Top Tips for Overcoming Anxiety

Do you often find yourself thinking, "But what if…"? Do worries prevent you from fully enjoying life, whether it's socialising, pursuing career goals, or simply relaxing? Anxiety can be overwhelming, but there are strategies to help you manage it. Here are some top tips, written by a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Understanding Anxiety

Everyone experiences anxiety at times—before a big presentation, a job interview, or during difficult life situations. However, when anxiety becomes persistent, it can interfere with daily activities and well-being. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health issues in adults, with millions affected worldwide. Below are some common anxiety disorders and their symptoms:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Excessive worry about various aspects of life, such as work, health, or relationships.
Panic Disorder: Frequent and unexpected panic attacks, involving intense fear, rapid heartbeat, and dizziness.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations, leading to avoidance.
Specific Phobias: Intense fear and avoidance of specific objects or situations, such as flying or heights.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Repetitive, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and behaviours (compulsions) performed to reduce distress.

Tip #1 - Learn About Anxiety

Understanding anxiety is a crucial first step in managing it. Anxiety is a natural response designed to protect us from danger. The brain's amygdala triggers the fight, flight, or freeze response when it perceives a threat. This reaction prepares us to respond quickly but can become problematic when triggered unnecessarily, such as in non-threatening situations like public speaking or social interactions. Recognising these false alarms can help you begin to recalibrate your anxiety response.

Tip #2 - Face Your Fears Gradually

Avoidance is a common but ineffective way of coping with anxiety. While avoiding stressful situations may provide short-term relief, it reinforces anxiety in the long run. Instead, gradually facing fears can help reprogram your brain’s response. Try breaking down feared situations into manageable steps:

If social anxiety is a struggle, start with brief conversations with acquaintances before progressing to larger social events.
If public speaking is daunting, practice speaking in front of a mirror before addressing a small group.

Graded exposure is a technique where you create a hierarchy of feared situations and gradually work through them. Reward yourself for each small step to stay motivated.

Tip #3 - Reduce Reassurance-Seeking

When feeling anxious, it’s common to seek reassurance from others, whether thats your partner, friend or a colleague. While this may temporarily ease anxiety, it reinforces the idea that you need external validation to feel safe. Instead, practice self-reassurance:

Replace "Will everything be okay?" with "I have handled challenges before, and I can handle this too."
Keep a journal to track anxious thoughts and counter them with rational responses.

Reducing reassurance-seeking is key to building self-confidence and self-reliance.

Tip #4 - Schedule Worry Time

Instead of allowing anxiety to dominate your day, try setting aside a specific worry time—15 minutes where you focus on your concerns. Write them down in a worry journal and postpone thinking about them until your scheduled time. This technique prevents worries from interfering with daily activities while still acknowledging them.

You may also find it helpful to categorise worries into productive and unproductive worries. Productive worries can lead to action, while unproductive worries should be dismissed.

Tip #5 - Manage Anxious Thoughts

Anxiety is often fuelled by unhelpful thinking patterns. IT is important to identify thinking traps that you may be falling into. Thinking traps are patterns of thought that fuel anxiety, such as catastrophising, black-and-white thinking, or overgeneralisation.

Thought Records: Write down anxious thoughts and examine the evidence for and against them. Replace irrational thoughts with more realistic alternatives.
Cognitive Restructuring: Identify distortions like “fortune-telling” (predicting negative outcomes) or “mind reading” (assuming others think badly of you). Challenge these thoughts with logical counterarguments.
Reality Testing: Ask yourself, “What is the actual likelihood of my fear coming true? Have I faced similar situations before and managed them?”
Compassionate Self-Talk: Instead of harsh self-criticism, practice speaking to yourself as you would to a supportive friend.

Tip #6 - Use Distraction Techniques

When anxiety takes over, shifting focus can be beneficial. Consider using the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique:

5 things you can see (e.g., objects, colors, light).
4 things you can feel (e.g., texture of clothing, temperature, surfaces).
3 things you can hear (e.g., background noise, birds, music).
2 things you can smell (e.g., fresh air, coffee, perfume).
1 thing you can taste (e.g., gum, tea, or a mint).

Distraction is not avoidance but a tool to prevent over-fixation on anxious thoughts.

Tip #6 - Practice Relaxation and Breathing Exercises

Relaxation techniques send a signal to your brain that there is no immediate danger. Try:

Deep Breathing: Inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for six seconds.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense and then relax different muscle groups, starting from your toes up to your head.
Mindfulness Meditation: Focus on the present moment rather than dwelling on past worries or future fears.

Deep breathing counteracts hyperventilation, which is common in anxiety, and sends a signal to your brain that it is a false alarm.

Tip #7 - The Worry Tree Method

For practical problem-solving, try using The Worry Tree framework:

Identify the worry – Is it about a current problem or a hypothetical scenario?
If it's hypothetical, let it go – Use relaxation or distraction techniques.
If it's a real problem, create an action plan:
- What can be done?
- When and how will you do it?
- Take action to address the issue.

When to Seek Support

If anxiety is significantly affecting your daily life, relationships, or work, professional support can help. A therapist can guide you through evidence-based strategies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to manage anxiety more effectively. We are a team of specialist HCPC registered Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, get in touch with us if you would like. tofind out more.