Most of us experience stressful periods in life, and a certain level of worry or nervousness in those harder moments is completely normal. But when feelings of worry become so strong that they interfere with day-to-day functioning or causes persistent distress, that’s a sign you may have anxiety—and it may be time to seek professional support.

Many people begin their anxiety treatment journeys by talking to their primary care provider about medication, and in some cases, medication can be the right step. Whether or not you treat your anxiety with medication, learning effective skills to manage anxiety will help you in the long term. Medication is just one tool—and the more tools we have in our toolbox, the better our chances of finding real, lasting relief from worry and stress.

Below, you’ll find a few helpful tools to manage anxiety, whether by themselves or alongside care prescribed by a behavioral healthcare provider. But first, let’s consider the three main areas that are often affected by anxiety in our daily lives.

How Anxiety Affects Your Stability

We all face daily challenges in our lives that can contribute to anxiety. These can include struggles at work or home or problems managing our emotions, finances, relationships, or health. Anxiety makes these challenges feel harder to manage. Excessive worrying can cause you to fixate on otherwise-normal problems in your life, leaving you feeling stuck or out of control.

Think of wellbeing as a three-legged stool and anxiety as a persistent imbalance. If one leg weakens, the whole structure becomes unstable. The three main areas of wellbeing include:

  1. Biological wellbeing: Your physical health, genetics, and the effects of substances form this leg.
  2. Psychological wellbeing: This leg includes coping skills, self-esteem, and stress management.
  3. Social wellbeing: Relationships, community, culture, and career shape this leg.

Anxiety can shift your feeling of stability, creating an outsized feeling of worry or panic by focusing too much on a problem in your life. If you’re not tending to these three “legs” of your wellbeing, anxiety can creep in and become an even larger problem.

Tools to Manage Anxiety

As mentioned above, your best bet for managing chronic anxiety—feelings of worry or panic that last longer than six months—is working with a healthcare provider to find the therapy or medication (or both) that will best help you individually. However, there are many great practices for relaxation and mindfulness that can help you manage your symptoms along the way.

Here are some ways to manage your anxiety through small, but meaningful daily practices:

  • Try a slow 4‑7‑8 count breath: inhale for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. Repeat as needed.
    • If you’re reading this, you’ve already survived hard moments—just take a deep breath and try to calm your body.
  • Create a rescue box filled with sensory comforts to ground your body in the five senses. Items in this box might include:
    • Sight: photos, books, calming videos
    • Smell: candles, lotions, essential oils, baked goods
    • Touch: blankets, stress balls, fidgets, heating pads, coloring books
    • Taste: snacks with different textures, gum, mints
    • Sound: meditation, white noise, music
  • Use affirmations to remind yourself of your resiliency:
    • “I don’t need to be perfect.”
    • “I am learning to value myself.”
    • “I am enough.”
  • Sleep, food, and self-care fuel your body. To support your wellbeing:
    • Aim for 7–8 hours of sleep in a dark, quiet room.
    • Avoid screens 1.5–2 hours before bed and limit your afternoon caffeine and daytime naps.
    • Keep a regular sleep schedule.
    • Keep your physical health strong with exercise, nourishment, and regular medical care.
    • Limit or avoid alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, and other drugs, which can exacerbate feelings of panic or worry.
  • Reach out to a provider. While not a daily practice, treatment from a licensed professional should be the foundation for all other anxiety self-care.
    • Your provider may suggest medication as a part of that care. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.

How to Find the Help You Need

No matter where you are on your journey with anxiety, remember that you don’t have to navigate it alone. Anxiety can feel scary, but treatment can help you find the tools you need to manage symptoms and improve your overall wellbeing.

Visit us online or call 302‑320‑2100 to connect with our providers and schedule an appointment today.

 

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