5 tips to conquer anxiety from an experienced therapist: Empower Counseling
Anxiety is a common mental health issue that can affect anyone at any stage of life.
According to Forbes Health, anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder are some of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions in the United States today. Anxiety disorders affect at least 42.5 million adults in our country.
However, there’s hope. With the help of an experienced anxiety therapist, it’s possible to conquer even chronic forms of anxiety disorders. If you are struggling with anxiety and want to gain control of your life again, read on.
In this blog post, we will discuss five useful tips from an experienced anxiety therapist on how to effectively make lasting changes to move away from anxiety once and for all.
Anxiety can be a paralyzing feeling that can leave you feeling stuck and unable to move forward. It is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worry, fear, and physical changes such as increased heart rate.
Anxiety can range from mild to severe and can manifest in various forms such as panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
It is important to recognize the signs of anxiety so that you can take steps to manage it before it becomes overwhelming.
There are successful treatments available for anxiety including Acceptance Commitment Therapy. With the right help and support from your therapist, you can learn how to handle anxiety once and for all and move forward in life.
Anxiety and How it Impacts Your Life
Before we dive into our 5 tips to conquer anxiety from an experienced therapist, how about a brief explanation about how anxiety can impact your daily life.
Anxiety can significantly impact daily life, affecting various aspects of your well-being, relationships, and productivity. When experiencing anxiety, you may find it challenging to focus on tasks, leading to reduced work performance and difficulty completing everyday responsibilities.
Anxiety can also manifest physically, causing symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues. These physical symptoms can further exacerbate feelings of unease and discomfort in daily life. Socially, anxiety can lead to isolation and withdrawal, as you may avoid situations or interactions that trigger their anxiety, ultimately impairing your ability to build and maintain meaningful connections with others.
Furthermore, anxiety can disturb sleep patterns, resulting in poor sleep quality and contributing to a cycle of increased anxiety and stress. Overall, the pervasive nature of anxiety can have a profound impact on an your quality of life, making it essential to address and manage effectively.
Tip #1 from your experienced anxiety therapist: Find an anxiety therapist specializing in Acceptance Commitment Therapy.
Our brains are problems solving machines. They often convince us that if we go over the same problem enough times in our own heads we will solve the problem.
Even if we have thought about the same problem 100 times with no solution, our brains tell us we will find the answer on try number 101. Your anxiety therapist is who to turn to for help.
With anxiety that is definitely not the case.
Going over our anxiety in our own heads only keeps us stuck in anxiety. Eventually, we have to find input outside of our own brains to solve our own problems with anxiety.
Start finding a real solution to your anxiety by looking for an anxiety therapist who specializes in Acceptance Commitment Therapy for anxiety.
You don’t want to go to just any therapist for anxiety help.
You want someone who specializes in treating anxiety with only proven methods.
ACT is a scientifically proven effective treatment for anxiety disorders.
It is a specialty treatment for anxiety that is not widely practiced because of its complexity.
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that ACT was more effective than control conditions for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, a meta-analysis, which is basically a study of all of the studies about Acceptance Commitment Therapy for anxiety disorders, concluded that the therapy was associated with significant improvements in symptoms. Furthermore, a study conducted by researchers at the University of New South Wales showed that ACT for anxiety therapy was more effective than traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. These findings, and others like them, demonstrate that Acceptance Commitment Therapy is a scientifically effective treatment for anxiety.
An ACT therapist will examine your life and your thoughts to determine the cause of your anxiety. Whether you are experiencing Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder, or panic disorder, you need to know what is causing your anxiety to know exactly what treatments and treatment plan will be effective in conquering anxiety.
TIP #2: DEVELOP A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for conquering anxiety.
Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment and observing one’s thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations without judgment. It can help to reduce stress and improve overall well-being by allowing you to become aware of their anxious thoughts, recognize them as just that – thoughts – not facts, and let go of them more easily. Practicing the kind of mindfulness learned through acceptance commitment therapy can also increase self-compassion which has been found to be associated with lower levels of anxiety. Additionally, research has shown that mindfulness techniques such as meditation can reduce activity in the amygdala – an area of the brain responsible for fear response – resulting in decreased symptoms of anxiety. Therefore, incorporating a regular mindfulness practice into your life can be extremely beneficial for reducing anxiety levels both in the short term and long term.
Empower Counseling and our anxiety therapists can guide you to develop your effective mindfulness practice.
Our brains are problem solving machines made to protect us from harm. We need our brains to protect us from danger sometimes. The problem is our brains are so good at protecting us they attempt to protect us from things that are not really harmful to us, making many of the things we want to do seem scarier than they actually are. Have you ever noticed after you think of doing something new or setting a large goal your brain almost immediately starts throwing “what if’s” at you….”What if I can’t do it?”; “What if people judge me?”; “What if I fail?”. In those instances, our brains think they are helping us but they are not. In those instances, our brains are keeping us stuck, keeping us from living our potential…keeping us from living our most fulfilling lives.
At Empower Counseling, our anxiety specialists understand how our interactions with our own brains cause us anxiety. We know how to guide you to an effective mindfulness practice that will help you be able to discern when your brain is being helpful to you and when it is not, which should greatly reduce your anxiety and anxiety symptoms.
TIP #3: PRIORITIZE SLEEP
Sleep is the foundation for strong mental health.
