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Do you often suffer from excessive anxiety? The tips below will help you calm your mind, dispel your lingering anxiety.
1. What is excessive anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal emotion of life. For example, you can totally get nervous before a job interview, a first date, etc. That's normal. However, if the anxiety becomes persistent, uncontrollable, you always think about the worst-case scenario, cannot get the worrying thought out of your head, then it is chronic anxiety, which is hindering you. to your daily life.
Constantly worrying, negative thoughts will adversely affect mental and physical health. You will always feel restless, restless, headache, insomnia, stomach problems, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating when studying or working,... Besides, you can vent your emotions. your negative feelings on a loved one, a friend or dispelling this feeling with alcohol, stimulants,...
Chronic anxiety can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder - a related condition to stress and general feelings of insecurity. If this is the case, you can take steps to eliminate worrying thoughts by training your brain, staying calm, and seeing life from a more balanced, less fearful perspective.
2. How to treat chronic anxiety
Persistent anxiety is completely treatable in the following ways:
2.1 Create a period of anxiety every day It's hard to do well every day if anxiety dominates your thoughts and distract you from work or life. So you can apply the anxiety delay strategy. That is, instead of trying to get rid of the worrying thought, you can allow yourself to worry but put it aside, schedule in a fixed time each day.
Create an anxiety period with a fixed time and place. Example: In the living room, 18:00 - 18:20 daily. This is early enough to not make you nervous before going to sleep. During this time, you can let your anxiety take over your mind, and for the rest of the day don't think about it. Write down your worries, reminding yourself that you will have a good time. time to think about it at 18:00 - 18:20 every day so you won't think about it now See the worry list during worrying times to build a more balanced perspective, see for yourself This worry is not too big. 2.2 Challenging Worrying Thoughts If you have persistent anxiety, you may be looking at the world with a more fearful eye than usual. For example, you think that things could go bad, happen in a worst-case scenario, or take every worrying thought as a reality. These thoughts are known as cognitive distortions and include:
Thinking things only in two ways: Either good or bad: If things aren't perfect then I'm a complete failure Overgeneralizing from one experience the only negative: I didn't pass the job interview - I would never get any job Focused on the negatives, didn't see the positives: I got the last question wrong in test, I'm a fool Deny positives: I did well in my presentation but it was a fluke Offer negative explanations without factual evidence: I see a terrible thing coming happens, I think she secretly hates me,.. Expected worst case scenario: The pilot said that something was wrong, the plane would probably have a big problem; Believe that the way you feel reflects reality: I feel like a fool, people must be laughing at me; Responsible for things beyond my ability: Because of me, my husband got into a car accident, I should have warned him to drive carefully in the rain,...
So how to challenge these thoughts?
During a time of daily anxiety, challenge these thoughts by asking yourself:
What proof is there that the thought is completely true? Is there a more positive and realistic way to look at the situation? What is the probability that what I am worried about will happen? If the probability is low, what are the other outcomes? Does worrying help me? How will anxiety hurt me? What would I tell a friend if they have these concerns? From challenging negative thoughts, you will find more balance, dispel excessive anxiety.
2.3 Distinguish solvable and unresolvable anxiety Research shows that when we worry, we feel less anxious. It's the running of the problem in your head that will help you focus less on your anxiety and into the feeling that you're accomplishing something.
Problem solving is to assess the situation, come up with a specific way to deal with it, and make a plan to do it. Worrying rarely leads to solutions. So is your worry solvable?
Worries that can be solved should be handled immediately. We may not need to find the perfect solution, just focus on the things we can change. Then you plan to do it. Once you have a solution, you will be a lot less worried. For example, if you don't have the money to pay the debt, you should call the creditor, ask for payment in installments,...
As for worries that can't be resolved, there will be no corresponding action, for example, “What if I get cancer one day”, “what if my child has an accident”,... With these worries, accept the uncertainty. To do this, ask friends and family how they deal with uncertainty in specific situations. At the same time, regulate your emotions to reduce lingering anxiety.
2.4 Interrupting the Worry Cycle If you worry too much then negative thoughts will repeat in your head over and over. You will probably lose control, exhausted by these thoughts. To avoid this, you can interrupt negative thinking by:
Get up and exercise: Exercise is the most natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment because it releases endorphins that help reduce anxiety. stress, boost your energy and improve your sense of well-being. Besides, by really focusing on how your body feels when you exercise, you can interrupt the anxiety in your head. Join yoga or tai chi classes: By focusing your mind on movements and breathing, practicing yoga and tai chi can help you relax, become more alert, and reduce anxiety. you shift anxiety to what's happening right now. That helps you interrupt negative thoughts and worries. Muscle relaxation: By stretching and releasing muscle groups, you will focus on your body instead of worrying thoughts. When your body relaxes, your mind relaxes too. Take a deep breath: When you're nervous, you'll breathe faster. By practicing deep breathing, you can calm your mind and dispel negative thoughts.
2.5 Talk about your worries Keeping your worries to yourself only causes them to accumulate more, which can overwhelm you. One simple solution to treating chronic anxiety is to talk directly to a friend or loved one about your problem. They will listen to you without judgment or criticism, helping to calm your nerves.
If your fears are unwarranted, speaking out will help to understand their nature as unnecessary worries. If your concerns are legitimate, sharing them with others will help you find the best solution.
2.6 Practice Mindfulness Anxiety often focuses on the future or the past. Practicing mindfulness helps you get rid of anxiety by bringing you back to the present moment. You need to:
Acknowledge your worries, do not ignore or control but stand from an outsider's point of view Let anxious thoughts pass on their own Focus on the present moment, pay attention to how your body feels sensations, breathing, and emotions. If you get stuck on a particular thought, bring your attention back to the present moment. Practice mindfulness daily. At first, you may find yourself unable to concentrate, your mind spinning with anxious thoughts. Try not to get discouraged, focus on the present to get rid of negative thoughts. The basic mindfulness meditation is as follows:
Sit on a chair or a comfortable mattress, straighten your back, place your hands on the upper shins Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose to let the air go down to the lower abdomen, stretch the abdomen as far as you can. by mouth Focus on breathing, feel the air go in through the nose and out of the mouth, the abdomen rises and falls as you inhale - exhale Meditate 3-4 times a week, 10 minutes each time Basic instructions The above will help you dispel your constant worries. If you have persistent anxiety that cannot be controlled by the above measures, talk to your doctor. Doctors can check, rule out health problems, and make some recommendations to help you worry less and feel better, like medication therapy.
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