Coping Strategies: Anxiety

Anxiety Relief

Anxiety is scary, overwhelming, crippling, and can leave a person feeling helpless or powerless. But anxiety is in our minds and our bodies, something that we are in control of even if we don’t feel like we are. Through different activities and techniques you can get a hold on your anxiety, control how you react to stress, clear your mind a bit, and become more successful.

Grounding Techniques

Grounding is a powerful technique of using your senses to gain an understanding of your surroundings, knowing what is around you, and creating an environment of control.

5-4-3-2-1 Technique

Using the following steps, name each thing out loud. It might seem silly and like you are talking to yourself, but stating things out loud creates additional existence for each sense used and gets you further away from the anxiety in your head.

• Name five things you can touch in this room. Touch can be done with your hands or even feet.

• Name four things you can see.

• Name three things you can smell.

• Name two things you can hear.

• Name one good food you like to eat/taste.

Once you have finished naming these things, name the emotion or feeling that you are experiencing currently. If your anxiety has reduced slightly, acknowledge that you are gaining control (THIS GIVES YOU POWER OVER ANXIETY). If you need to repeat the grounding technique, do so calmly and slowly.

Cognitive Awareness/Mindfulness

This technique allows you to gain an understanding of what is around you right now. It helps to reorient you to time and place that you exist in.

Asking yourself questions like:

• What day is today?

• What season is it?

• What is the date?

• How old are you?

• What month is it?

• Where are you?

• What year is it?

These questions will provide you with valuable insight on what you know versus what you do not. You know more than you think and are more intelligent/stronger than you believe!

Let’s say you don’t like questions or are more of a “hands on” learner. Awareness can exist through your senses.

Examples:

• Ask the teen to stomp his feet firmly into the ground. This will remind him or her of where they are.

• Let them put a rubber band on their wrist. Allow them to pluck it the rubber band and feel the small pain or sting on their skin.

• If the child is sitting, ask them to stand. If they are standing, ask them to sit. The patient should focus on the change in movement. This will remind then that they are in control.

• Tell them to visualize a big red STOP sign. It could symbolize an effort to stop the traumatic memory.

• Ask your teen to make a list of items they see or feel in the house. What room are they describing?

• Allow them to take a walk outside. Ask your child to take note of the things he/she sees, such as houses. How many are there?

• Give them their favorite video game to play or let them watch their favorite TV show.

• Let them engage in a physical exercise, such as bike riding.

As important as it is to do these activities, it is equally as important to reflect on your experiences and understand yourself and your surroundings.

Connectedness

Since we cannot be close to a lot of people during this time, a sense of isolation may set in for you, causing you to overthink or overreact to situations. But talking virtually through a phone call or facetime is a good way to check in on friends and loved ones. Texting, although quick and easy, lacks emotion and sometimes leaves messages to be interpreted by the receiver. Hearing a live person on the other end of the line is a great way to talk out frustrations or anxious feelings while experiencing reassurance.

Connecting to nature is important too. Studies show that being away from technology and away from busy life for a week will actually help to reset our internal clocks and lower stress levels. Take this time to go for a walk in the park or on a trail. While on that trail you can practice mindfulness. This is a practice of clearing your mind by noticing what is around you (textures, colors, sounds, and other senses) without thinking in depth about those things. It is important to focus positive things when observing life around you as many times we are very hyper focused on the negatives.

**Using a journal to record your thoughts can get them from your mind and onto paper, helping you remove some of the negative thoughts and appreciating positive thoughts.

Websites:

https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets/anxiety/adolescents (Worksheets and guides)

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Anxiety-Disorders.aspx (additional information)

https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/mental-health-physical-health/stress-anxiety-depression/anxiety (signs and how to help)

https://www.7cups.com/ (online anxiety consultants)

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/anxiety-treatment-options (Managing symptoms)