Anxiety Relief: 3 Techniques to Effectively Manage Chronic Anxiety

Anxiety is the number one issue people come to me with and it’s no surprise seeing as it affects 14% of Australian adults every year. Anxiety is a mental disorder characterised by fear, worry and an inability to calm down. It can be caused by a build-up of unresolved stress, learned through the environment or manifest as a result of certain personality types. 

Chronic anxiety generally affects individuals for 6 months or more, which means it requires long-term strategies to overcome. These techniques are most effective when engaged in consistently. If you’re new to any of these, I recommend choosing just one and committing to it daily. Make it a habit by assigning a specific time of day to engage - whether that be after waking, on your lunch break or just before bed.

Journal

Rumination and unresolved feelings are huge contributors to chronic anxiety. Writing down your thoughts and feelings is a powerful tool for helping you process whatever may be going on in your mind. It will allow you to shift your perspective, empowering you to take action to improve the situation or simply let it go. 

One way to do it that I find helpful is to write down all your thoughts as they come - don’t worry about structure or how they sound. This is your time to get everything in your head out on paper. You can reread it afterwards to gain more clarity or simply use it as a release. 

Diet & Nutrition

The saying “you are what you eat” is true. The gut harbours trillions of microorganisms that can either enhance or depress your nervous system by targeting neurotransmitters; serotonin, GABA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Most of these microorganisms found in the gut are influenced by the foods you eat. 

Foods high in zinc, magnesium and B vitamins enrich the microbiota and in turn soothe the nervous system. Kale, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, hemp seeds, cashews, tofu, swiss chard, spinach, avocados and almonds are just a few options high in these vitamins and minerals.

Reflection & mindfulness

Your thoughts influence your neurocircuitry, hormones and gene expression. Neuroscientists have found that your body can’t differentiate thoughts from a lived experience so it’s important to make your thoughts good ones!

There are a few ways you can change your thoughts:

• When you’re stuck in a negative thought pattern, think of a joyful memory or connect to positive feelings of your desired future.

• Recall the things you’re grateful for or think of three good things that happened in your day.

• After an episode of anxiety, or during an episode if you’re able to, notice what thoughts run through your mind.

What are you fearing?

What’s the worst case scenario if that fear manifests?

Is it likely to manifest and is there a solution? (P.S. there’s always a solution, it’s just hard to see sometimes).

Analysing the situation in this way enables us to diffuse our reactivity, centre our thoughts and realise the situation isn’t as horrifying as it initially seems.

By adopting these techniques and maintaining consistency, over time you’ll find your anxiety will start to lose its hold of you. It could also be beneficial to get in touch with a trained mental health professional, such as a psychologist or counsellor, who can gently guide you through your anxiety.

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