When it comes to therapy for anxiety, there are a few things you should understand. Our guide here will cover the options available.
The truth is that anxiety affects millions of Americans every year, and the stress of the last few years has only increased how many people are affected. The good news is that there are a lot of interventions that are relatively easy and inexpensive that can help you ease your anxiety – and many of them are accessible anytime.
Here are some interventions we would recommend to support your continued healing journey:
– Listen to recorded relaxation scripts such as Andrew Johnson’s app “Don’t Panic” app.
– Meditate or listen to guided meditations via apps like Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer. You can try many of these apps for a free trial to see which you like back. Here are some different meditation apps to check out.
– Journal your thoughts and feelings – whether it’s a paper journal or a notepad page in your phone (which can be easily accessible anytime). This can help you relieve anxiety and get your thoughts “out of your head” and onto paper, so you can identify your triggers and maladaptive thought patterns.
– Find a mantra that works for you – this could be a phrase, sentence or a paragraph that helps to ground or center you. These Affirmator cards can help get you started.
– Practice breathing exercises – these can help bring you back to the present moment (instead of worrying about the past or the future) and can keep you grounded in your body. Try these simple exercises.
– Yoga and exercise have both been shown to be effective in decreasing stress and anxiety. Here are some tips to get you started.
– Incorporate essential oils into your relaxation routine – for instance, lavender has been demonstrated in studies to produce a calming effect.
– Try out these grounding exercises and find the one that works best for you.
– Use visualizations to help you get “unstuck” and picture a brighter future.
– Talk with friends, family, and others in your support network. Sharing how you feel can alleviate anxiety and help you feel supported and less alone.
– Practice self care. Here are 45 self care practices to try.
– Continued work with a therapist. Our therapists are trained in a number of different techniques for dealing with anxiety, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, which can help identify anxiety-triggering thought patterns and build up your ability to counteract them, and Psychodynamic Therapy, which can help you explore your early experiences, deep feelings and themes of anxiety in your life, which can lead to greater insight, understanding, and the alleviation of anxiety.
The bottom line is that we all face stress and anxiety in our daily lives. This list provides numerous techniques to explore. Try them out and find what works for you! Your goal should be to have a diverse “toolkit” of easy-to-use techniques that you can use anytime, anywhere, when you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
Keep up the great work and contact us to be matched with a therapist today!
