General considerations on how to control anxiety

Anxiety and anxiety disorders affect the emotional, behavioral and cognitive of those who suffer daily with them. Therefore, it is important to learn some exercises and methods to be able to deal with the emotions, sensations and thoughts generated by it.

According to a study done by WHO, almost 10% of the Brazilian population deals with anxiety or anxiety disorder, making Brazil the leader in the world ranking. Living with this feeling can be a difficult task when one does not know its causes and ways to control this mental health condition in moments of crisis.

With economic swings and the 2020/2021 pandemic influencing public health issues in recent years, it has been realized that the number of people who need to learn how to manage anxiety and disorders is only increasing.

To cope with the symptoms, it will be necessary to adopt new habits, define a routine and choose a therapeutic process that helps understanding the issues that generate it and the feeling of constant concern. Thus, we listed the main causes of anxiety and how you can control it, learning to deal with the crises. See here!

What is anxiety and what are its symptoms

Before learning how to control anxiety you need to know more information about it, how it manifests itself and other symptoms. Read now everything you need to know about anxiety.

What is anxiety

Anxiety is a term used for an emotion that prepares the subject to face situations of stress or danger and other scenarios that create great expectation. All people experience anxiety situations that generate fear, worry, anguish and nervousness.

Learning to manage the feeling of anxiety is a process that demands self-knowledge and methods to face daily life. Psychic disorders such as anxiety, depression, panic attack directly impair productivity and coping with life situations, affecting a person's mood, behavior and reasoning.

Any disorder needs to be identified and treated appropriately. However, in addition to the anxiety faced by everyone, there are anxiety disorders, which cause distress and a sense of worry, excessive fear and apprehension in the individual.

Anxiety disorder

Anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that produces an emotional state in which the person feels continuously worried, distressed or stressed, causing them to be unable to perform daily activities. Anxiety disorders are caused by various situations and are usually associated with traumatic experiences or stressful situations.

The most common types of anxiety are: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Social Phobia and other phobias. When these disorders are not observed and treated, they start to interfere in common anxiety situations, affecting all activities of the individual and may become recurrent crises.

The symptoms of anxiety disorder vary from person to person, but they manifest both mentally and physically. Thus, professional monitoring is necessary to identify the symptoms and the appropriate treatment, which may involve psychotherapy and, if necessary, treatment with medication.

Feeling of anxiety

The feeling of anxiety is related to fear and intense concern when facing an unknown situation. All people live with this feeling and a therapeutic process is necessary to understand which situations generate intense fear, making it possible to face it, since it is important not to be paralyzed by the feeling of anxiety.

The first step in understanding what mental health disorder is interfering with coping with everyday situations is to look at the symptoms and thoughts that generate that feeling.

The differences between anxiety disorder and feeling anxious

Although the nomenclature and the physical and mental manifestations are similar, the anxiety disorder and the feeling of anxiety are two different issues. The feeling of anxiety is felt by all people when they find themselves in situations that generate nervousness, fear and worry.

It is a natural reaction of the body, but it can become a disorder that will hinder the performance of routine activities and social interaction of the person. The anxiety disorder is a mental health issue that deserves attention, preventive care and treatment, especially in times of crisis, not to cause damage to life.

The anxiety disorder manifests itself in several ways, but some symptoms are more common, such as shortness of breath, tremor, chest pain, insomnia and imbalance of thoughts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 200 million people report suffering from anxiety around the world and the number is only increasing annually, due to the intensification of the workday and thesocial dynamics inside and outside social networks.

Therefore, anxiety and anxiety disorder are different, but both present sensations that can be faced with the adoption of some healthy habits, such as physical exercise, and with monitoring by health professionals.

The symptoms of anxiety crisis

The main symptoms of anxiety manifest themselves in the physical and psychological fields, generating a behavioral, emotional and cognitive disturbance. Although anxiety manifests itself differently from person to person, it is very common to report breathing problems and difficulty in social interaction.

Other symptoms can be excessive worry, anxiety, feeling unbalanced, mental confusion, negative thoughts, difficulty concentrating, procrastination, shortness of breath, body tremors, insomnia, tingling and agitation.

