"How Do I Get Rid of My Anxiety?"

I really wish my answer here could be something like, "Here's 1 simple trick to cure your anxiety!". Unfortunately, it's not that easy. However, I will tell you about my approach to helping my clients. I view anxiety treatment as 3 tiered:

How Do I Get Rid of My Anxiety?

1. Immediate relief- These are coping tools that can be done to help ease anxiety in that moment. Some of my client's favorites are the 54321 Grounding Technique and their choice of breathing exercise. Like most things, these tools are most effective when they're practiced regularly.

2. Creating a supportive life- If you have anxiety it's very likely that there are elements of your life that are sustaining it. Maybe it's a relationship, work, your routine, or your habits. Often times these things have become second nature and it can be difficult to recognize the impact they are having on you. There may also be simple, yet effective things you can add to your life, such as creating time and space for joy and play, mindfulness, and supportive relationships. Coping tools alone won't work- you must create a life that supports peace, joy, and presence.

3. Digging deeper- At our core there exists beliefs about the self, others, and the world around us. The beliefs shape who we are and are the foundation of our values, characteristics, and relationships. Sometimes people have lovely core beliefs, such as, "I am a good and capable person" or "people are generally good and the world is a safe place". However, some folks have core beliefs, such as, "they won't like me unless I'm useful" or "I can't trust anybody", and these types of beliefs can lead to anxiety. It takes work and insight to dig into your own unique core beliefs and even more work to shift them, but this is an essential step in overcoming anxiety.

So, as you can see, there are no quick fixes to ridding yourself of anxiety but it is doable. In developing a coping toolbox, creating a supportive life, and digging deeper to shift any problematic core beliefs, you can reduce and overcome your anxiety.

If you need help with your anxiety give me a call or schedule online.