Explore long-term strategies that work
There are many evidence-backed ways to minimise or reduce the impact that anxiety has on your daily life.
The strategies that work for one person might not work for someone else, so try not to get discouraged if something doesn’t work for you. For most people, a combination of the different strategies below is most likely to be effective.
- Get to know your anxiety
Anxiety feeds off uncertainty – so it can be helpful to get to know your anxiety and what triggers it a little better. Understanding your anxiety can help you step-in with self care strategies earlier, spot patterns, avoid triggers, and reduce the ‘anxiety about anxiety’ that comes from uncertainty.
You might like to keep a diary to document your thoughts, including:
- What happened before you started feeling anxious
- How you feel when you’re anxious
- What you do when you’re anxious that works
- Where and when your anxiety feels more under control.
There are also a range of tools and apps available to help you keep track of your feelings, and spot patterns you can use to have more control over how you feel.
- Identify your stressors
- Small acts of bravery
“When I was willing to let go and not focus on “success” I found peace and my joy back.”
Other self-care strategies
Self-care strategies are how we take care of ourselves so that we can stay physically, mentally, and emotionally well.
It can feel challenging to engage in self-care when you are feeling anxious, but research shows these strategies can reduce anxiety by helping you manage stress, adapt to changes, and recover from setbacks more easily.
- Making time for creativity
- Yoga
- Mindfulness
- Getting out into nature
Physical health
Our mental and physical health are deeply affected by one another. One of the best ways to look after how we feel emotionally is to look after our body physically.
- Diet
- Exercise
- Sleep
- Avoiding substances
Getting help from others
Anxiety can make you worry you are a burden, or think that no one can help you. The reality is usually the opposite. Having the courage to ask for help can be really hard, but is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
“Blocking out the critics both around me and in my own head gave me the strength to reject the stigma around mental health and finally get the help I needed.”
- Peer support
- Talk to a therapist
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- Medication
