15 Ways to Manage Stress and Anxiety

Take steps to deal with your anxiety.

Overwhelm. Feeling on edge. Constant worry. Headaches. Muscle tension. Trouble taking deep breaths. Insomnia. Irritability. Trouble staying focused. Trembling. Crying. Fatigue. Panic.

If your doctor has ruled out any physical disorders and you still have these symptoms, the reason may be anxiety and overwhelming stress.

These symptoms are ways your body is screaming to you for help. The body is telling you, “something in your life has to change.” The next time you feel stress or anxiety, ask yourself, “what message does the stress and anxiety have for me...what is it trying to tell me...what is it guiding me to change in my life?”

Let's look at some remedies to calm the anxiety, soothe the stress, and make your life more functional.

1 – Remove the stressor. Get a journal and write down what you feel is triggering you each time you feel stressed. If there is a way, see if you can eliminate the stressor. While this is not always feasible, if you can do it in some way, it will definitely make a difference.

2 – Prioritize self-care. Eat healthier. Exercise. Take a walk. Get quality sleep. Meditate. Practice stress management. Do things you enjoy. Talk to a good friend. This is all a part of self-care. You need to make your own health and well-being a priority, especially if you are taking care of others. Schedule in self-care activities just like you would schedule in a doctor appointment.

3 – Do something meditative. Something that quiets your mind. This can be anything from sitting in silence for 15 minutes, doing yoga, listening to soothing music, or doing a puzzle. Some people enjoy arts and crafts, reading a book, or decorating a room.

4 – Listen to guided meditations. There are several phone apps that are focused on providing guided meditations for a variety of situations. You can search for a guided meditation targeted to your specific need. For example, search for “meditation for anxiety” or “meditation for pain relief.” Some examples of phone apps are “Insight Timer,” “Headspace,” “Calm,” “Stop, Breathe & Think,” or “Spotify.” You can also do a search on youtube.com.

5 - Practice mind-body-spirit exercises. Yoga, qi gong, tai chi, breathwork. You can find many free tutorial classes on youtube.com.

6 - Go out in nature. Don't underestimate the power of nature. Take a walk near trees, grass, flowers, water. Listen to the birds and watch the squirrels. Feel the fresh air and the warmth of the sun against your skin.

7 – Practice gratitude. Even when everything seems to be going wrong in your world, you could probably find something to appreciate. If you can't find anything in your personal world, think more general. Feel gratitude for the roof over your head, the water you drink, the food available to you. When you start broad like this, your brain becomes accustomed to focusing on gratitude rather than lack.

8 – Refocus your thoughts. Shift out of negative thinking into forward thinking. Forward thinking means your thoughts are about what you want, what you wish for, how you want to see your life instead of how you see it now. Whenever you find yourself thinking of all the things that are wrong in life, say to yourself “STOP” and shift to gratitude and then how you want to see your life instead. Additionally, research adaptive thinking strategies for unhealthy thinking patterns. By applying these strategies, you can soothe your thoughts. For example, one strategy for a person with excessive worry or catastrophic thoughts is to ask oneself, “how likely is this to happen?”

9 – Establish a wind-down, bedtime routine. Shut off electronic devices at least one hour before you want to fall asleep. Make that hour before sleep a time when you tell your brain to be quiet, slow down, relax. This is a great time to do a relaxing, gentle yoga sequence, read an inspirational book, or listen to an uplifting podcast or soothing music. Take a relaxing bath, drink some herbal tea (such as chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, or valerian root), read some positive affirmations to yourself. Experiment with essential oils, such as lavender or a calming blend. Try using a weighted blanket. You will sleep much better and your brain will be able to recover from any stress from the day much more effectively.

10 – Let go of the day. Write a to-do list of tasks you want to do the next day. By getting them on paper you are getting them off your mind. You can also imagine a container to put all the thoughts in that you want to release for the night. It can be anything from a file cabinet to a shipping container. Use your imagination and place all the things you don't want to think about in the container.

11 – Imagine a peaceful place. Is there a place you have been before that just make you feel so blissed out? It could be a place that you have already been to, or a place you would love to go to. It could be a tropical beach, a cabin in the woods, or a peaceful garden by a lake. Imagine yourself there with all of your senses: What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel on your skin? What do you smell and taste? Your brain will react as if you are actually there and your nervous system will respond with feeling a sense of calm.

12 – Bring to mind someone who makes you feel supported and nurtured. It may be a family member or a friend. It could be a religious or spiritual figure, a superhero, or a celebrity. It could be someone alive or passed. As long as they make you feel comforted and secure, it will be effective. Imagine being with them or being in their embrace. Imagine how it feels with all of your senses. Allow yourself to feel relaxed and nurtured.

13 – Try tapping. Tapping on meridian points in the body has been shown to release anxiety. One common practice is called “butterfly hug tapping.” When combined with deep breathing, it is very effective. You can find several videos on youtube to see a demo.

14 – Take some slow, deep breaths. Immerse yourself in the moment. Relax your body. Then observe your breathing. Focus on the inhale and the exhale over and over. Try to keep your thoughts focused on the breath. Doing this for just a short time will help calm you. You can also find guided meditations to talk you through this. Some common ones are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Also try his progressive muscle relaxation meditation.

15 – Release perfectionism. Don't try so hard. You will probably still do a great job without having to do it absolutely perfect. Let go of having to be in control of everything. The world will still function well. You don't have to do everything. Allow others to help you. Just relax and let go.

These are all effective techniques for calming the body, mind, and spirit and managing anxiety and stress. Find one or more stress management activities that you really like and practice them consistently.

If you still have problems with anxiety, a trained therapist can help you explore the thoughts that are sabotaging your sense of peace and calm. Sometimes core beliefs that are formed from traumatic experiences or a less-than-perfect childhood can be running the show in your brain and body. A therapy session can help you sort it out, process the feelings, and shift your belief system. When you change your mind, you change your life.