5 Exercises To Combat Anxiety How To Turn Off Trivial Anxiety - Self-development

2023 Author: Oswald Adamson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 12:13

“It is worth being left alone with my thoughts, I am overwhelmed by an unpleasant sensation, some kind of melancholy or an incomprehensible premonition. I start to worry that my husband is late from work, or I feel a tingling sensation in my stomach, and terrible diagnoses pop up in my head. I always find reasons for concern without difficulty. It tires me and makes me completely overwhelmed,”says Natalia. Still, anxiety is a debilitating feeling.

We are all familiar with anxiety. Many have heard of phobias and panic attacks. But you do not shiver at the sight of spiders and fly safely in an airplane. You do not have a specific object that terrifies you, you do not experience seizures, but everything new, unknown, doubtful and unplanned makes you feel intense anxiety.

The pulse quickens, you feel discomfort in your chest, stomach problems appear. You are nervous, get tired quickly, and cannot relax. If this whole bunch of symptoms has been plaguing you for several months, it is most likely a generalized anxiety disorder.

This disorder can be associated with personality traits, inherited from anxious and overprotective parents. In the event that you do not take any therapeutic measures, the disorder can progress. Psychotherapy and small lifestyle adjustments help to successfully cope with this ailment.

If you experience anxiety and it interferes with your life, regularly use the exercises below, and after one or two months, you will find that a huge load of unfounded fears has lifted from your shoulders.

Exercise # 1. Motivation

It would seem that the goal is quite clear: you want to get rid of anxiety. But how to measure the result of the work done? Write a list of what you will get if you stop worrying about trifles.

For example:

• I can sleep peacefully.
• I can enjoy visiting crowded places.
• I will have energy for outdoor activities and hobbies.
• My work will start to bring me more pleasure.
• I will stop lashing out at loved ones …

Think hard. Anxiety binds you hand and foot. And it is you who obediently stand and wait for her to squeeze harder. What wonderful prospects open up if you stop obeying her!

Exercise number 2. Inventory

We figured out the motivation. We now need to assess recurring concerns. Write down the main topics that concern you.

• I'm afraid not to hear the alarm and oversleep for work.
• I am afraid that my husband will leave me.
• I am afraid that at work I will no longer be respected if I make any mistake.

Rate your fears from 0 to 10 points. Zero is a neutral state, and a dozen is on the verge of wild horror.

Now let's reflect on how your fears correspond to the real situation. For example, how many times did your alarm go unheard and what were the consequences? Are you really late for work so often that another case threatens you with dismissal? What has changed in your relationship with your husband? Are there any serious prerequisites for a breakup? What would you do if he really left? How was the life of your divorced friends? Try to remember positive examples as well. Do the same for the other items on your list.

Exercise # 3. Blacklist

Very often our fears are born out of wrong beliefs. Therefore, it is important to find them and neutralize them in time. If we turn to our examples, we can see something like: “I am an irresponsible person, I am not worthy of this job, no one appreciates me, men don’t love me, no one needs me, I am unattractive, uninteresting, I don’t cope with my work, everyone is watching me closely and waiting for a miss."

Each anxious person has his own set of "compliments", but such harmful thoughts go back to more universal ones:

• The world is cruel and dangerous, but I am weak and helpless.
• I have to keep everything under control.
• Trusting others is very reckless.
• I can't handle this.
• If I stop worrying, I will definitely make a mistake.

Next to each belief, write the opposite of it.

• I am strong, I am able to cope with any task!
• I live in an amazing world full of opportunities and surprises!
• I trust the people around me!
• In a state of rest and confidence, I am more effective!
• I do not strive to control what is beyond my control!
• No matter what happens, I can handle it!

Reread these beliefs daily. You can make stickers with them, put them on your computer screensaver or in any other prominent place. It will take a lot of repetition to get it built into your "operating system", but it's worth it.

Exercise number 4. The magic wand

If anxiety prevents you from falling asleep or focusing on something, arm yourself with a simple pencil and a piece of paper. Take a close look at your feeling. Where is it located? How does it manifest itself? Is it burning? Stabs? Pulls? What color and size is it?

Imagine that it melts, takes on a liquid state and through a tube stretched along your hand, flows through a pencil onto paper. Draw scribbles, dots, strokes - whatever comes into your head. Very soon, you will begin to feel better, calmer, and will be able to focus your attention on what you are about to do.

Exercise # 5. Cleaning the area

An important part of dealing with anxiety is regaining freedom of action. If you see a therapist, he can go with you to where you are struggling not to be. These journeys can take place in reality or only in your thoughts. The goal is to stop avoiding the places or situations that you fear. For example, talking to a stranger, refusing a service, taking an elevator, going to a meeting with classmates. Make a plan of action for yourself and start with the points that cause you the least concern. After defeating lesser fears, move on.

Add muscle relaxation, massage and breathing techniques to these exercises, increase physical activity, hang out with pleasant people, and avoid alcohol and coffee.

The main thing is to understand that only regular classes will bring success. Having tried it once, don't expect a magical change. However, from the very first days you will feel relief

Anxious people try to control everything around them, it seems to them that in this way they will protect themselves. But it is impossible to calculate everything in advance. And even by closing yourself in four walls, you will not protect yourself from sudden illness or madness. Whatever you do, you are just as unarmed in the face of chance as the most careless person. This sad truth, which we need to accept, has its downside.

Our mistakes and troubles can lead us to success. Your new job may be better than your old one, and you may feel much happier after the divorce. Is this not a reason to stop being afraid of the future and enjoy the present!

Now you are tired and want to sleep, now you are alive and well, now your loved one is nearby, now your colleagues and bosses are happy with you. Enjoy!