Do More of What Works To Reduce Anxiety
A very effective way to reduce anxiety is to do more of what works in your life. However, any type of anxiety disorder can seem to completely take over someone’s entire being, his/her very life. Anxiety can consume our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, making us feel trapped, isolated, agitated, worried, and afraid. When living with an anxiety disorder, it can be hard to see past all of the struggles and all of the things that aren’t working in life. It’s possible to get around that, and in the process, significantly reduce anxiety. To reduce anxiety, do more of what works.
How Can You Do More of What Works Right Now?
It can be hard to see past anxiety and the related problems it can cause. However, doing just that—looking past the anxious thoughts and beliefs—is a positive action you can take to reduce anxiety.
This solution-focused idea is sometimes called the continuation concept or the continuation question: what works in your life right now that you want to continue? Then, rather than turning your attention to anxiety and wanting it gone, you can shift to nurturing what is good and right in your life.
When living with an anxiety disorder, it’s very natural to just want it gone, to rid yourself of everything in your life and start over (Cutting Ties With Family? Consider This Before You Do). That, though, is akin to the cliché regarding throwing the baby out with the bathwater. When you identify what is working in your life, the metaphorical baby in the bathwater, you identify what you want to do more of and continue with even when anxiety is gone from your life.
The very act of shifting your thinking and actions to do more of what works goes quite far to reduce anxiety. I discuss this further and offer some ways to do this in the below video. I invite you to watch.
Do What Works To Reduce Anxiety Video
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APA Reference
Peterson, T.
(2016, March 31). Do More of What Works To Reduce Anxiety, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, December 21 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety/2016/03/to-reduce-anxiety-do-more-of-what-works
Author: Tanya J. Peterson, MS, NCC, DAIS
I agree John. Anxiety zaps us of energy, hope and joy. Faith is critical. Exercise is important, a walk in nature is best...I usually feel better after a long walk. Restorative yoga has been very helpful, especially as I went off anti-anxiety medication. I look forward to the say that
" morning dread" is no longer part of my experience.
It is good to know we are not alone
Doing the things that works does help. But some days anxiety is so high that headaches and angina settles in. Then comes the paranoia and depression. Jogging helps. Faith helps. Today is just one of those days. Tomorrow will be better. Hope you do well. Thanks for the advice.