11 Little Ways To Cope With Anxiety That Will Actually Transform Your Life

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1. Create an ‘anxiety’ list.

Each morning as soon as you get up, write down everything that is causing you some anxiety. While this isn’t going to eliminate all the stress you are feeling, seeing everything that you are worried about on paper can give you a better perspective on exactly what is causing you to panic most about.

2. Breathing techniques.

Learning how to breathe correctly while you are in the middle of a panic attack is crucial. When people tend to have panic attacks, they forget to exhale because they are so busy trying to get air into their lungs. Pay attention to your out breath and also make sure you are breathing with your diaphragm instead of with your chest.

3. Download helpful apps.

There are many apps you can download on your phone to immediately get some relief from your worries. Apps like ‘Calm’ are extremely easy to use and comes with free meditation programs you can do quickly on your commute in the mornings.

4. Talk it out.

Bottling up your fears and worries is the worst thing you can do for yourself. Talk to your friends or co-workers about your experience with anxiety. You will be surprised to find out how many people around you also suffer from anxiety.

5. Daily mantras that have helped me.

‘You aren’t alone in this feeling.’
‘This too shall pass.’
‘Feel the fear and do it anyway.’
‘It’s only a moment.’
‘Every breath I inhale calms me and every breath I exhale takes away tension.’

6. Go for a walk.

Sometimes, you need to do something active to get out all of that negative energy. Going for a walk by yourself with no destination or time limit, does wonders to soothe your overworked mind.

7. Put down your phone.

Life can be a lot to handle and putting down your phone is a great way to detach yourself from everything else around you. Taking a break from checking social media and your work emails, is essential to keep your peace of mind.

8. Make art.

Paint the anxiety out of you. Write it all down. Sing it out loud. Dance it out. It seems like this is incredibly simple, but I guarantee you, doing something creative will take your mind off of life’s hardships in those moments. It’s also really, really fun.

9. Meditation.

Finding a quiet place to just sit and breathe by yourself is greatly beneficial. Sometimes, you just need to be by yourself with your own thoughts, and you need to let yourself unwind.

10. Coloring books.

There’s something about coloring books that does wonders in taking your mind off of what is going on in your life. When all you have to do is focus on what colors you want to use, or coloring in the lines, you stop focusing on your anxieties.

11. Get help.

If you have noticed that nothing is helping or easing your anxiety in a significant way, there is NO shame in going to therapy or calling a psychiatrist to get the help that you need. You need to do what is best for you, and at the end of the day, your mental health is crucial to live a happy life.