A Psychologist Shares 10 Helpful Tips for People Struggling With Anxiety

A Psychologist Shares 10 Helpful Tips for People Struggling With Anxiety

Anxiety can feel like a heavy weight pressing down on your chest, making everyday tasks seem impossible. Millions of people experience these overwhelming feelings, but the good news is that there are practical strategies that can help.

Understanding how to manage anxious thoughts and feelings can transform your daily life and bring back a sense of calm and control.

1. Practice Deep Breathing Exercises

When panic strikes, your breath becomes shallow and quick, feeding the cycle of fear.

Deep breathing activates your body’s natural relaxation response, slowing your heart rate and calming racing thoughts.

Try the 4-7-8 technique: breathe in for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale for eight.

This simple method can be done anywhere, anytime you feel overwhelmed.

Your body responds immediately to slower breathing patterns.

Making this a daily habit, even when you’re calm, strengthens your ability to manage stress.

Just five minutes of focused breathing can shift your entire mood and perspective.

2. Limit Caffeine and Sugar Intake

That morning coffee might give you energy, but it could also be fueling your anxiety.

Caffeine triggers the release of stress hormones that mimic anxiety symptoms like rapid heartbeat and jitters.

Sugar creates similar effects with energy spikes followed by crashes that leave you feeling shaky and nervous.

Both substances interfere with sleep quality, which makes anxiety worse over time.

Consider switching to herbal tea or water, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Many people notice their anxiety levels drop significantly within just a few days of cutting back.

Your body will thank you for the steadier, calmer energy.

3. Create a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Sleep deprivation and anxiety feed off each other in a vicious cycle that’s hard to break.

Your brain needs quality rest to process emotions and regulate stress hormones properly.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps establish a healthy rhythm.

This consistency trains your body to expect sleep, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime, as blue light disrupts your natural sleep signals.

Creating a relaxing bedtime routine signals your brain that it’s time to wind down and let go of the day’s worries.

4. Move Your Body Regularly

Exercise isn’t just about physical fitness—it’s one of the most powerful anxiety fighters available.

Physical activity releases endorphins, your brain’s natural mood boosters, while burning off excess stress hormones.

You don’t need to run marathons; even a twenty-minute walk can make a noticeable difference.

Movement also provides a healthy distraction from anxious thoughts and helps you feel more grounded in your body.

Dancing, swimming, yoga, or playing sports all count as beneficial exercise.

The key is finding something you enjoy so you’ll stick with it long-term.

Regular movement builds resilience against future anxiety episodes too.

5. Challenge Negative Thought Patterns

Anxiety loves to tell you worst-case scenarios that rarely come true.

Learning to question these automatic negative thoughts breaks their power over you.

When you notice anxious thinking, ask yourself: Is this thought based on facts or feelings?

What evidence do I have that this will actually happen?

Often, you’ll realize your fears are exaggerated or unlikely.

Writing down your worries and then countering them with realistic perspectives helps train your brain to think more balanced thoughts.

This skill takes practice, but it becomes easier over time.

You’re teaching yourself to become your own calm, rational friend.

6. Build a Strong Support Network

Isolation makes anxiety grow stronger in the shadows of your mind.

Connecting with trusted friends, family members, or support groups reminds you that you’re not alone in your struggles.

Talking about your feelings with someone who listens without judgment can provide immediate relief.

These connections also give you perspective when anxiety distorts your thinking.

You don’t have to face every challenge by yourself.

Building relationships takes effort, but having people you can call when anxiety strikes is invaluable.

Sometimes just knowing someone cares can ease the tightness in your chest and help you breathe easier again.

7. Practice Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques

Anxiety pulls your mind into the future, imagining disasters that haven’t happened yet.

Mindfulness brings you back to the present moment, where you’re actually safe.

The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique is particularly helpful: name five things you see, four you can touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste.

This sensory exercise interrupts anxious spiraling and reconnects you with your immediate surroundings.

Mindfulness doesn’t mean emptying your mind completely.

It means noticing your thoughts without getting swept away by them.

Even brief moments of present-moment awareness throughout your day can reduce overall anxiety levels significantly.

8. Establish Healthy Boundaries

Saying yes to everything leaves you overwhelmed, exhausted, and anxious.

Learning to set boundaries protects your mental health and energy levels.

It’s okay to decline invitations, limit time with draining people, or ask for help when you need it.

Boundaries aren’t selfish—they’re essential for your wellbeing.

Start small by identifying one area where you feel overextended.

Practice saying no without lengthy explanations or apologies.

People who respect you will understand.

Those who push back probably weren’t considering your needs anyway.

Protecting your peace is a form of self-care that directly reduces anxiety triggers in your daily life.

9. Reduce Social Media Consumption

Scrolling through endless feeds fills your brain with comparison, negativity, and information overload.

Social media is designed to keep you engaged, often at the expense of your mental health.

Constant notifications trigger stress responses, and comparing your real life to others’ highlight reels fuels anxiety.

Try setting specific times to check social media rather than mindlessly scrolling throughout the day.

Consider deleting apps from your phone or using screen time limits.

Notice how much calmer you feel when you’re not constantly absorbing everyone else’s opinions and problems.

Real life happens off the screen, where genuine connection and peace can flourish.

10. Develop a Worry Time Routine

Constant worrying throughout the day drains your energy and keeps anxiety in control.

Instead, schedule a specific fifteen-minute worry time each day.

When anxious thoughts pop up at other times, remind yourself you’ll address them during your designated worry period.

This technique helps contain anxiety rather than letting it spread through your entire day.

During your worry time, write down your concerns and brainstorm solutions.

Often, you’ll find that many worries seem less urgent when you examine them at a scheduled time.

This practice trains your brain that it doesn’t need to panic immediately about every concern that arises.