Tips for helping with anxiety :]

[Hallelujah]

I thought I'd post this, cause a lot of people post threads asking how to cope with anxiety, especially in social situations, and I figured we could post ways we beat that anxiety as a resource for others and there doesn't seem to be much help out there for people struggling with this.

So I'll start with how I used to get over mine.

I used to get really bad social anxiety, so I couldn't go out with friends, go to the cinema, go out for dinner, even go shopping or out for a walk, and it was ruining everything for me.

-Visualise your anxiety in your mind as a physical object. It can be anything. [For me it was this weird orange plasticine-like substance that spread over everything and took over.]

-Hold onto this image, and think of the emotions and negative things surrounding anxiety. [Wanting to go out and be normal, have fun, feeling isolated etc]

-Picture yourself grabbing this object and when you have it in your mental hands, screw it up with all that frustration, like kneading dough or something, and really wring it out, getting all the anxiety out of your system.

-Then throw it. As far as you can in your mind. Picture fields, a sports pitch, the sea, anything that you can, and throw it so far away it'll take forever to come back.

This worked for me, it took like 10 seconds in my head, just long enough to tell it 'NO'. Anxiety is all about defeat, or it was to me. At the moment you're being defeated by it, and you have to turn that round and show it who's boss.

It's different for everyone, so post your tips, or try out the ones suggested

[PSY]

I like your idea! =)

It's been a long time since I've dealt with social anxiety (to the point where I couldn't function). When I used to struggle with it, though, having imaginary friends helped, and role-playing scenarios out in my head. The imaginary friends (who were really characters from my favorite TV shows) would ask me questions and help me work through all the possibilities (ex. "What if So-and-So doesn't talk to me?" "What if I run out of things to say?" "What if I look weird and people stare?").

[Hallelujah]

Another one is running through the scenario you're anxious about:
-What's the worst that can happen?
-What is it about this scenario that's so scary?
-What will happen if you feel too anxious when you're there?

And remember that YOU are in control, you can leave if you need to, and you don't want this to control you.

[Verità]

I like this thread.

Whenever I have trouble with my anxiety, I try to visualize the situation I'm anxious about ahead of time, and I try to imagine every possible scenario that would happen, and I think about how I would deal with every single one. Having an action plan, so to speak, makes me feel more in control of the situation, and makes me feel less anxious.