What causes anxiety?
Some common external factors that can cause anxiety include stress with work, financial stress, stress in marriage or family relationship, side effect of medication, stress from school, etc.
What are your tips for reducing or eliminating anxiety?
1. Gain awareness of your anxiety- gaining awareness of your anxiety triggers will help you to make changes
* Recognize warning signs early
* Identify sources/factors of anxiety
* Identify what YOU can and cannot change
* Take action
2. Live healthy to manage anxiety symptoms- eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and avoid drugs and alcohol.
3. Challenge your anxious thoughts. When anxious we often think the worst is going to happen; however, this is usually not true. If you are overcome with anxiety, take some time to challenge your anxious thoughts by identifying the worst case scenario and consider if it will still matter in a week, month or year.
4. Utilize healthy coping skills-try to do something you enjoy every day! That might include dancing, watching a favorite TV show, working in the garden, painting, or reading.
5. Find ways to relax, like meditation, yoga, getting a massage, going for a walk, etc.
6. Speak to a professional. This may include a psychiatrist for medication or a counselor to help you process your anxious thoughts.
Tracy Cooper is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Co-Owner of Fit Therapy of Texas. She has her Bachelors of Art in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and Master's in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling from St. Mary's University. Her goal as a counselor is to help people be happy, have meaningful relationships, and live the life they want.