5 Ways to Help Someone With Anxiety
Even though anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions, it can feel like a mystery to sort out. What does it feel like? How does it impact somebody's life? How can you lessen the impact of anxiety symptoms?
Many questions surround the topic of anxiety disorders. One of the biggest questions that can cross someone's mind is, "How can I help someone who is dealing with anxiety?"
Watching someone you care for struggle, such as a friend, significant other, or family member, can be challenging. While we all experience anxiety from time to time, it can be hard to place yourself in the shoes of a person who deals with it chronically. You may not realize it, but there are many ways you can help someone with anxiety.
5 Ways To Help Someone Who Has Anxiety
1. Don't Negate Their Feelings
You might not understand why they are always anxious, but chances are, they don't get it, either. Worrying about absolutely everything, feeling your heart race, and always asking, "What if?" can have a massive impact on a person's mental health. Honestly, it can be hard not to feel like you are going crazy when you deal with crippling anxiety daily.
If your friend is struggling with anxiety, you should never negate their feelings or make them feel even worse. Phrases such as the following can do more harm than good.
"It can't be that bad."
"Just don't think about it.
"It's all in your head."
"Just calm down."
2. Know The Signs of Anxiety
Mental health conditions are often hard to spot in someone because they are often internalized. Even some of the physical manifestations of anxiety can be hard to spot if someone doesn't express they are going through them.
One of the best ways to help someone with anxiety is to know what to watch out for. Maybe you notice that they seem spacey, or they may complain about not sleeping well at night. You may not be able to get rid of these symptoms directly, but you can certainly use these tips on this post to try and help them through it.
3. Practice Mindfulness Together
One of the ways that anxiety impacts someone is that it can affect their breathing patterns. They may experience rapid and shallow breathing as their nervous system becomes activated due to anxiety.
You can help them be more mindful by learning breathing techniques together. Deep breathing techniques, such as boxed breathing, can help them counteract the effects of anxiety on their breathing. To practice boxed breathing:
Slowly inhale for four seconds
For four seconds, hold your breath
Slowly exhale for four seconds
Repeat
After a few rounds of this, they should start to feel a little more calm. It's a great natural solution to deal with overwhelming anxiety.
4. Encourage Them To Exercise
Exercise is great for physical health, of course. But, it might be surprising to hear that it is also fantastic for our mental health. When you are physically active, even with low-intensity exercises, it helps to release feel-good endorphins like serotonin, which are responsible for feelings of contentedness and happiness. It also helps to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Low-impact physical activity can include things like:
Walking
Yoga
Pilates
It doesn't have to be anything crazy as long as your body is moving. It will be a way to distract them and force their mind to focus on the movements, as well.
5. Encourage Them To Try Counseling
While the stigma of mental health is lessening, we still have a long way to go as a society. More and more people throughout the country are realizing the importance of counseling. It is one of the best ways to get to the root cause of anxiety and find healthy coping techniques.
Encourage them (or you) to reach out to us for anxiety therapy.
