Make Room to Cure Anxiety

What does anxiety management mean to you?

Make time for the things that don't have a space in your life, yet.

• How often are you able to feel calm, well-rested, comfortable?
• What can you change to make those things a part of your everyday existence?

People with anxiety disorders often find that their condition is exacerbated by environmental factors. It's certainly true that there are plenty of things that we can't change, at least not right away. And those things can make you feel helpless, powerless, afraid. Try to stay focused on the things you can control. You'll be better able to address that sense of uncertainty which makes the world such a scary place sometimes.

Combat Anxiety and Isolation

No matter how much you may think you are totally alone with the terrible fear and worry that come with an anxiety disorder, it's just not true. Remember that 1 in 4 people in the world will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives.

I can virtually guarantee that there are people in your life who do understand. To varying degrees, of course, and they won't always know how to communicate it but then I rarely know how to tell those nearest and dearest to me about my issues either. It's a confronting thing to do, and a lot of the time you just want to live your life. Don't you?

Look around you: Are there things you could change? Tangible, physical things are far easier to shift than habits, or ingrained thought processes.

One useful anxiety management skill is to slowly become aware of the subtle differences in your emotional space. Jot down some notes on a regular basis to keep track of what you react to, and whether that changes the way you experience the symptoms of anxiety.

What helps you feel safe and secure? What makes you feel uncertain?

Self-help for Anxiety

I find self-help for anxiety can be as 'simple' as tidying up my living room, doing the dishes, getting a bit more space. With my obsessive compulsive tendencies, it helps to try to just start; Pick something that wants doing and do a little of that. It lifts you out of that "I'm stuck" place fast. Once you've done it, and realized it works, then it's that much easier the next time.

That's kind of the hidden Easter egg of treating anxiety: the more you use your anxiety coping skills, the more effective and easier to use they are. It's also why any CBT you've done needs to be periodically renewed -- a 'use it or lose it' sort of thing.

Environment and the right support make an incredible amount of difference when trying to treat anxiety. Do what you can, focus on the part you play in the emotions you experience every day. The more you know about the world, and how you experience it, the fitter you'll be to fight anxiety.