Try New Anxiety Management Strategies to Beat Old Anxiety

Ever so often, trying new anxiety management strategies is a good idea because anxiety has a way of sticking around long past when its welcome. Dealing with symptoms of anxiety day after day can be discouraging. When you’ve tried anxiety management strategies but anxiety still hangs on, it might be time to switch your approach. Most likely, you’re well aware of the need to try new ways to reduce anxiety. So often with anxiety, we know what we need to do, but because anxiety takes control of our thoughts, emotions, and actions, we feel stuck. The list that follows contains ideas for managing old anxiety symptoms with new anxiety management strategies.

Mix Things Up with New Anxiety Management Strategies

Sometimes mixing things up in small ways with new anxiety management strategies can loosen the grip anxiety has on you. Small changes or exercises that differ slightly from what you’re used to gives anxiety a run for its money.

Trying new anxiety management strategies stimulates your brain and gives you a confidence boost. You can then build on the momentum to try other new approaches. The change and subsequent successes give you the upper hand over your anxiety.

Anxiety Management Strategies for Common Anxiety Symptoms

If you experience muscle tension or joint pain, try the jellyfish technique.

Jellyfish are amazingly efficient swimmers. They don't have much substance, so trying to forcefully push themselves through heavy water would exhaust them (Anxiety and Exhaustion: Wired and Tired). Instead of fighting against the force that would hold them back, they create their own propulsion system. They use a suction system to effectively glide and dance their way through life despite the water that's always there trying to hold them back (Accept Yourself with Anxiety to Reduce Anxiety). Channel your inner jellyfish, and glide around, over, under, and through obstacles instead of pushing against them going nowhere.

If you experience a sense of impending doom, try the Peter Pan perspective.

This sense of doom is typical in many types of anxiety disorders, and it is connected to fear. Fear can be crushing and paralyzing, making us feel that we are powerless. Try a visualization activity in which you picture yourself as Peter Pan as an anxiety management technique. Peter Pan led the Lost Boys through many dangers, including battling Captain Hook and his pirates. Fantasy? Yes. But not for Peter Pan. It was his reality and he shaped it the way he wanted it to be. He was in charge. He was confident. And he always won.

Anxiety’s sense of impending doom often arises because of our sense of being powerless to fight our fears. Visualizing yourself as Peter Pan, a superhero, or your anxiety-free-self and flying above your fears is very empowering. See yourself flying over your fears, confronting them, and winning over and over again. Visualization exercises are an effective way to turn fantasy into reality.

If you experience overwhelming fatigue, try taking a power nap and then exercising.

Anxiety interferes with sleep. When anxiety keeps us awake at night, we’re often too tired to manage it during the day. Anxiety then grows, and it can interfere with our sleep even more.

Break that cycle with a simple anxiety management strategy: Take a short power nap, about 30 to 60 minutes (more than that can throw off your sleep-wake cycle). Then, get up and immediately exercise to boost your energy further. Walk, ride your bike, go to the driving range and hit golf balls—whatever type of physical activity brings you joy. The combination of sleep and exercise is good for the brain and body and helps you keep anxiety in check.

Management Techniques for Anxiety

These are just three of the dozens of anxiety symptoms that bother people. Which of your symptoms are most upsetting to you right now? Can these new anxiety management techniques help? Or what new ways of your own can you develop to manage and reduce anxiety? Be creative and have fun with it. Your creative use of anxiety management strategies is what will ultimately beat anxiety.