Are you someone who seems to find something to be anxious about, especially when others seem to be full of fear?  If that’s the case, you probably need to have some sure-fire strategies or coping skills to help deal with it.

It Can Take Hold of People’s Lives

With the swirl of current events in this area and the nation, alot of people suffer with debilitating fear and anxiety.  Unless you have some way of coping with it, it can definitely take hold of your life. Some of the recent research on the topic estimates that about 30% (the video below say %50) of our anxiety is inherited, and if you have a worrier in the family there’s a good chance you also suffer from some degree of anxiety.  

What Helps People Keep a Lid on Their Anxiety

No matter what your situation, you don’t have to be a victim of ‘my anxiety.’  You can do things to help manage it. Here they are:

1. Deep breathing, or deep relaxing breathing:  It involves inhaling through your nose to the count of four, holding for just a count or two, then exhaling through the mouth to the count of 8.  There are certainly You Tube videos that can walk you through the process, and it is something I teach people to do at my office as well. It allows you do dampen down your nervous system so you are more able to feel calmer even if things around you are feeling out of control, or feeling crazy or chaotic.  If you’re able to do that for 5 to 10 minutes at a time, maybe a couple times a day, it can give you a way to control anxiety in the moment.

2. Cook’s Hook-Up:  It’s a combination of postures (not yoga as such) and breathing a certain amount of times with the deep breathing so you can control your anxiety as well.  It can be soothing and calming. I included the link to the You Tube video on how to do it in the blog above. It’s important to use the deep breathing to help make sure you get maximum benefit from this.  

3. Vigorous aerobic exercise:  This is usually at the higher end of your target heart rate.  This is something the research studies are showing. If you don’t currently exercise and you’re looking to start an exercise program it’s best to talk to your doctor before you do that. 

4. Control negative thoughts/Stop the ANT’s (Automatic Negative Thoughts):  If you have a way of becoming aware those and either internally or out loud saying to yourself ‘Stop!’ or ‘Don’t go there!’ or whatever it is that allows you to limit the negative thoughts so you can stop them in their tracks.  That can be helpful to take care of things on the mental or thinking end. It’s so easy with everything going on to get into the OMG’s and whatever else might be running rampant in your mind and life.

(The video above originally aired on Facebook Live and the copy provided came without closed captioning available on it.)

What I Can Do to Help

I’ve been working with folks for my entire social work career to fight against anxiety, and there’s a good chance I can help you as well.  I also use two forms of therapy called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Image Transformation Therapy (ImTT), which can also be very effective in helping folks stop being dogged by their fear and anxiety.  You can give me a call at 512-648-3053 or fill out the form below to find out if I might be able to help you.  After a free 15-minute phone consult you will have a better idea about that.  I can assure you this is something yours truly has wrestled with to varying degrees in my life, too.  It takes courage to ask for help, and bravery has been called doing what is right despite feeling fear.  So please don’t let anxiety and fear keep you from getting the help you need.

About the author:  Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland.  He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin.  He now works with adults of all ages in private practice.

Visit our page on anxiety therapy to learn more about how Scott can help you with anxiety.