When the symptoms are not treated, the clinical picture of the anxious person worsens, leading to an anxiety crisis. During an anxiety crisis, it is necessary to seek professional help for immediate control of the symptoms, in addition, you can control anxiety symptoms with some daily practices.

Tips to control anxiety

If you suffer from anxiety symptoms, it is important to learn how to control it in your routine and in moments of crisis. Thus, we separated some healthy practices and habits that help to control anxiety in your daily life.

Organize your routine daily

Disorganization and procrastination are effects of anxiety that affect all areas of life. Thus, maintaining a routine is very important to achieve social and work tasks. Start slowly, determining the main activities that need to be done in the day and do not cover yourself if you can not accomplish everything that was proposed, you can continue the next day.

Then, determine the work activities and the exclusive moments for leisure, so that you can distract yourself and relax throughout your day. The organization of the routine can be done with notes in a notebook or planner, even in the agenda of your smartphone. The important thing is to find the organization method that works best for you.

Self-knowledge

Knowing yourself is to recognize what affects you and how to face the positive and stressful situations of our experience. Thus, in a context of anxiety it is necessary to know which situations affect you deeply and which practices can be adopted by you to manage the symptoms of anxiety.

In the search for self-knowledge, you will find what is good for you and what can be changed in your attitudes, promoting positive effects for the control of anxiety.

Understand your feelings and thoughts

An anxious person tends to think a lot about the problems they are experiencing and the situations that have not happened yet, generating excessive worry that influences life. In addition, feelings of guilt and shame are recurrent in anxiety, as well as excessive fear and concern about what others are thinking.

Reflect on the origin of these feelings and thoughts is a way to deal with anxiety disorder. Identify what are your anxieties and feelings that overflow as a result of anxiety, if possible, do psychotherapy so that a psychologist can assist in the recognition of these emotions and constant thoughts.

Learn to control your breathing

Develop the habit of breathing correctly throughout the day. Take a deep breath and focus on this exercise, using the moment to calm your thoughts and to have a moment of your own in your routine.

Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing are common symptoms of an anxiety crisis, take a break to control your breathing before doing any activity. Starting with a breathing activity of a few minutes is already a way to perform this exercise in the morning.

Question negative thoughts

Negative thoughts and pessimism are also harmful effects of anxiety, which paralyze actions and cause the anxious person to lack self-confidence.

Your negative thoughts and the idea that something bad is going to happen can't stop you from continuing, however, running away from these thoughts isn't the best way to go either. Ideally, you should recognize what thoughts are troubling you and question their veracity, determining what actions you can take so that your goal isn't hindered by anxiety.

Don't be so hard on yourself

Living with anxiety is to want to perform any activity without error, demanding of himself an unattainable perfection in the routine. You do not need to take care of everything and some actions do not depend only on you, divide the obligations.

So, don't cover yourself so much and don't blame yourself when things don't turn out the way you previously envisioned. Remember your accomplishments so far, as well as other good things you do on a daily basis.

A good way to achieve your daily goals or life objectives is to create a plan of small actions that will help you on your way to what you want to finish or achieve. This way, you will be better organized and have a sense of task completion when you accomplish the small predetermined tasks.

Attention to food

Taking care of food is a habit that needs to be acquired by those who suffer from anxiety, because some foods are harmful and can intensify the anxiety symptoms, such as coffee, sugar, processed foods and alcoholic beverages.

A balanced diet and some foods, such as fish, citrus fruits and bananas can bring a sense of well-being, favoring the body and mind of the anxious person. There is no need to abandon the foods you like the most, but the balance needs to exist in food, combining foods rich in vitamins and nutrients.

The practice of physical activities

Putting physical activity in your routine will be extremely beneficial to control anxiety. The benefits of physical activity for body and mind are scientifically proven, so, whether at the gym or on a walk through the streets, exercising the body will be a way to relax and insert more productivity in your daily life.

You can take the time to explore different types of exercise and sports until you find the one you like best. Walking, running, swimming or wrestling are all good options. Get moving!

Hobbies and enjoyable activities

Finding a hobby or a highly enjoyable activity is a way to prioritize yourself and have fun at the same time. Having a moment to distract yourself is just as important as having responsibility at work and other obligations.

