Anxiety is a natural response to stress which is often characterised by feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear. While anxiety is a normal reaction to uncertain or stressful situations, anxiety can worsen in certain individuals over time.
If anxiety becomes persistent over a period of time and starts to impact your personal and professional life adversely, it may be time to reach out for professional help. The Therapy Company is here to help and provide a range of private mental health services to manage anxiety symptoms.
In this blog, we cover the most effective and proven coping strategies for anxiety.
Strategies for managing anxiety include:
- Healthy lifestyle choices
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- Counselling
- EMDR Therapy
- Mindfulness and relaxation techniques
- Social support and connection
If you require immediate professional help, please call The Therapy Company at 01772 440321.
Understanding Anxiety
Before diving into coping strategies, it’s essential to understand what anxiety is and how it affects us. Anxiety triggers a cascade of physiological responses designed to protect us from perceived threats. These responses include increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and heightened alertness. While these reactions can be beneficial in genuinely dangerous situations, they can be overwhelming when triggered by everyday stressors.
Let’s get into our six recommended strategies and methods for managing anxiety…
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Key points:
• Regular exercise (releases endorphins)
• Balanced diet (helps avoid anxiety triggers)
• Adequate sleep (for emotional regulation)
Healthy lifestyle choices can significantly improve anxiety by promoting overall physical and mental well-being. The three pillars of health you should focus on to improve and manage anxiety symptoms are regular exercise, balanced diet, and adequate sleep.
Healthy lifestyle choices are the foundation and shouldn’t be underestimated. Although the three pillars won’t be aligned all the time, it’s paramount to have the intentions of priority.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
The Therapy Company provides Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for management and alleviation of anxiety symptoms. CBT is proven to be a highly-effective type of therapy for anxiety and it involves identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviours. You’ll work with a trained therapist who can help you develop skills to manage anxiety more effectively. CBT helps to reduce symptoms, improves functioning, and prevents relapse across a range of mental health conditions.
Counselling
When in conjunction with other strategies such as CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), counselling can help alleviate anxiety. It provides a structured and supportive environment where you can explore thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, learn coping mechanisms, and develop strategies to manage anxiety. Emotional support is often essential and counselling provides a non-judgmental space to express feelings and concerns.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) was originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it has also been found effective for other conditions, including anxiety disorders. Anxiety symptoms often stem from past traumatic memories. With the help of EMDR, it helps the individual to process memories in a safe and controlled manner. By safely addressing past trauma, the emotional impact lessens and therefore so do anxiety symptoms.
Mindfulness & Relaxation Techniques
Key points:
• Mindfulness meditation
• Deep breathing exercises (e.g., 4-7-8 technique)
• Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
Mindfulness and relaxation techniques are another highly-effective strategy for managing anxiety. Mindfulness and relaxation are centred around promoting self-awareness and relaxation from physical and / or psychological symptoms. Practising techniques such as mindfulness meditation and deep breathing exercises helps you stay grounded in the present moment which is the opposite of getting caught up in the sensations and compulsions of anxiety.
Social Support & Connection
Perhaps one of the simplest strategies yet it shouldn’t be overlooked. Human beings are wired for social support and connection. However, in the modern-day world, this is diminishing. Sharing your feelings with a trusted person or a professional, through counselling and other talking therapies, provides relief and new perspectives on managing anxiety. There are also local support groups in your area that you can access if you’re seeking a sense of community and understanding.
Why The Therapy Company?
The Therapy Company provides private mental health services to manage mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. It all starts with a confidential yet relaxed consultation with our specialists where we’ll take the time to learn more about your situation and current challenges. We can then proceed to propose relevant treatments and / or medication if appropriate.
All our therapists are qualified and accredited in their areas of expertise and are also registered with leading private medical insurers including Bupa, AXA, Aviva, WPA, and many others.
Contact Us Today
Looking to get in touch with us today to arrange your initial appointment? For more information, please call us today at 01772 440321. Alternatively, if you prefer to email, use our online contact form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours or less.
