How to Prevent Anxiety

Distract Yourself. Distraction simply means shifting your focus to something other than your anxious feelings. This can be a very effective tool for reducing negative emotions in the short term.

• Examples of how to distract yourself include: playing video games, watching TV or movies, cooking, or tidying up.
• Engage in relaxing activities to calm your anxiety, such as reading, taking a bath, soaking in a bubble bath, lighting candles, or using aromatherapy.
• Listen to music. If you have a playlist of your favorite songs, play it and stop thinking about your worries.
• Interact with pets. Pets can provide comfort during stressful moments. You can cuddle them or talk to them about your anxieties before you address them in your life.
• Write it down. Writing about your feelings can be a therapeutic method. Rather than keeping them inside, you can write them down on paper and release some of your anxieties.

Movement. Actors often use warm-up techniques that involve physical movement before stepping on stage for a reason. Moving the body helps release muscle tension and may alleviate anxiety or nervousness. When we feel anxious, our bodies react in various ways, such as tight muscles, upset stomachs (often referred to as 'butterflies'), or even headaches. This is the result of suppressing anxiety within the body. By moving, you can effectively release some of this tension.

• Shake it out! Try shaking different parts of your body, starting with your arms, torso, and moving down to your legs, until your entire body is in motion.
• Dance. Dancing to your favorite music is a great way to ease that anxious feeling. You can even find videos on YouTube and practice aerobic dance routines.
• Jump up and down. You can move around spontaneously or do something silly. Just have fun with it!

Face your fear. The best way to reduce anxiety about something is to continuously confront it. Try doing something you’re anxious about regularly. This can boost your confidence and lessen your fear.

• Fake it till you make it. Pretend you are confident in what you're doing and act as if you are an expert in the task (whether it’s a brief conversation or delivering a lengthy speech). Behave in a way that you believe a calm, self-assured person would act.

Consider seeking treatment. If anxiety or nervousness interferes with your daily life, making it difficult to fulfill obligations or engage socially, you should seek professional help.

• Contact a therapist, social worker, or psychologist to help you learn new techniques and approaches to manage your anxiety.
• Consult your general practitioner (medical doctor) or psychiatrist to discuss possible medications you could take.

Practice deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing is a simple yet effective technique to help alleviate physiological anxiety. It can ease the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, nervousness, and bodily tension.

• Start by sitting in a quiet, safe place. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Pay attention to the sensation in your diaphragm as you breathe in and out. Continue breathing this way for a few minutes, focusing solely on your breath and the sensation it brings.

Try progressive muscle relaxation. This relaxation technique can be quite effective in helping you calm down and reduce excessive stress.

• Start by tensing your toes for 5 seconds, then relax for 10–20 seconds. Gradually move up your body, tensing and relaxing most muscle groups until you reach the top of your head.

Meditation. This ancient method helps eliminate stress, pain, and bodily tension. Meditation is usually practiced in a quiet, safe space, either seated or lying down. Typically, meditation is done with your eyes closed, but you can also keep your eyes open and focus on a particular point if you wish. Clear your mind of all thoughts and try to simply be present with yourself.

• The goal of meditation is to empty the mind. If distractions arise, simply redirect your attention back to the process of meditation without judgment.
• You can also meditate on a specific issue. For instance, if you're afraid of public speaking, meditate and focus solely on that issue while sitting in stillness.

Change your non-verbal communication. When we feel anxious, scared, or threatened, we tend to slouch or make ourselves appear smaller. If you slouch, you're unconsciously signaling to the world that you're not confident without saying a word. Since our actions are often tied to emotions, altering our posture and body language can create a noticeable shift. Standing or sitting up straight is a great way to demonstrate confidence through positive non-verbal communication.

• If you're standing, push your shoulders back. Stand tall as if you're leaning against a wall to straighten your posture.
• If you're sitting, make sure your back is supported by the chair and maintain an upright posture rather than slouching or leaning forward.

Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on your actions, feelings, what you're seeing, and what’s happening around you. It helps you stay present in the moment instead of worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. This is particularly useful when you're anxious about an upcoming scary event.

• Engage in mindfulness playfully, for example, by savoring a piece of candy. Focus first on its shape, then on its taste, and lastly on how it feels in your mouth. Concentrate entirely on the candy and your experience eating it. Enjoy every little bite.
• Pick an object in the room and focus on it. Look at it, explore it, touch it, pick it up, and examine every detail. Then, write down what you observed and share the experience with someone else.

Grounding. Grounding can be highly effective when you're feeling anxious, stressed, or restless. It helps you center yourself and also serves as a temporary distraction to stop you from focusing on your emotions and redirect your energy to something specific.

• This also involves activities like naming the various items in the room and their uses.
• You can also name any states or colors that come to mind.

Exercise regularly. Physical activity is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety and restlessness. Find exercises that help alleviate your worries. Engaging in movements that improve blood circulation can help release tension from your body.

• Participate in fun activities such as walking, jogging, hiking, swimming, cycling, yoga, tennis, or dancing.

Avoid alcohol or other addictive substances. While alcohol and other depressants may provide temporary relaxation, they do not help you overcome anxiety in the long term. These substances only add to your stress and prevent you from learning healthier, more adaptable ways to cope with your worries. Instead, you may become dependent on these substances to reduce anxiety. Addiction can harm your health and overall well-being.

Limit your caffeine intake. Coffee, soda, and energy drinks all contain caffeine, which can actually increase anxiety instead of calming you down.

• Instead of reaching for a drink that boosts anxiety and stress, try a soothing cup of chamomile tea.
• If you regularly consume caffeinated drinks, don't quit abruptly. Gradually reduce your intake over time.

Focus on your goals, not your anxiety. Anxiety often stems from fear. We worry about what might happen, rather than focusing on the present and the outcome we desire. Sometimes, we dwell on a potential problem so much that we make it happen. For example, if you're overly concerned about stuttering while delivering a speech, you might end up doing just that. This phenomenon is called a 'self-fulfilling prophecy.'

• Instead of immersing yourself in worst-case scenarios, focus on the positive outcome you want (for example, speaking clearly, concisely, and confidently).
• Visualize your success in overcoming what you're anxious about. Imagine how good you'll feel once you've completed it.

Accept your emotions. Sometimes, when we experience negative emotions, we try to dismiss them quickly or hide them. However, these emotions exist for a reason — to provide us with insight into what's happening so that we can act appropriately. Adjust your mindset to accept that anxiety is completely natural. It is a normal reaction, and everyone experiences it at some point. Be patient with yourself.

• When you catch yourself thinking negatively about your feelings, such as saying 'Oh, I'm so anxious. This is awful,' try instead to tell yourself, 'I'm feeling anxious, and that's okay. It's a natural emotion, and I can get through it.'

Focus on one situation at a time. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the magnitude of an issue, try focusing on a small aspect of the problem and dealing with that first. Start simple. Before tackling the whole problem, break it down into manageable pieces and address each part step by step.

Challenge negative thoughts. When thinking about a specific situation or event, we often form negative thoughts that make us more anxious. These thoughts might include catastrophizing (expecting the worst to happen), mind-reading (believing you know what others are thinking), and fortune-telling (believing you know what will happen). Recognize when these thoughts arise and correct them immediately.

• For example, if you find yourself catastrophizing, ask yourself, 'Would the world really end if this worst-case scenario happens? How bad would it really be? Is it possible that it won't turn out as badly as I fear?'
• Think back to a time when you felt confident. Focus on positive thoughts, such as memories of friends, happy times, and joyful experiences.

• Understand that you cannot control every situation. It's important to be ready to face any possible outcome and to learn how to accept the things that are beyond your control.

• While pursuing tasks that make you anxious, always prioritize your safety. If your goal involves any risky activities (like scuba diving, skydiving, or race car driving), make sure you've been properly trained by experts and are prepared with necessary safety measures. Never engage in activities that could endanger your health or attempt them without proper training.