Anxiety is a natural emotion that we all experience at some point in our lives. However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming and negatively affects our quality of life, it is important to look for effective strategies to control it and recover our emotional well-being.
1 . Accept your emotions
One of the first steps to stop controlling anxiety is to learn to accept your emotions without judging them. Anxiety is a natural response of the body to stressful situations, and repressing or denying these emotions can only make the situation worse. Instead of fighting your feelings of anxiety, accept them and allow yourself to feel them without guilt.
Recommended practice:
Spend a few minutes a day practicing mindfulness meditation to learn to observe your emotions without identifying with them. This will help you develop greater emotional awareness and accept your anxious feelings in a more compassionate way.
2. Identify your catastrophic thoughts
Anxiety is often fueled by catastrophic thoughts and cognitive distortions that magnify the perception of danger and threat. Identifying these irrational thoughts is essential to be able to question their veracity and reduce their impact on your emotional state.
Recommended practice:
Keep a thought diary where you record your negative automatic thoughts. Once identified, question their veracity and replace them with more realistic and balanced thoughts. This exercise will help you challenge your anxious thinking patterns and reduce your anxiety level.
3. Practice diaphragmatic breathing
Anxiety often manifests itself through physical symptoms such as rapid and shallow breathing. The practice of diaphragmatic breathing, also known as abdominal breathing, can help you reduce the physiological activation associated with anxiety and promote relaxation of the body and mind.
Recommended practice:
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your abdomen inflate, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this exercise several times, focusing on the sensation of your breath and how your body relaxes with each exhalation.
4. Establish healthy boundaries
Sometimes, anxiety can be related to a lack of personal boundaries and difficulty saying "no" to the demands and expectations of others. Setting healthy boundaries in your relationships and daily activities is essential to protecting your emotional well-being and reducing feelings of overwhelming responsibility.
Recommended practice:
Identify your needs and priorities, and Learn to assertively communicate your limits to others. Practice saying "no" when you feel like you are overstepping your personal boundaries and learn to delegate responsibilities in situations where you feel like you are taking on more than you can handle.
5. Practice self-reflection and self-care
Anxiety can be an indicator that you are neglecting your emotional well-being and need to dedicate time and attention to taking care of yourself. Practicing self-reflection and self-care will help you reconnect with yourself, identify your emotional needs, and take action to meet them.
Recommended practice:
Make time in your daily routine to dedicate yourself to activities that give you pleasure and well-being, such as physical exercise, reading, meditation or contact with nature. Listen to your emotional needs and attend to your emotions with compassion and self-love.
6. Seek professional support
Sometimes anxiety can be so overwhelming that you need the help of a mental health professional to overcome it. Psychological therapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy, is an effective tool to address anxiety and learn strategies to manage it in a healthy and sustainable way over time.
Recommended practice:
If you feel that anxiety is significantly interfering with your daily life and you cannot control it on your own, consider seeking professional help. A psychologist or psychotherapist will provide you with the tools and support necessary to learn how to manage anxiety effectively.
7. Cultivate emotional resilience
Emotional resilience is the ability to face difficult and adverse situations with flexibility, adaptability and strength. Cultivating resilience will help you face anxiety more effectively, developing a positive and proactive attitude towards the challenges that arise in your life.
Recommended practice:
Develop habits positive thinking, practice gratitude and cultivate a social support network. Learn to see challenges as opportunities for personal growth and to trust in your ability to overcome the difficulties that come your way. Emotional resilience will help you face anxiety with greater confidence and determination.