How to Stop Worrying: Self-Help Techniques and When You Need a Specialist

The feeling of emotional turmoil is familiar to everyone. We often worry about various problems in life. However, it is important to distinguish between “normal” anxiety and a state where its level exceeds all acceptable norms.

Domestic and work conflicts, quarrels with loved ones, health or financial issues – all of this inevitably reflects on our psychological state. In some cases, anxiety can even be beneficial. It drives a person to take necessary actions to resolve an emerging issue. However, this “rational” anxiety mechanism does not work for everyone and not always.

If a person remains in a state of emotional tension for a long time, their nervous system begins to malfunction. Initially, this manifests as a constant feeling of internal anxiety – as if we are waiting for something bad to happen at any moment. If no action is taken, the condition will only worsen and could potentially lead to severe depression.

Therefore, it is important to know how to stop worrying about everything. The following algorithm can help you:

1. Make sure that your anxiety is not caused by a lack of vitamins. Feelings of melancholy and irritability may occur due to a deficiency of magnesium and some other trace elements. You might try taking vitamin complexes and observe the effect.
2. Identify the causes of your anxiety. It's best to do this on paper. List in one column what is causing you distress. In the second column, outline possible solutions to the problem. Having this information in front of you will remind you that the situation is quite resolvable. And by re-reading what you have written, you will find some calm.
3. Learn to shift your attention to other tasks. By immersing yourself in everyday chores, we can forget about minor troubles and existing problems. In this case, the phrase “I will think about it later” applies to you.

Another important point concerns your rest schedule. You need to monitor the quality and duration of your sleep. Often, anxiety is caused by simple sleep deprivation. Therefore, always try to rest for at least 7-8 hours. And adhere to a strict sleep schedule – for instance, going to bed at 11 PM every day.

If anxiety is “off the charts” and panic sets in, be sure to master the square breathing technique. It helps during panic attacks when a person has difficulty breathing. The essence of the technique is in the controlled alternation of inhalation and exhalation. The steps are as follows:

• Sit on the floor, leaning your straight back against a hard surface such as a wall or furniture – your chest should be fully open.
• Take a deep, slow breath through your nose while mentally counting to 4 (you can count “one thousand one – one thousand two – one thousand three – one thousand four”).
• Then exhale slowly through your mouth while mentally counting to the same number.

All of the above should help you deal with increased anxiety. However, if you do not see any positive changes within two weeks – it is advisable to seek help from specialists. You can start with a psychologist, a psychotherapist, or even your regular doctor. The main thing here is to talk about the problem. The doctor will then direct you to where you need to go.

Another signal for the necessity of a doctor's visit is the presence of obvious physical ailments. If you have started suffering from insomnia and unexplained fatigue, if you have a loss of appetite and complete apathy even towards important things – do not delay. Such conditions indicate a disruption in the neural connections of the nervous system. And they can only be restored with medication.