Anxiety Management: Taking Control When You Feel Helpless

Everyone gets anxious at one time or another, but if anxiety becomes overwhelming, it can be incredibly debilitating.  

Instead of constantly worrying about the future or dreading something bad happening, take steps to help manage your anxiety and feel more in control of yourself and your life. In this article, we’ll cover seven tips to help you reduce the negative effects of anxiety and become more confident in confronting your fears and putting your worries into perspective.

Prepping your schedule in advance for a tough day at work will help you feel better. This way, if something unexpected happens, you have fewer things to worry about and more time to address them. Start by planning out your workday before you leave for work in the morning, and make sure that it has everything necessary. If an emergency arises, you’ll have more time to deal with it instead of scrambling around trying to figure out what needs done first.

If anxiety is getting to you, try distracting yourself with a simple activity like doing some yoga or calling a friend. These types of activities will allow you to relax and regain control over your feelings of helplessness. Remember that these negative feelings won’t last forever and there are things you can do to overcome them. Use coping mechanisms to distract yourself in order to get your mind off of what is causing your anxiety. This way, you can think more clearly about how best to handle it.

Antidote kits can be designed to help anyone when they feel anxiety creeping in. They should include something physical (like a soft stuffed animal or a stress ball), something focused on breathing, and something that’s just for fun (like your favorite guilty pleasure book). As you create your own kit, think about what activities have worked for you in times of stress, and try to keep it simple.

If you’re feeling anxious, try taking a few minutes to practice your breathing exercises. This can help reduce your feelings of anxiety before they get out of control. Inhale and exhale through your nose. Count to four while inhaling, then exhale for another count of four. Practice these exercises until you feel calmer.

It’s hard to feel calm and positive when you’re cooped up inside all day. Take a break and get out of your office or your home if you can, whether it’s for a quick walk around your neighborhood or a long hike in a nearby park. It’ll help relieve some of that anxious energy and leave you feeling refreshed!

A hot bath or shower is one of my favorite ways to unwind and relax. Not only can a hot bath or shower help you feel more relaxed, but it will also do wonders for your skin by rejuvenating your pores and promoting healthy, glowing skin. Just make sure that you’re not taking a hot bath or shower too late in the day as we tend to become very dehydrated if we soak in very hot water after five p.m.

Keep a small bag stocked with emergency supplies such as matches and a flashlight in case of a power outage. Include foods that won’t spoil or become rancid, like hard candy, energy bars, and canned tuna fish. Include any medications you may need during an emergency too. Place your kit in an easy-to-reach place in your home or car even if it seems unlikely that you’ll need to use it. It can provide peace of mind when natural disasters hit and everyone is on edge.

When we feel helpless, it’s easy to become overly anxious and overwhelmed by the prospect of confronting uncertainty.  Don't let your fears overcome you. No matter how helpless or hopeless you may feel, there are always steps you can take to make better preparations for uncontrolled situations and alleviate your anxiety or confront it with more confidence.