{"id":26223,"date":"2014-03-27T11:15:54","date_gmt":"2014-03-27T15:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=26223"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:07:29","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:07:29","slug":"how-to-overcome-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/how-to-overcome-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Overcome Anxiety, Starting Now"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Anxiety_2\"
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019ve struggled with that heart-racing, chest-pounding feeling, where you don\u2019t know what to do or say, or even sometimes how to breathe, you\u2019ve experienced anxiety. In this constantly-connected, always-on culture, it\u2019s not unusual to feel like you\u2019re forever under unrelenting pressure. The good news: You\u2019re not alone. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses<\/a> in the U.S., according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America<\/a>, affecting more than 40 million adults.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re having a panic attack, or feeling anxiety, it\u2019s natural to want relief immediately. But, according to anxiety experts, it\u2019s more commonly a blend of short-term and long-term solutions that will bring you solace.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve broken down three of the most common types of anxiety<\/a>, and steps you can take to deal with them both in the moment and for the long haul.<\/p>\n

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)<\/h3>\n

You know there\u2019s no reason to be tense or uneasy \u2014 yet you feel like you can\u2019t stop these thoughts. Generalized anxiety disorder can be characterized as \u201cworrying about worrying,\u201d says Chloe Carmichael, Ph.D.,<\/a> a psychologist in private practice in New York, who specializes in anxiety disorders. GAD affects 6.8 million adults<\/a>, and women are twice as likely to suffer as men. Symptoms of GAD can also include headaches or trouble sleeping, so it sometimes takes several visits to a doctor before reaching an anxiety diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Short-Term Fix
\n<\/b>Create a \u201czone of control,\u201d suggests Carmichael. \u201cIn creating this [space], you break down a worry into two categories: components you have control over and those you don\u2019t.\u201d For example, if you are worrying about getting a promotion at work, you might put \u201creading books relevant to your field\u201d as something you can take action on. Your boss not liking you would fall into the category of what is beyond your command. Once you\u2019ve identified the items in each, \u201cstart to direct your energy into things that you can actually do to move yourself forward toward your goal,\u201d says Carmichael.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By removing or distracting yourself from the situation, you stop the possibility of fixating on an issue.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Long-Term Fix
\n<\/b>Concerned by a larger issue like getting into business school, planning a cross-country move, or paying down significant debt? There may be many emotions tied up in a more complex issue such as these, and mind mapping can help you address these concerns in an organized way. \u00a0This technique will help you generate insights to guide you to understand the emotional pieces of your goal and how they connect to each other.<\/p>\n

Carmichael suggests writing down the worry in the center of a piece of paper, and drawing connector lines with words or phrases that come to mind when you think of the main concern. For getting into graduate school, this might be \u201cbetter job,\u201d \u201cexcitement\u201d or \u201cback to school.\u201d For each connection, you can draw further correlation to the words that come up, until you have a sense of emotional awareness on how this issue affects you so that you can move forward from what is blocking you from achieving it.<\/p>\n

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)<\/h3>\n

When you think of obsessive-compulsive disorder, someone who washes his or her hands over and over again may be the only thing that comes to mind. But many successful, driven people have suffered from this disease, says Carmichael. More than 2.2 million Americans experience OCD<\/a> and the need for complete and utter control. \u201cA popular trait I see in my practice,\u201d she says, \u201cis checking Facebook or email too often or obsessing over someone when a romantic relationship ends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Short-Term Fix
\n<\/b>Practicing response prevention<\/a> can help you stop yourself from a behavior you know doesn\u2019t serve you, but you\u2019re unable not to do it. This technique is about making it impossible for you to engage in whatever actions plague you. For example, if you check your phone obsessively (we\u2019ve all been there), you can give it to a friend to hold for 20 minutes. If you\u2019re dieting and completely consumed with indulging in something unhealthy, try taking a walk instead, so you\u2019re not focused on eating<\/a>. By removing or distracting yourself from the situation, you stop the possibility of fixating on an issue.<\/p>\n

Long-Term Fix
\n<\/b>If you know that you spin your wheels checking on your ex\u2019s Instagram account, one strategy to stop yourself from obsessing is to create a mental shortlist. Similar to a dieter having healthy snacks on hand, have a list on hand of five things you\u2019d rather focus on and put your mental energy into those activities, such as planning a vacation<\/a> or figuring out your weekend plans. \u201cIt\u2019s important to make this a physical list,\u201d says Carmichael, \u201cso that you can have it on hand to refer to in the middle of an obsessional fit to remember all of the important things you\u2019d rather be thinking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panic Disorder<\/h3>\n

A panic attack can feel like you\u2019re having a heart attack or are gasping for air. There\u2019s no mistaking it if you\u2019ve had one. The episodes occur when the body goes into \u201cfight or flight mode\u201d without being in true danger. This can be set off from stress, or phobias of experiences that have triggered previous attacks, such as flying on an airplane<\/a>. Your body begins to secrete adrenaline, your cortisol levels rise, and your heart starts pumping faster. Panic disorder<\/a> touches six million Americans, and twice as many women as men.<\/p>\n

Short-Term Fix
\n<\/b>Since a tight feeling in your lungs is so common during panic attacks, deep breathing can interrupt that cycle. Carmichael suggests three-part breathing<\/a>, which is one of the easier techniques to teach those new to yoga or meditation therapies. Also known as Dirga Pranayama, for this practice you completely fill your lungs with air, inhaling into your belly, ribcage and upper chest, and then reverse the process. It\u2019s important, Carmichael says, to work on this when you\u2019re relaxed so that you can rely on it in the throes of anxiety to shift your autonomic nervous system<\/a> back towards a calmer state.<\/p>\n

Long-Term Fix
\n<\/b>Though it feels<\/i> like panic attacks start from a physical place, they actually start in our minds, says Carmichael. It\u2019s helpful to think about how to control our thoughts so that we can manage panic attacks, if not completely prevent them. She recommends preparing an \u201canchoring\u201d statement while in a neutral state that you can pull out in the heat of the attack to re-center yourself. Like a memento from a beach vacation that reminds us of good times, these logical mantras can help you return to a calmer time while you are panicking. For example, you might say to yourself, \u201cI\u2019ve been through this before, and I\u2019ll get through it again.\u201d The physical marker of when you were feeling more at peace can anchor you to decrease the intensity of the panic and return you to a calmer state.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re struggling with anxiety, be sure to reach out to a medical professional to rule out other conditions. Find out more information on anxiety disorders from the <\/i>National Institute of Mental Health<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anxiety can feel overwhelming and scary at times, but these tips can help you better deal with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder or panic attacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":26225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,15],"tags":[159,173,282,341,396],"class_list":["post-26223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-stress","tag-anxiety","tag-meditation","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2womens-health"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}