Coping with Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worry and fear. Many people feel anxious at times. It's particularly common to experience some anxiety while coping with stressful events or changes, especially if they could have a big impact on your life.

Being able to apply healthy coping skills when your levels of anxiety are high are a great way of managing your emotions. Some healthy coping skills are physical activity, embracing nature, grounding exercises, journaling, and meditation. Studies have shown that physical activity has reduced the feelings of depression and anxiety in an individual. Grounding exercises, like the “Here and Now,” can help you take control of the thoughts that spiral in your head. The “Here and Now” exercise is about naming things you can observe in the moment with all your 5 senses. For example, name 1 thing you can taste, name 2 things you can smell, name 3 things you can hear, name 4 things you can feel, and name 5 things you can see. This will ground you to what is happening present time and remind you that you are okay. Journaling and meditation will give you the opportunity to self-reflect on what is making you anxious and how to manage it.