9 steps to end chronic anxiety

Prolonged anxiety, always in a state of panic anxiety, constantly worrying about everything is a manifestation of chronic anxiety. This excessive anxiety not only affects your mental health but can also wreak havoc on your physical health. That's why we should find ways to break this cycle and get quality life back.

Why are some people so prone to "what if" anxiety, while others only worry about something when it happens? People worry because they think something bad is going to happen or might happen, so they trigger extreme anxiety and think “if I worry, I can prevent the worst.” bad things happen or catch it sooner”. In other words: If you don't worry, things can get out of hand. The worrier's point is that if you can imagine something bad happening, it's your responsibility to worry about it.
All these worries can affect your physical as well as mental health. Dr. Robert L. Leahy - author of The Worry Cure: 7 Steps to Stop Worry From Stopping You and Director of the Institute Cognitive Therapy American in New York City - shares: “People with anxiety are more likely to experience irritable bowel syndrome, nausea, fatigue, and aches and pains. In addition, 93% of people with generalized anxiety disorder also have an overlapping mental disorder such as depression.”

Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Bruce Levin at the Plymouth Meeting, says, “Sometimes, worrying is a good thing, when fear triggers a protective response. In these cases, not worrying may be more of a problem than worrying." So how much worry is enough?
He said: It depends on the extent to which that disproportionate anxiety affects you and how much you're suffering and how much it limits you... If it's affecting your life or causing enough problems to make you miserable then you're worrying excessively.

Step 1: Make a list of your worries. Identify what you are worried about.
Step 2: Parse the list. “See if your anxiety works or doesn't work,” Effective anxiety is something you can do right now. For example, "I'm going on a business trip, so I can't worry about booking flights and hotels," says Bruce. "This is a useful worry because I can act now by going online to make a reservation."
Conversely, unproductive anxiety is something you can't do anything about: “It's an increase in 'what happens' that you have no control over and don't take effective action to lead to a resolution. France. For example, losing sleep and worrying about whether or not you have cancer are futile.
Step 3: Accept the variable. Once you've eliminated your unproductive worries, it's time to determine what you need to accept in order to work through them. You may need to accept your own limitations or it may be a variable degree that you need to accept.
For example, you are very likely to get cancer one day because no one really knows what the future holds. Many people worry about equating a variable with a bad outcome, but the variable is actually neutral. Once you accept the variable, you don't have to worry anymore. Accept when you realize that variables exist, let go and focus on things that you can control, enjoy, or appreciate.
Step 4: Stay calm. Repeat a fearful thought over and over and it will become boring and will go away. If your fear is dying of cancer, look in the mirror and say, "I could die of cancer. I could die of cancer." Enough said, the anxiety will weaken.
Step 5: Make yourself uncomfortable. Anxious people feel that they can't stand the discomfort, but if you practice the discomfort, you will achieve more. The goal is to be able to do things you don't want to do or things that make you uncomfortable.
Anxious people tend to avoid new things and situations that make them uncomfortable, such as parties or public talks. Pre-emptive anxiety helps them avoid feeling uncomfortable, but if you force yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable, you'll train yourself not to rely on anxiety as a coping strategy.
Step 6: Stop the clock. People with anxiety often have a sense of urgency, thinking, “I need answers right now and if I don't understand something terrible will happen.” Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of asking for such haste. Instead of focusing on a sense of urgency, focus on what you observe right now.
Ask yourself, “What can I do in this moment to make my life more pleasant or meaningful?” You can focus your mind on finding answers right now or focus on improving this moment. Then there are better strategies like deep breathing, reading or listening to music to stop the clock and reduce anxiety.

Step 7: Remember, it's never as bad as you think. All anxiety is anticipation. Anxious people tend to worry about things that, even when they happen, they can still handle. They are really good at dealing with practical problems.
Step 8: Cry out loud. The emotional part of the brain - the amygdala - is suppressed when you're anxious. Emotions begin later with digestive symptoms, fatigue, or tachycardia. Use your emotions; Don't try to get rid of them because when you're crying or angry you won't worry.
Step 9: Talk about anxiety. In addition to the cognitive therapy techniques mentioned above – which can help change behaviors that affect sufferers – talk therapy can also help people with chronic illnesses reduce anxiety by going deep. at the root of their problem. Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can go hand in hand. Every individual needs to understand what causes their anxiety or what it has to do with it. If you dig deep enough and go back to your original thoughts, the fear will disappear because you have gotten to the root of it.
Above are some ways to treat chronic anxiety. Hopefully with these methods, you can have a happier and more optimistic life for yourself. Please follow the website: Vinmec.com regularly to update many other useful information.

Source: webmd.com