Whether it's a dance or a manual activity, finding what feels good to you is exercising anxiety control. Prioritize yourself and find out what task can be a path to pleasure in your daily life.

Stay away from situations and activities that generate anxiety

The process of recognizing and accepting your anxiety disorder requires you to make some decisions to move away from what makes your anxiety symptoms worse, putting your well-being first.

Therefore, even if it is a difficult attitude, it is necessary to change some habits in life and adopt measures to face those situations that cannot be avoided in moments of anxiety, both at work and in personal life.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice of concentration that prioritizes the present, keeping your thoughts in the now. For this reason, mindfulness is a technique indicated for people who deal with anxiety, since the practice takes the attention away from the past and the future, ensuring full attention in the present moment.

The practice ensures physical and psychological benefits, such as improved sleep quality, reduced overthinking and stress from everyday tasks.

Value affection and stay away from those who do harm

People can also influence anxiety symptoms, so it is essential to realize which ones can be a help at all times and which people end up negatively influencing your life in this anxious period.

Walking away from people who are not good for you can be a difficult choice, but this is the time to prioritize your well-being by learning to maintain healthy attachments. Keep your distance, even if it's just for a while, if you recognize that someone is not a good influence on controlling your anxiety.

It is very important that you value affections, being around those who do you good and who, really, can be a positive influence.

Attention to alcohol, tobacco and cannabis

Having anxiety and making use of some substances such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, among others, can intensify anxiety symptoms, causing more moments of crisis and difficulty to control it.

Any overuse can be harmful, so it is important to pay attention to the consumption of these substances, since continuous use can cause a recurrent need for escape, generating physical damage and leading to dependence.

Meditation

Meditation is also a practice that works on the breathing and concentration of the individual, offering a moment of calm and reflection. Setting a time of day or week for this ancient activity is a habit that will bring balance.

Choose a quiet environment. If you need to, use some relaxing music and take a few minutes to get your thoughts away and be with yourself.

Do not neglect sleep

Improving the quality of sleep is one of the most important points to control anxiety. The person dealing with anxiety disorders ends up suffering from insomnia and sleep deprivation, generating difficulty in concentration and mood swings during the day.

Sleeping poorly aggravates anxiety symptoms, so set times to go to sleep, put the cell phone aside and adjust your sleep time.

Treatment, management and professional support for anxiety

Besides inserting new habits in your routine, professional support and treatment can help control anxiety. Thus, we separate more important information that can help an anxious person.

Is it possible to control anxiety?

Yes, it is possible to control anxiety. First, anxiety is part of human life, it prepares us to face and pay attention in unknown or threatening and dangerous situations. You can learn to control anxiety and anxiety disorders with daily practices that exercise the body and seek self-knowledge, in addition to the help of health professionals.

Treatment alternatives for anxiety

In addition to the practices mentioned in this article and the help of psychologists and psychiatrists, the control of anxiety can also be performed with other techniques such as: Acupuncture, treatment with flowers, herbal medicine, reflexology and other practices of alternative medicine.

Trying an alternative technique that decreases stress and feelings of anxiety can be beneficial for treatment, so talk to your doctor or psychologist and research good practitioners to start an alternative treatment.

The search for professional support through psychologists or psychiatrists

Therapy or psychiatric follow-up is very important for the person suffering with anxiety disorders. Therapy has several approaches, such as psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral, phenomenology, among other approaches of psychology.

So, seek a psychologist and/or a psychiatrist who knows how to listen and conduct the service, building a connection with you. The important thing is to always seek professional help that knows how to indicate the best treatment for your situation.

After learning how to control anxiety, can I abandon psychiatric treatment?

No, no medical treatment should be stopped on its own, you can talk to your doctor throughout the treatment so that you find the best way to end the use of the medicine.

The use of controlled medication should be done responsibly, following the dosages and schedules indicated. In addition, it is necessary to maintain medical monitoring, done by a specialized professional.

Therefore, seeking help to treat anxiety and anxiety disorders is normal, and a very important step in learning to control the symptoms that affect your routine and social interaction. Remember that you don't have to face this problem alone.

By combining treatment, therapeutic processes and new habits you will be able to manage your thoughts and will have the necessary disposition to face life.