How to calm anxiety – simple techniques for daily life

From the book – Chapter 8: Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety in daily life: useful techniques

The worry decision tree

When a worry appears, ask: “Is this a problem I can do something about right now?”

• Yes: plan one small action and do it, or schedule it.

• No: let the thought pass. Remind yourself, “I cannot solve this now.” Turn attention to something in the present.

Challenging anxious thoughts

Ask yourself:

1. What is the evidence for this thought? What is the evidence against?

2. What is the most likely outcome?

3. If the worst did happen, how would I cope?

4. What would I say to a friend with the same worry?

Grounding with the senses

TRY THIS: BUILD A FEAR LADDER

Pick one situation you avoid because of anxiety. Write ten steps toward it, from easiest (rating 1) to hardest (rating 10). Start with a step around 3 or 4. Stay with it until your anxiety drops by about half, then repeat it a few times. Move up one rung at a time. Celebrate each step. If you feel stuck, ask a therapist to guide you.

Anxiety pulls the mind into the future. Grounding brings it back. Feel your feet on the floor. Hold something cold. Name what you can see. The present moment is nearly always safer than your imagination.

Read the full chapter – Chapter 8: Anxiety Disorders

Stories from real life

• The Night My Heart Raced – Arjun, twenty-nine, was in a crowded Mumbai local train when his heart suddenly pounded, his hands tingled, his chest tightened and he felt sure he was…
• What If Tonight Goes Wrong? – Meera is a forty-two-year-old mother in Hyderabad who cannot remember the last day she did not worry. What if her son fails? What if her husband's…
• The Back Row – Tomás, nineteen, studies engineering in Lisbon. He is clever, but he sits at the back of every class, never asks a question and hurries out. Eating…
• The Lizard on the Wall – Sunita, thirty-eight, lives in a village near Nashik and cares for her family with great energy, except when a lizard appears. Last month one dropped near…

Shloks

• Bhagavad Gita 6.34 – The mind is restless, agitating, strong and stubborn. To hold it, I think, is as hard as to hold the wind.

More on this topic: Anxiety, panic attacks and fear – signs, causes and what helps

More questions

• What is the difference between normal anxiety and anxiety disorder?
• What are the types of anxiety?
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – one type of anxiety
• Panic disorder – one type of anxiety
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) – one type of anxiety
• Specific phobias – one type of anxiety
• Agoraphobia – one type of anxiety
• Separation anxiety disorder – one type of anxiety
• Selective mutism – one type of anxiety
• What causes anxiety?
• Is it normal worry or an anxiety disorder?