How To Calm An Anxious Mind

Everyone goes through periods of feeling anxious and worried. After all, it’s a normal human experience. And whether you’re dealing with occasional bouts of anxiety or trying to manage excessive worries, doubts, and fears, having tools to help you calm your mind and body can reduce the intensity and duration of these feelings.

Here are nine strategies that can relax your mind, ease your anxiety, and help you regain control of your thoughts so that you can feel better.

While not a specific strategy, understanding the connection between anxiety and depression can help you determine if what you’re dealing with is temporary or a sign of something more serious.

Acknowledging when you feel anxious allows you to take steps to ease the symptoms. The first step is to accept that you cannot control everything.

When you have an anxious thought that won’t go away, ask yourself: “Is it really as bad as I think?” Take yourself through the process of breaking down the thought before jumping to the worst-case scenario. If you still answer yes, ask yourself the following:

• How do I know the thought is true (what is the evidence)?
• Can I reframe the thought into a more positive or realistic scenario?
• What are the chances the thing I’m worried about will actually happen?
• What is the worst possible outcome? How bad is this, and can I handle it?
• This exercise is helpful for people who deal with chronic anxiety and worry.

It may sound counterintuitive when looking at strategies to help you find relief from anxiety, but allowing yourself a short worry break each day can free up your energy to focus on the task at hand. How you set this up depends on your routine. One way is to schedule a chunk of time later in the day, maybe 15 minutes after dinner, to go through your worries for the day.

Earlier in the day, you can write down any worries or anxieties that creep into your mind. Then, give yourself permission to deal with them later. This allows you to go about your day while still acknowledging that something is bothering you.

Later, when you go over the worry list, make sure to set a timer. Review what you wrote, identify any thoughts that are still causing anxiety, and cross off those that don’t seem important anymore. Allow yourself a few minutes to sit with each concern.