Coping Skills for Anxiety
Hi there,
How are you all today? :) I do hope that you are well and happy. Thank you for dropping by and contributing to our online therapy sub-community. We are so glad that you are here!
Firstly, we will start with psychoeducation on what anxiety is and how we can develop healthy coping skills. You are most welcome to please try the skills we discuss in the thread and feedback on how they worked for you or you can leave your own coping skills here. Please note that we are discussing healthy coping skills and what might work for one person might not be as effective for the next. It’s all about finding what works for you! :)
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a feeling of uneasiness and worry which can range from mild to severe. Anxiety is a main symptom of many mental health issues including panic issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety (NHS, 2021).
What are the symptoms?
Feeling uneasy and panicky
Restlessness
Sleep issues
Overeating/Not eating enough
Headaches
Racing thoughts and an inability to focus
Tearfulness
Muscle aches and tension (NAMI, 2017).
There are many ways to ease anxiety and we have lots of resources on 7 Cups such as the Anxiety Personalised Growth Paths, the anxiety sub-communities and Guided Discussions for you to share what is on your mind. As well as the support of a licensed clinician on 7 Cups.
Here are a few coping skills to add to your own list of healthy coping skills that work for you. Please feel free to share your own and we can all learn from one another :)
Please also feel free to take the 7 Cups Emotional Wellness Test here: https://www.7cups.com/free-emotional-wellness-test
A Simple 3-Minute Breathing Exercise
The exercise below is useful when we feel our body becomes tighter especially in our chest and shoulders and we feel overwhelmed with emotions, it will help you become calmer and able to breathe which will then decrease the anxiety levels. It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system helping you feel calmer.
♡ Breathe in for 4 Seconds
♡ Hold your breath for 7 seconds
♡ Breathe out slowly for as long as feels comfortable. (Please note: Adjust your breathing to what feels comfortable for you).
Grounding Exercise:
Grounding is useful when we feel anxious and unsettled. It can help bring us back to the present moment and reality and to calm our senses thus decreasing the feelings of panic and unease.
♡ Look around at 5 things you can see
♡ 4 things you can feel
♡ 3 things you can hear
♡ 2 things you can smell
♡ 1 thing you can taste.
@LisaMeighanMBPsS You do an an amazing job here at 7cups.
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Thanks for doing that.
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@Happy900
Thank you for your kind words as they meant a lot to me :)
@LisaMeighanMBPsS Your so very welcomed.
Yes, I’ve done the grounding exercise a lot over the years and it can help with panic attacks. It is also helpful to remind yourself once you can feel a panic attack coming on or you are in the midst of one by reassuring yourself and saying, Oh I know what this is, I’ve been through this feeling before and I will be able to get through this and that it is temporary and soon shall pass.
@sshepard001 glad to hear grounding is helping you.