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How can I stop feeling anxious?

22 Answers
Last Updated: 10/20/2020 at 2:00am
1 Tip to Feel Better
Mexico
Moderated by

Paola Giordani, Psychoanalyst

Licensed Psychoanalyst

I have helped and am helping people cope with loss, divorce, anguish and parenting. Depression is also a major issue that comes up.

Top Rated Answers
Jenna
June 15th, 2015 2:06am
Living with anxiety is never easy. There are ways to learn how to reduce your anxiety by a lot. Control your breathing is one important step. When we panic, our body begins to take short, shallow breaths, and the decrease in oxygen can make you feel more panicked. If you don't know of any breathing exercises, you can find various types by Googling them. Speaking of exercise, exercise is a great alternative to help burn away stress that creates the anxiety. Find what relaxes you or distracts you the best. Talking to someone, music, movies, drawing/painting, etc.
kindmusic
May 5th, 2015 12:05am
Unfortunately, anxiety is not something you can poof away. However, there are lots of coping techniques. For myself, I like to organize the things I feel anxious about into two categories: (1) Things that I can change and (2) Things that I cannot change. From there, it's relieving to cut down the list of things that I feel worried about. Once I have all of the things that I can change taken care of, to the best of my ability, I focus on the things that I cannot change. Regularly, for me, these things include money, how a doctors appointment is going to go, how a trip with relatives I don't really get along with is going to go, etc. Sometimes I make "back-up plans," as in, if the worst case scenario actually happened, the thing I'm most worried about, what would I do? When I have a course of action planned, I find it easier to relax and wait for the outcome. After that, I make sure to be kind to myself. Distract myself with netflix or reading or playing a game, sometimes listening to music or cleaning my apartment, whatever you find most relaxing!
MelissaElissa17
April 6th, 2015 2:33am
Try to talk about it with a friend, and try to take deep breaths. When feeling anxious think of positive thoughts instead of negative thoughts.
TheOneYouAreLooking4
February 5th, 2016 5:57pm
Setting up a new mindset, schedule activities to relax body and mind.. and most important.. Do one thing at the time. Step by step.. And everything will get done.
SmallCupOfYogurt
February 11th, 2016 2:36am
Usually anxiety is brought on by feelings associated with what could happen in our future. To feel less anxious it is good to just take everything in day by day and teach yourself to live in the moment rather than think about what could happen later. Breathing exercises could help to relax you so that you can feel less anxious. It is also good to have someone to talk to who could help sort out your thoughts and help with your troubles.
Anonymous
February 5th, 2016 7:02pm
Try to think peaceful thoughts
Anonymous
January 23rd, 2016 5:49pm
Try some breath excersises, I know it doesn't work for eveyone but try it sometime! You can also try and remove yourself from what is making you anxious.
Anonymous
January 22nd, 2016 5:28pm
tell yourself that worry is useless, its a trap that prevents people from directly channeling their emotions and strength to the present moment and seeing the beauty of it
Anonymous
January 20th, 2016 8:45pm
Just take deep breaths. I find listening to DidgiPills- and online audio listening app helps. Watching funny videos to Xxx
Anonymous
January 13th, 2016 8:09pm
take 4 deep breaths and relax you mind and think about how much you love your most prized possession.
PoliteOcean
September 27th, 2015 7:08am
Everyone is different, there is no one answer fits all. Anxiety affects people differently. You have to find what works for you. It could be your own coping or relaxation methods. Watching tv, reading, taking a walk or whatever works for you. It could also be something that you need more help with such as meds or professional counselor or therapist for further assistance.
Anonymous
January 21st, 2016 12:33pm
Somethings are not going to turn out as bad as you thought, so try to be positive and just take a deep breath
CameronJoseph
January 21st, 2016 4:59am
My best advice is to go out on a limb and talk to someone! Even if they aren't necessarily someone you are bffs with or family with, it's better than nothing. Humans are not meant to be lonesome creatures. I think the truth is that most of our anxiety sort of stems from this loneliness. If you don't have a good roommate, a good girlfriend, or a good roommate, try finding someone who you think genuinely means well. Talk to them, even if you're not sure you fully trust them, and hope for the best.
blanket7
January 30th, 2016 6:06pm
You can try doing some exercises such as writing down why you are anxious on paper and then ripping the paper up or using a stress toy. When I feel anxious I usually connect to a listener here on 7cups to talk about it. :)
Anonymous
July 18th, 2016 4:32am
stop it already
Anonymous
November 15th, 2016 8:36pm
The first step is not to think about it purely as "stop feeling anxious"-- to overcome anxiety is a process. You have to overcome it little by little, and a good way to start that I have found is by realizing you can get through it. Any negative situation you're in right now is temporary and getting through and surviving it is guaranteed. Know your strength and believe in yourself to push through and overcome your anxiety :)
thoughtfulAngel79
May 23rd, 2017 4:56am
A poor diet can lead to anxiety, as can an erratic lifestyle. Cultivating a grounded state of being will reduce anxiety. This could look like making a commitment to daily practices such as yoga or meditation, and removing processed and poor quality foods from our diet, replacing them with whole foods.
Will22
November 7th, 2017 8:59am
There are many ways to feel less anxious. 7 cups' Mindfulness forum is one way to learn ways to relax and feel less anxious. Another way is seeking help from a therapist for coping skills. Finally, combining professional counseling with medication is another option.
colourfulUnicorns83
March 5th, 2018 4:41am
Practice grounding skills, mindfulness, even journaling thoughts can help. Speaking to a supportive person who understands anxiety can also help.
endearingLion70
April 2nd, 2018 10:55pm
There are several ways to deal with anxiety many of them has to do with relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and controlling your thoughts.
Anonymous
May 7th, 2019 5:56am
When you feel anxious, try stopping everything for a moment, and simply breathe deeply, and slowly. Observe your thoughts of which you feel anxious from, and try observing them as if they were just clouds. Once you've done so, ask yourself why it makes you feel anxious? Where did it come from? Can it affect you in the future? If yes, can you do something about it? Even if the answer is no, try accepting that feeling as it is while breathing deeply, letting go of the stress, and moving on with that aknowledgement. If the answer is yes, then aknowledge that and accept that option. When your anxiety has calmed down, try observing it again and see if it feels better :)
Anonymous
October 20th, 2020 2:00am
Hi! What are the specific situations that make you feel anxious? Additionally, what do you do when you're anxious? What techniques work and what don't? Identify the situations that cause anxiety. Would avoiding the situations make your case better? Or would it only cause you further anxiety? How do you feel is the best way to calm your anxiety? Do you have a fear of public speaking? Have you tried to slowly start communicating more? Is your anxiety triggered by past events or people? It's important to recognize and answer these questions first before determining how to proceed forward with your anxiety/