Coping Skills for Anxiety: 14 Things to Try When It Feels Overwhelming
Young man resting his hand on his face while looking out over a bridge.
Anxiety is a normal part of life and it is our body's natural response to stress. However, people sometimes experience prolonged periods of anxiety that can affect their social, work, or personal lives.
What Causes Anxiety
There are plenty of reasons why someone may feel anxious, including:
Work-related stress
Financial stress
Health problems
Substance use
Social relationships
Trauma
Some health conditions or chronic pain may cause anxiety too. Specific situations may trigger anxiety as well, such as social situations, public speaking, a recent change or adjustment, and learning something new outside of your normal routine.
Anxiety can be managed when you notice and address it in the moment. You can have control in shifting your mood and thinking, from feeling out of control to telling yourself "I think I've got this. I've managed before and I can manage again, and maybe even better this time."
It's helpful to have a few coping mechanisms for when anxiety pays a visit. It's also important to find treatment strategies and make efforts to be consistent to help you keep it in check. It could be a combination of things, like talk therapy, medication, meditation, exercise, or getting to the root of the anxiety and resolving it to the best of your ability or with the help of a therapist.
14 Coping Skills for Anxiety
Try some of these when your anxiety is back to say "hello, I'm here in need of some gentle reminders and guidance."
Start With Your Body
1. Slow your breathing. Slowly inhale for four counts, hold for four, slowly exhale for four counts, and hold for four again. Try this for a few rounds to decrease your heart rate, slow respiration, and lower cortisol levels, also known as stress hormones. This is called box breathing, and you can find many examples on YouTube.
2. Drop your shoulders. Notice if there is any tension in your shoulders and whether you are pulling them up toward your ears. Drop your shoulders if you notice the tension.
3. Get outside. Take a quick break to enjoy nature. You could go for a walk and notice the trees and surrounding areas, so you can get out of your head for a bit.
4. Move in a way you enjoy. Do an exercise you like. If it has been some time since you last did it, make a commitment to yourself to try it again.
Question the Thought
5. Check for catastrophizing. Ask yourself if you are thinking "this is a disaster," when in reality it is unpleasant and not the end of the world.
6. Check for jumping to conclusions. Ask yourself what evidence you actually have to support that conclusion.
7. Zoom out in time. Ask yourself, "will this be a problem next week, in one month, or in six months?" How will I feel, and what do I have control over at this moment?
8. Aim at the outcome you want. If you are in the middle of making a difficult decision, try focusing more on a positive outcome and less on a negative one.
9. Come back to the present. Be present and focused with whatever activity you are doing. What do you notice? What does it feel like? What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear?
Take One Small Action
10. Send that email you have been meaning to compose.
11. Call that person you have been meaning to speak with.
12. Make a decision about one to-do item. Decide to get something done off your to-do list, or decide not to do it. Give yourself permission to do either. Both are okay.
13. Focus on your strengths. Remember how your worries were resolved last time anxiety paid a visit.
14. Treat the anxiety as information. Anxiety symptoms can be a great teacher. Is there something that needs to be resolved immediately, or will this take more careful thought and consideration to cope with or resolve? I can't rush time, so how can I practice patience with myself? What are three things I can do to bring me closer toward my goal? What can I let go of?
When Anxiety Doesn't Pass Right Away
The list above is not exhaustive, but these are quick and easy reminders to add to your toolkit when you start to feel anxious. Often the challenging part is sitting with those anxious thoughts and feelings, waiting for them to pass through.
Know that they will pass through, and you won't stay stuck in those feelings forever. When it comes to emotions there is often a beginning, a middle, and an end. Notice where you are in that feeling tunnel. You could be in the thick of it, or you could be closer to the end of that emotion than you realize.
Take the time to reflect on what you need and what could help. Consulting with a mental health professional, or adding just a few more strategies, can give you the confidence and ability to cope with your anxiety and the discomfort that comes along with it.
Free Anxiety Workbook
Want more ways to reduce anxiety and stress? Download my free anxiety workbook to get started on your positive mental health journey.
When to Talk to a Therapist
If anxiety has you stuck in a loop that feels like you are spiraling and out of control, let's understand its roots to better help you manage your anxiety. Book a free consultation below to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Start with your body before your thoughts. Slow your breathing to a count of four in, four held, four out, four held. Drop your shoulders if they have crept up toward your ears. Step outside for a few minutes if you can. These take under five minutes and are usually easier to do than reasoning with an anxious thought while you are still activated.
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Emotions tend to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. An acute wave of anxiety often moves through in a matter of minutes once you stop fighting it, though the situation causing it may last longer. If anxiety is persistent over weeks and is affecting your work, relationships, or daily functioning, that is a sign to talk with a professional rather than wait it out.
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Consider reaching out when anxiety is prolonged rather than situational, when coping strategies are not giving you enough relief, or when it is interfering with your social life, work, or relationships. You do not need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many people come in specifically to build a larger set of tools before anxiety becomes overwhelming.
