4 Tips To Help You Beat Your Anxiety

If you struggle with anxiety, you should know that you're not alone. Anxiety disorders are very common, and there's no shame in seeking help. Anxiety can feel overwhelming, so it might help to have an idea of where to start in your quest to overcome it. Here are four tips to help you beat your anxiety:

1. Get plenty of sleep

Sleep is necessary for all sorts of bodily functions. It boosts your immune system and helps keep your brain function at peak efficiency. When you don't get enough sleep, you're more susceptible to illness, and you may experience increased anxiety and depression. Practice good sleep hygiene in order to reduce your anxiety. Try to go to sleep at the same time every day. Avoid looking at bright lights or screens for at least an hour before bedtime if you suffer from insomnia.

2. Keep a journal

Sometimes it's easy to make your worries seem bigger and more real than they need to be. If you have a problem with catastrophizing, keeping a journal can help. Writing down your fears in a journal can help you get them out of your head. It can also help you analyze your concerns in a rational way, in order to figure out if your fears are based in reality or in your anxiety. 

3. Seek counseling

Talk therapy is one of the most effective methods for treating anxiety. There are many different methods of therapy, and you and your anxiety therapist can help you figure out the right one for you. Many people have success with cognitive behavioral therapy, a style of talk therapy that helps patients analyze their thought processes. CBT can help you replace your old, maladaptive patterns of thought with new, healthier thoughts that can soothe your anxiety. A therapist is a safe person to talk to, and unlike other people in your life, they won't judge you for your struggles with anxiety.

4. Be open to medication

Not everyone will benefit from psychiatric medication, but some people find it very useful. If you have severe anxiety, medication can help you get it under control. You don't necessarily have to be on anxiolytic drugs for the rest of your life; these drugs can be utilized in the short term in order to make therapy more effective. If you're too anxious, you won't be able to do the necessary work in therapy, so SSRIs or benzodiazepines can help you feel comfortable enough to open up to your therapist.

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