Managing Anxiety Without Medication
Most people identify with feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. This anxiety may come up related to work, social situations, family, being out in public, or all of these things at once.
There are many ways to cope with anxiety and these coping skills should be individualized to you. Some people desire and/or require medication in order to address their symptoms. Others may not want to use medication due to personal preferences.
If you are in a place where you notice your anxiety getting the best of you but don’t want to utilize medication, you’ve found the right starting spot!
No Shame in the Medication Game
Before we start, please remember there is nothing wrong with the use of mental health medication. The stigma on this topic has improved substantially so let’s keep the door to medication open without judgement.
Using medication can be a game changer for so many people suffering with anxiety and there is no shame in using this tool. The take away here is to do what is best for you!
10 Tools for Anxiety
CBT Skills
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based practice with focus on how our thoughts influence our emotions and in turn, our behavior. If you have the blueprint for CBT down-pat, it can be applied to many triggers related to anxiety.
One example might be someone noticing anxiety before going to a friend’s party. Through CBT work, this person might be able to notice a catastrophizing thought that might sound like “If I go, no one is going to talk to me and I’m going to have a terrible time”.
If we can notice our distorted thoughts and work to reframe them, anxiety symptoms can feel less intense and less frequent.
Mindfulness
When we are experiencing anxiety, our brain is usually anywhere but the present. Our thoughts bring us to either the past or the future. It might sounds like “what if this terrible thing happens?” or “remember that cringy thing you did last year, everyone hates you for it”.
Mindfulness can help to bring us back to the present moment. The present moment is the only thing we have control over right now.
Journaling
When clients are in my office I notice when they say their inner thoughts out loud, there is often relief as a result. Of course, it’s unrealistic to rely on therapy appointments as the only outlet so journaling can generate similar outcomes.
The best part about journaling is that there is no wrong way to do it. Feel free to be chaotic, spell everything wrong, and maybe if you read it back it makes no sense, that’s ok!
The goal is to get those thoughts out of your head and to reflect. When those anxious thoughts are swirling around in your head it’s like a ping-pong ball that bounces form one wall to another, endlessly. Let those ping-pong thoughts out of your brain and onto the paper.
Social Support
As humans we are hardwired for connection. Sometimes anxiety symptoms can pull us away from our social network because we are too worn out, worried, or triggered.
This social isolation can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, if you avoid the interaction then you don’t have to feel the anxiety. On the other hand, avoiding the interaction and the anxiety that comes can perpetuate the symptoms.
Don’t underestimate the power of having people in your corner. If you don’t have a solid support system and feel intimidated to create one, therapy can be a great starting point for some support in the meantime.
Self-Compassion
In my opinion, self-compassion is the strongest tool in your tool box. For most people, especially those struggling with anxiety, the inner dialogue might be a harsh voice.
Now, please don’t mistake this for “positive thinking” because these are two different things. Self-compassion is treating yourself the same way you would someone you truly care about.
Here’s a quick exercise to do on your own, tune into your self-talk and ask yourself if you would speak to your best friend in the same way. If the answer is no, that means there is some room for improvement in the inner dialogue.
Moving your Body
Movement can be such a powerful tool for anxiety. Sometimes, we can benefit from an intense Orange Theory Fitness type workout and other times it’s a leisure walk around the block.
What is most important here is to listen to what your body and brain are needing. Please don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do an intense workout, in this case movement is movement.
Limiting News and Social Media
This is one we all know, but it’s easier said than done. Now, social media is not all bad so it’s about paying attention to how these things make you feel. If your anxiety symptoms are increasing it’s important to check in with the possible triggers.
Think about how social media may be contributing to your anxiety: are you comparing yourself more often? Do you feel overwhelmed with things you “should” be doing? Is a certain political topic showing up often and getting to you? Are you stuck in a doom scroll not getting anything out of it?
Improved Sleep Habits
I’m not going to run down all the healthy sleep habits, there are many great articles out there on that. What I will do is talk about the importance of getting the amount of sleep you need individually.
There are some people who function well on 6-8 hours of sleep and there are others who feel their best at 10-12 hours. Knowing yourself and what you need is the key here. No shame either way.
Anxiety symptoms can be more difficult to deal with and more intense when we aren’t getting the sleep we need.
Tend to your Basic Needs
When you notice your anxiety symptoms flaring up, it can be helpful to do a brief check on your basic needs. Think of these areas: food, sleep, hygiene, safety, etc.
Don’t underestimate how these basic needs can impact your anxiety. To those who drink their coffee and forget to eat any food until 2pm, I’m talking to you.
I’m not saying that a lack of basic needs being met is always the culprit but it is a starting point.
Focus on Control
Anxiety wants to convince us that we have control to change all the outcomes. If we just worry enough or keep it top of mind 24/7, then we might be able to avoid that scary thing. False.
Take a few minutes to acknowledge what factors are in your control and which are out of your control. It might even help to write these out.
Once you acknowledge what is out of your control, it might be hard to sit in the discomfort of that and that’s okay.
Putting it All Together
Since we know anxiety will show up for most of us at some point, it’s helpful to have some tools ready to go. Save the tips that resonate with you somewhere accessible so you’re ready when anxiety does strike.
These 10 tools are just a jump off point. Remember that the tools you use need to be individualized to your needs. Take what you can from these tips and leave the rest.
Ready for Help?
Therapy can be a great starting place to try to create an individualized coping plan for yourself. We know starting counseling can be scary. If you have any questions about counseling, please utilize a free 15-minute consultation to ease your anxiety! Please don’t hesitate to reach out and see how we can help.
Feel free to reach out here to get scheduled and let’s work on coping with the lemon life throws at you!
