9 Tips for How to Overcome Anxiety

In this article, we’ll look at nine practical tips for how to overcome anxiety. The symptoms of anxiety can be scary. Have you experienced any of the following symptoms?

• Heart palpitations.
• Rapid heart rate.
• Shortness of breath.
• High blood pressure.
• Trembling.
• Digestive issues.
• Unexplained headaches or body aches.
• Muscle tension.
• Rapid weight gain.
• Excessive worry.
• Feelings of dread.
• Inability to focus and concentrate.

If you have struggled with the above symptoms and wondered how to overcome anxiety, we have good news. You can overcome anxiety with lifestyle changes, counseling, and relaxation techniques.

How to Overcome Anxiety

When it comes to overcoming anxiety, it boils down to three components: lifestyle changes, relaxation techniques, and counseling. Lifestyle changes include diet and exercise. Relaxation techniques include deep breathing and stretching to reduce anxiety and tension. Counseling is a natural remedy that taps the expertise of a mental health care professional to learn new skills and coping mechanisms to lessen anxiety.

The following are several tips for how to overcome anxiety that you can start today.
Practice deep breathing.
When stressed, our breathing becomes shallow, which is why you may feel lightheaded or dizzy when anxiety creeps up. You can learn how to lower your stress with deep breathing through online videos; however, one of the simplest ways to practice and bring much-needed oxygen into your body is by using a counting method.

Inhale through your nose, filling your lungs with air. Count slowly to four, then exhale through your mouth for another count of four. Wait a beat, and then repeat. You may want to try this for a count of five or mix it up, such as with the 4-7-8 method: Inhale for the count of four, hold the breath for the count of seven, then slowly release to the count of eight. Practice the deep breathing method that works best for you.
Treat yourself.
When was the last time you did something special for yourself? A little luxury that you would typically give to someone else? You are just as important as the other people in your life. Responsibilities can make us forget this fact as we place others before ourselves, but a little treat can help you relax and remember that you are worthy, too.

Think of an activity you deem too luxurious but would love to enjoy.

• Manicure.
• Pedicure.
• Massage.
• Picnic in a state forest or by a lake.
• Beach day.
• Day trip.
• Museum or art gallery visit.
• Arts and crafts fair.
• Hair salon appointment.
• Gem mining.
• A day of fishing.
• A day of video gaming.
• A day to read.
• A day to binge-watch your favorite shows or movies.
• Sitting by the pool.

Not all activities need to cost money. Get creative.

Exercise regularly

One of the best ways to overcome anxiety is regular exercise. We live in a time when many of us make our living at a desk. Yet, our bodies were created to move to stay strong and age well. Without consistent exercise, you will have trouble managing anxiety. The endorphin rush you feel when you engage in heart-pumping exercise is a natural pain suppressant, antianxiety, and antidepressant.

To reap the benefits of exercise, follow the American Heart Association’s recommendation and aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, which is five 30-minute sessions. If you are physically able, work toward 300 minutes of exercise weekly for optimal benefits and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eat healthier foods

Studies show that prepackaged foods and fast foods are linked to anxiety. On top of this, the ingredients in these foods raise your blood sugar and then drop it suddenly. The spike in blood sugar can lead to worsening anxiety, depression, and food cravings.

Eat more home-cooked meals with lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, complex carbohydrates, and healthier fats. Consider creating a list of meals at the beginning of the week and shopping from this list to avoid buying ultra-processed food items.

Improve sleep quality

Sleep deprivation is a trigger for worsening anxiety. For most people, cortisol levels are higher in the mornings as the body prepares for the day. However, for those with chronic stress, this can lead to severe anxiety, dizziness, heart palpitations, trembling, numbness or tingling in the arms and hands, and high blood pressure.

Create an atmosphere conducive to sleep. Turn off all screens at least two hours before bed. If you exercise, finish your session a few hours before bed to avoid disrupting sleep. Create a nighttime routine, perhaps with a warm bath or shower and a book or relaxing music after dinner. Eventually, your brain will recognize this routine as bedtime, making it easier to fall asleep.

Use blocking to focus on tasks

Anxiety affects more than our breathing and heart; it affects how we focus and concentrate on tasks. Anxiety triggers the fight-or-flight response. When you are in a constant state of chronic stress, your adrenaline and other hormones remain higher than they should, and your brain uses its resources to cope with the danger it believes you are in. This makes it harder to think, remember, or work.

Your ability to focus on a task can be tamed again, but it takes practice. Try blocking a time slot to work. For example, block 25 minutes to work on a project. Do not do anything else for those 25 minutes. It will be hard at first. Your mind will try to distract you from concentrating on the task at hand. After the 25-minute block, take a break and do something you want to do, such as check emails or social media for five or ten minutes. Then, repeat the block-and-break cycle until you have finished your work. You will be surprised at what you can accomplish in blocks of time.

Spend time in prayer

We worry far more than we should. Often, we worry about events that have not happened or may never happen. We get caught up in the anxiety that we can no longer think clearly about a situation. However, we always have someone with us who knows our fears and worries and wants us to live with peace in our hearts.

Spend time each day pouring your heart out to God and asking Him for wisdom on managing troublesome situations. Then, listen for His answer. You might find it in the Bible, through the advice of a friend or stranger, or as a still small voice during your prayers.

Do activities that bring you joy

Are your responsibilities draining your energy and increasing anxiety? When was the last time you enjoyed a hobby? Life cannot be all work. God gave us the Sabbath as a day of rest because He knew that our bodies needed a day at least once a week to rest and recharge. Engaging in a hobby is a great way to feel joy.

List a few hobbies you haven’t had time to enjoy lately. Or, if there is something new you would like to try, research how to get started. Find others in your community to bond with and socialize over your favorite hobbies.

Find a Christian counselor to help with anxiety

You were never meant to live bound up in anxiety. Yet, the Bible mentions anxious hearts. God knows that we worry and try as we might to follow Jesus’ command not to worry about the day-to-day things; our hearts and minds fret away.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? – Matthew 6:25, NIV

Peter tells us to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV). Reach out to a Christian counselor today for help. Your counselor knows how to overcome anxiety and equip you with lifelong skills. Call us today to get started.