Creating An Anxiety Toolkit: A Personal Game Plan for Anxiety Management
Finding ways that work for you when it comes to managing anxiety is incredibly empowering. We all experience anxiety in different forms, and while it's impossible to fully eliminate anxiety from our lives, we can build a personal toolkit to help manage it in a healthy way. Here are some potential tools to consider to manage your anxiety:
Self-Compassion: Practicing self-compassion can help you break the negative self-talk cycle and treat yourself with kindness in moments of anxiety. Affirmations, acknowledging difficulties, holding space for your suffering, and self-soothing practices can be incredibly powerful ways of practicing self-love.
Journaling: In times of anxiety, journaling can be especially helpful in organizing overwhelming emotions and reducing mental clutter. Potential go-to journaling topics may revolve around current feelings, reflecting on what’s in your control, and appreciating what is going well in your life and the world.
Grounding Techniques: Grounding techniques are simple exercises that can help you reconnect with the here and now, easing the feeling of being overwhelmed by anxious thoughts. The 5-4-3-2-1 Method, Box Breathing, and Body Scans are a few examples of various grounding exercises. Try each one out and see which one works best for you!
Breathing Exercises: Deep breathing is a simple but effective way to calm the body and mind. Two deep breathing exercises that I often work on with clients at Space to Reflect are Diaphragmatic Breathing and Alternate Nostril Breathing.
Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices encourage observing your thoughts without judgment, which can be particularly helpful during moments of heightened anxiety. Guided Meditations Apps, Mindfulness Walks, and Mindful Breathing are a few ways to incorporate mindfulness into your toolkit.
Physical Activity: Physical activity can be an effective way to release pent-up tension and help you regain a sense of control. Yoga, stretching, and aerobic exercise are great ways to get the body moving and release some anxiety. Pick whichever forms of activity feel best for you.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing anxiety. What works for one person may not work for another, so it’s important to experiment with different techniques and build a toolkit that’s uniquely yours. The more strategies you have in your toolkit, the more empowered you’ll feel to manage your anxiety when it arises. And remember, it’s okay to ask for help along the way—whether through friends, family, or a therapist. You’re not alone, and you have the power to create a calm, grounded, and resilient mind.
Written by: Jasmine Aggarwal, MA