This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme is Anxiety. Anxiety is an emotion that can affect us all but it is when it gets out of control that it can become a problem. There are lots of things that lead to feelings of anxiety including, exam pressure, relationships, work or other big life events such as moving house. We can also get anxious around money and not being able to provide basic needs such as heating the house or buying food.

Dealing with anxiety can be hard but there are things that you can do to manage the feelings when they occur. Here are some suggestions for you to try and find what works for you:

1. Focus on your breathing
   When you are having anxious thoughts try to focus on your breath and concentrate on how your body feels when you breathe in or out. This can help you control your thoughts. As a starting point, try counting to 10 as you breathe in and out, the counting can help you focus on your breath rather than your thoughts. Another good breathing technique is box breathing. With box breathing you count to say 4 as you breathe in, hold for 4, count for 4 as you breathe out and then hold for 4. The number can be whatever you are comfortable with and there are some good apps out there that can help if you want to look into it further.
2. Get moving
   We all know that exercise can be helpful when it comes to mental health and exercise is also a good way to deal with anxiety. The exercise doesn’t have to be vigorous, it could just be gentle stretching, yoga or seated exercises. Alternatively, you could go for a walk, a run or a bike ride. You could take part in anything as it gives you something else to focus on and if it needs a bit of concentration, it can take your mind off the anxious thoughts. If you want to get back into exercise, have a look at this blog ‘Depression and Exercise’
3. Keep a diary
   One of the best things that you can do when you feel anxious is to not ignore how you are feeling. Take time to keep a record of what’s happening in your life and how it is affecting how you feel. By keeping a record of how you feel, you can start to understand what is triggering your feelings. When you are aware of your triggers, you can be better prepared to manage the situation as it arises.
4. Challenge your thoughts
   Anxiety can lead you to overthink and cause you to ruminate which isn’t helpful. When you catch yourself ruminating try to write down the thought and challenge it. Is what you’re worrying about likely to happen? Is it realistic? Have you had similar thoughts that have not turned into reality? This can help you challenge the thoughts and stop them from overwhelming you.
5. Get support for money worries
   If you care worried about money, try to seek help. There are organisations such as Citizen’s Advice of StepChange who can help.
6. Spend time in nature
   Spending time in nature can have a positive effect on our mental health as it can help us feel calmer and less stressed. This could be as simple as putting out some flowers or going for a walk in nature. Any time in nature is good for us, but to really benefit try to spend some quality time in there and really immerse yourself in it.
7. Connect with people and talk about how you feel
   Anxiety can leave you feeling lonely. Connecting with people can help to alleviate this. Spend time with friends or meet other people through activities such as volunteering, sport, social clubs or peer support groups. If you’re able to talk to people about how you feel, it can help to reduce your anxiety as sometimes saying what is worrying you out loud can take away it’s power.
8. Try to get some quality sleep
   Rest and having a good night’s sleep can be hard when your head is full of worries but there are some things that can help. If anxious thoughts are keeping you awake, write them down in your diary. If sleep is still not coming, get up and have a drink and wait until you are feeling more tired before going back to bed. Keeping a note of your sleep patterns can also help you work out a routine that will help you get better quality sleep.
9. Try to eat a healthy diet

For many people, feeling anxious might cause us to reach for sugary snacks, junk food or alcohol. It’s important that we don’t turn to food or drink as a way of coping as this can do more damage in the long term, which is also the case for smoking and recreational drugs. Eating healthy food can help us regulate our blood sugar levels and give us the energy we need to live well.

If you are struggling with anxiety, please try and get some help by speaking to your GP or contact a helpine service like Anxiety UK.