What To Do If You Feel Your Anxiety Is Getting Out Of Control

Anxiety is one of the great dullers of life. It makes everything less enjoyable.

Most of the time, it’s controllable. However, you may go through episodes where you feel like you’re spinning into oblivion. 

If that sounds like you, here are some of the things you can try:

Breathe In And Out Through The Belly

When you feel anxious, you’ll notice that you breathe higher in the chest. Your rib cage heaves in and out, and you take shallow breaths. 

The problem with this is that it puts your nervous system into fight-or-flight mode. It interprets such breathing as a response to a threat and, therefore, puts you on high alert. 

Deep breathing through the belly is the opposite. It sends a signal to your nervous system that it’s time to relax and let go of any anxiety. You don’t need it anymore. 

When breathing, focus on pushing the belly in and out. Don’t allow the chest to heave. Take up to seven seconds breathing in, and then seven seconds breathing out. Do this slowly for a few minutes and notice how it calms you down quickly. 

Rule Out Medical Issues

Sometimes medical issues can make anxiety worse. For example, you might have a problem with your brain chemistry, or your adrenal system could be working overtime. You may also have just taken a large coffee full of caffeine and now you feel jittery. 

Let It Go 

While anxiety is an unpleasant feeling, it can help to practice letting it go. This involves simply accepting what’s happening and then allowing it to pass through. Brains generate all sorts of states throughout the day. Not all of them are always pleasant. Accepting that this is the case can actually be a great help when panic strikes. 

Get A Little Perspective

While there are sometimes good reasons to feel anxious, many of us experience the sensation when there is, in fact, nothing to worry about. We fear the consequences of petty things in our lives that don’t really matter at all in the grand scheme of things. 

Speaking to a mental health therapist can help with this. They can show you how to put your anxiety in context. 

Focus On What You Can Control

Anxious people have a tendency to believe that they need to control every aspect of the external world to be safe. But, of course, that’s not possible. 

If you’re feeling anxious, just think about what you can control. Then, take simple steps to change your reality. You’ll notice that the world will often yield to you if you are persistent. 

Silence Your Mind

Anxiety is usually the result of a hyperactive mind, worrying about anything and everything. No matter what it does, it just can’t stay quiet. 

Practice not thinking. Observe your thoughts as they pass by and then let them go. Create separation between the mind generating all the anxious thoughts, and the person watching them. Over time, you should notice that you can make your mind quieter and less intrusive.