients.

- Exercising regularly: This involves engaging in physical activity that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat for at least 150 minutes per week. It also involves doing strength training exercises for at least two days per week. It also involves choosing activities that you enjoy and that suit your fitness level.

- Sleeping well: This involves getting enough sleep every night (7 to 9 hours for most adults) and following a consistent sleep schedule. It also involves creating a comfortable and dark sleeping environment and avoiding stimulants or distractions before bed.

- Avoiding alcohol and drugs: This involves abstaining from or limiting the use of substances that can impair your judgment, alter your mood, or worsen your anxiety symptoms. It also involves seeking help if you have a substance use disorder or addiction.

Lifestyle changes can be challenging to make but rewarding to maintain.

There are also some tips on how to make lifestyle changes, such as setting realistic goals, tracking your progress, rewarding yourself, etc.

There are also many resources that can help you make and sustain lifestyle changes, such as apps (e.g., MyFitnessPal), blogs (e.g., Wellness Mama), books (e.g., The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg), etc.

Strategy 7: Professional Help

Professional help is the assistance that you can get from qualified and licensed mental health professionals, such as therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, etc.

Professional help can help you treat anxiety disorders and other mental health issues by providing you with a diagnosis, a treatment plan, evidence-based interventions, medication (if needed), and ongoing support.

Professional help can be found and accessed in various ways, but here are some information on how to do it:

- Online platforms: These are websites or apps that connect you with licensed therapists or counselors who can provide you with online therapy or counseling via chat, phone, or video. Some examples are BetterHelp, Talkspace, and 7 Cups.

- Referrals: These are recommendations that you can get from your primary care doctor, your insurance company, your employer, your school, or your friends or family members who have had positive experiences with professional help.

- Insurance coverage: This is the amount of money that your insurance company will pay for your professional help services. You can check your insurance policy or contact your insurance provider to find out what kind of coverage you have and what kind of providers you can see.

- Self-pay: This is the option of paying for your professional help services out of your own pocket. You can negotiate the fees with your provider or look for low-cost or sliding-scale options in your area.

Professional help is important and beneficial in many ways, such as getting a diagnosis, receiving evidence-based treatment, having ongoing support, etc.

There are also many resources that can help you prepare for and make the most of professional help, such as websites (e.g., Anxiety and Depression Association of America), podcasts (e.g., The Anxiety Guy), books (e.g., The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne), etc.

So there you have it: 7 strategies to manage anxiety and maintain mental health.

I hope you found this blog post helpful and informative.

I also hope you will try out some of these strategies and see how they work for you.

Remember, you are not alone in this journey and you deserve to feel happy and healthy.

If you have any feedback or questions about this blog post or any of the strategies, please feel free to leave a comment below or connect with me here.

I would love to hear from you and support you in any way I can.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next blog post in our series on anxiety.

Until then, take care and be well!