Poor sleep can have a devastating impact on our mental health and anxiety levels. Lack of quality sleep has been linked to increased stress, irritability, difficulty concentrating, impaired decision-making abilities, negative thinking patterns and decreased overall performance. Not getting enough restful sleep can also lead to an increase in feelings of depression or anxiety due to the lack of energy needed for daily activities.
Poor sleeping habits can even interfere with hormone production which is essential for regulating moods and emotions.
In addition, not getting enough quality sleep has been shown to weaken the immune system making us more susceptible to illnesses that could cause further physical and mental exhaustion. Therefore, it is important to make sure you are prioritizing your sleep so that you maintain optimal mental health and reduce symptoms of anxiety.
Good sleep hygiene can be a powerful tool to help improve your quality of sleep and reduce anxiety symptoms.
Sleep hygiene refers to the practices and habits that are necessary for getting good, restful sleep. This includes things like establishing consistent bedtimes and wake times, avoiding stimulants such as caffeine before bedtime, limiting daytime naps, creating a comfortable sleeping environment free from distractions or noise, and engaging in calming activities before going to bed. By following these guidelines you can ensure that you get enough quality sleep which is key for managing stress levels and decreasing anxiety symptoms.
TIP #4: EXERCISE REGULARLY
Regular exercise is an important part of any mental health plan as it can help anxiety levels.
Exercise releases endorphins in the brain which are known to elevate mood, improve self-esteem, and create a sense of well-being. Regular physical activity also helps to boost energy levels while improving sleep quality which can further reduce symptoms of anxiety. Additionally, exercise has been shown to increase focus and concentration skills which may be impacted by high levels of stress or worry. Engaging in regular physical activity will not only help you maintain your overall health but can also provide tangible benefits for reducing feelings of anxiousness.
Through anxiety therapy at Empower Counseling, our Birmingham therapists help you uncover any thought patterns that may make it difficult for you to create a habit of exercising.
Acceptance Commitment therapy for anxiety is a higher level cognitive behavioral therapy. What does that mean exactly? That means that our anxiety therapists do not simply help you become aware of the thoughts causing your anxiety, we also help you take the action you have had difficulty taking on your own. If you are struggling to engage in healthy habits, we first uncover the reason you are struggling. If you really want to be the person who exercises and you are not exercising, that means you have some internal roadblocks. We will uncover those road blocks, then help you create the healthy behavior you have been struggling to create. Will power can only get you so far. To create real, lasting, good habits you have to make it easier for yourself. We can help do just that.
TIP #5 FROM YOUR EXPEREINCED ANXIETY THERAPIST: GET HELP EARLY
Anxiety disorders are no joke. Panic attacks are not fun.
Whether you suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or Panic Disorder, anxiety can ruin your mental health and your life.
The longer your anxiety is untreated, the more likely it is to lead to further issues and problems in your life.
Untreated anxiety disorders can lead to a host of problems that can have a significant impact on an individual’s life. If left untreated, anxiety can cause physical and emotional symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep quality, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, irritability and depression.
Anxiety has been linked to an increased risk of developing chronic medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.
It may also increase the risk for substance abuse and mental health issues such as bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In addition to these physical and psychological effects, untreated anxiety disorders can also lead to financial hardship due to missed work days or decreased productivity at work. Furthermore, it can affect relationships with family members and friends by causing strain in communication styles and creating feelings of isolation.
Untreated anxiety can have a significant impact on an individual’s relationships.
People who suffer from anxiety may find it difficult to maintain healthy and meaningful connections with others, which can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Anxiety can also make it hard you to express your thoughts and feelings in social situations, leading them to feel disconnected or unheard. Furthermore, untreated anxiety often causes individuals to engage in behavior that is not conducive to forming meaningful relationships such as avoiding social interactions or being overly critical of themselves or others. As a result, those suffering from untreated anxiety may find themselves struggling in both personal and professional relationships due to the impact of their disorder.
Anxiety often causes us to avoid things that we want to do or feel we need to do. The more we avoid want we want and need to do, the more we tend to dislike ourselves, increasing self-criticism and the chances of depression. Humans have a deep need for belonging and connection with others. Social anxiety keeps us from meeting that need. Social anxiety keeps us from going to the kind of events with others that lead to belongingness and connection with others. If we go long enough without meeting that most basic human need, we become depressed.
If you are suffering from an anxiety disorder, do not wait until your symptoms get worse. Starting therapy now is the best way to assure yourself a happier, healthier future.
ACT for anxiety therapy is a great way to start conquering your anxiety and building healthy relationships with your experienced anxiety therapist.
With dedication and commitment from both yourself and your therapist, it’s possible for anyone suffering from anxiety disorders to make strides towards recovery every day through treating anxiety. Don’t wait another minute to start counseling for anxiety with Empower Counseling therapists – reach out now so that we can get started on helping you live the life you deserve!
Empower Counseling, Kathryn, Savannah, and Marti, provides in person and online therapy for the Birmingham Area and the state of Alabama. Whether you prefer in person or online therapy, it is simple to get started with one of our knowledgeable and compassionate therapists:
- Click here and scroll down our home page to leave us a message.
- We will contact you ASAP.
- Start counseling with the therapist who is the best for for you.
Empower Counseling offers, counseling for depression, trauma and PTSD counseling, counseling for difficult life transitions, as well as effective anxiety therapy. therapy for teens, therapy for college students, counseling for young adults, counseling for professionals, and counseling for perfectionism is offered at our Birmingham area counseling clinic.
Contact Empower Counseling today to start counseling with your experienced anxiety therapist.