Preventing Anxiety in Uncertain Circumstances
Learning How to Control Anxiety During Unsettling Situations
Apr 20, 2009
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. Anxiety is particularly common in fast-paced urban environments where multiple pressures exist.
Uncertain situations, such as a job loss, an illness, money worries, or career or educational challenges can lead to an increase in anxiety for most people.
When the tension mounts too high, one can even have an anxiety attack. During such an attack, one can feel blood pressure rise, heart rate surge, perspiration mount and even a sense of nausea or light-headedness growing.
However, there are ways to control anxiety so that it doesn't defeat one's ability to function or succeed.
Maintain a Balanced Routine to Overcome Anxiety
To lessen the likelihood of experiencing an anxiety attack when life takes a difficult turn, focus on developing a balanced routine.
An increased structure to one's day reduces the chances of anxiety overwhelming one's activities. Make time for both play and work. Incorporate regular exercise into the daily schedule. Aerobic exercises like cycling, swimming or running are particularly helpful.
Become involved in the community, spending time helping others to develop perspective on one's own struggles and challenges. Take time out with the family, releasing tensions through connecting to others and relaxing over games, movies or a meal. Eat and sleep well. Try to avoid undertaking one activity or task to the exclusion of others for an extended period of time. Make realistic goals.
Don't Analyze, Fear-monger or Blame During Anxiety Attacks
If, despite trying to maintain a balanced routine, an unexpected shift occurs and an anxiety attack begins, one can manage it in order to lessen its severity.
First, try not to worry the mind by analyzing why such an attack happened or why it was too difficult to handle this time. Trying to impose a rational process on a chaotic set of feelings can only increase anxiety.
Next, don't think of the attack in apocalyptic ways. Imagining that this attack is worse than others before it, that it is the beginning of the end, or that the attack will kill one only has detrimental effects.
Finally, blaming yourself or others for the attack is also futile. Guilt only causes anxiety to mount. No one element usually causes anxiety attacks.
Try to View Anxiety as a Learning Experience and Be Patient
Anxiety doesn't have to be negative. Following an attack, be as calm as possible while realizing that it will take some time to recover from this surge in anxiety. Use patience to allow oneself to recuperate. Be fair. Anxiety is the body's way of telling one that stress levels have risen too high and that they need to be monitored and assessed.
Make changes to improve the likelihood that anxiety attacks will diminish in severity or will happen less often.
Anxiety can help one learn about what the mind and body need to cope. One does not die from anxiety attacks and one always returns from such intense feelings to a state of balance, especially if one is prepared beforehand. Enduring and surmounting unsettling life situations is achievable.
