The past two years have been filled with events and world circumstances that have pushed anxiety levels to the max. On top of that, we're all still facing the common obstacles and life situations that can cause anxiety, such as relationships, careers, and finances. If you're starting to feel like it's all too much and there seems to be no end in sight, we're here for you.

Women are twice as likely to develop anxiety disorders. When you’re anxious, you're more likely to develop depression, eating disorders, or other anxiety disorders, which is why we want to help you take actionable steps this year to manage and overcome the anxiety in your life.

Tips for managing anxiety in 2022

If you are struggling with anxiety and ready to learn how to manage it and overcome it this year, our therapists are prepared to help. Our therapists have a few tips you can use to start experiencing the positive changes you want to see in your life. These tips can be helpful whether you only struggle with the occasional bout of anxiety or if it's something that you experience regularly. Try one or all of the items on this list to see what helps you the most, and then incorporate the ones that work best for you into your routine.

1. Take a pause

Life is busy. You're not alone if you feel like there are demands on your time and attention every way you turn. When life feels like this, it can be difficult to gauge our situations and circumstances properly, increasing the anxiety that we feel.

Create space from what you're doing to assess stressful and anxious situations more clearly. Then, if you're able to, change your location to give yourself a chance to step back. You can also try delaying your response to others to provide yourself with an opportunity to analyze the situation with a clear head. One way to do this is by writing a draft of your thoughts on paper, in your Notes app, or anywhere else there is no danger of accidentally pressing send, and waiting 24 hours before revisiting it to see if you still want to send it as is. More often than not, you will find that you still want to say some of the things you wrote down, but not in the way you first drafted.

This break or space will allow the opportunity to see things in a new light.

2. Move your body

When you are feeling anxious, it can help to move your body. There are a lot of studies that show the benefits of exercise on anxiety, but you can also do something as simple as taking a brief walk or stretching.

Harvard Medical School shares that exercise can ease anxiety by:

• Distracting your thoughts from what you are anxious about

• Decreasing muscle tension

• Increasing anti-anxiety neurochemicals like serotonin

• Building up resources that can help with the resiliency of difficult emotions

3. Prioritize sleep

We live in a world that tends to wear busyness and lack of sleep as a badge. We burn the candle at both ends, trying to get ahead and stay ahead in life. Instead of getting the sleep we need, we down another espresso and keep pressing forward. This type of behavior will eventually catch up with us because our bodies need rest, not as a reward for hard work, but as a natural part of our bodies’ needs.

Lack of sleep and anxiety can create a vicious cycle. Stress can keep you up at night, so you don't get the rest you need, and a lack of rest can add to your feelings of anxiety. Learning how to improve your sleep hygiene can help you get the rest your mind and body need. The Sleep Foundation recommends the following:

• Choose a quality mattress, pillow, and bedding

• Use blackout curtains or wear a sleep mask

• Keep your room quiet or use a fan or white noise machine to drown out other sounds

• Keep your room around 65 degrees

• Establish a set wake-up time and bedtime

• If you take a nap during the day, keep it around 20 minutes and avoid napping late in the day

• Put your devices away 30 minutes before you go to bed

• Allow yourself time to wind down for 30 minutes before trying to fall asleep

4. Limit alcohol, caffeine, and recreational drug use

Alcohol, caffeine, and recreational drugs can exacerbate anxiety. When struggling with anxiety, it can help to avoid these substances, which can increase irritability, headaches, stress, irregular heart rate, and other related symptoms. If you experience withdrawal symptoms from limiting or cutting these out of your life, it can help to speak with a medical professional.

If you're unsure how these impact your anxiety levels, you can try an experiment. Many Millennials and Gen Zers are participating in #DryJanuary right now or taking time to explore the #SoberCurious movement. You can use these challenges to explore if you feel different or better by limiting your consumption.

5. Set realistic expectations for yourself

We have to intentionally learn to be realistic about our expectations because unrealistic expectations are everywhere in our society and can add to our anxiety; this includes the expectations others place on us and those we place on ourselves.

January is a popular time to set goals and resolutions for all the changes we want to see in the new year. It can feel like an exciting time full of hope, but that also makes it easy to overcommit and take on goals that aren't realistic.

In addition, many different people in life may have unrealistic expectations for you, including a parent, sibling, friend, boss, coworker, or significant other. Learning how to identify when this is happening and set healthy boundaries to protect yourself from anxiety is crucial.

6. Journal daily

There are several different ways journaling can help reduce anxiety, and you only need to spend a few minutes a day to experience the benefits:

• Release any negative thoughts, fears, or worries from your thoughts

• Practice positive self-talk in writing

• Track symptoms of your anxiety and any triggers you identify

• Prioritize problems and fear

Journaling doesn't have to be fancy or look a certain way. You can even use your journal as nothing more than a place to dump all your worries out into one place. This can be in a beautiful personalized journal or a simple notebook, or your favorite note taking app. Find what works best for you and turn it into a regular habit.

7. Change your negative to positive

If you catch yourself asking "what if" questions, practice turning them into positives. Try asking yourself, "What if everything works out?" This simple exercise helps stop the spiral of negative thoughts that "what if" questions can cause. It encourages you to start thinking about all the good possibilities that await you instead of solely thinking of the negative.

8. Get out of bed / out of the house

It is easy to withdraw from our everyday activities when we're feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed, which has become an even bigger problem since many of us started working from home when the pandemic hit. We no longer have to leave the house for work, which can mean it's easy to spend days at home trapped with our anxious thoughts.

If you have pulled back from your everyday activities or find you're struggling to get out of bed, we encourage you to take the step even if you don't feel like doing it. Choose a few simple activities that you can do to get yourself up and moving. This can help you shift your thoughts from things you're anxious about to different things.

9. Call a friend

Having a solid support system can be incredibly helpful in overcoming anxiety. When you have those days where your anxiety is getting the better of you, call a friend or family member. It may be easier to send a quick text, but research has found that phone calls are better for helping us feel connected with others.

Pick up the phone and call someone you trust that can help you work through your anxious feelings or someone great at distracting you and making you laugh. Get nostalgic and share memories of your shared past or talk about positive things you're looking forward to in the future. Ask them questions about themselves and take a break from thinking about yourself and the worries in your life.

Make sure that you’re thinking intentionally about who will support you best, not just the first person in your text history, because reaching out to someone who won’t be able to provide the nurture you need in that moment could make you feel rejected or ignored, exacerbating your anxieties. Spend some time thinking about who the 2-3 people you trust most to be there for you are when you’re not anxious so that when the thoughts are spiraling, you don’t have to make a critical decision in the moment and can just pick up the phone on autopilot.

10. Let your thoughts pass

Sometimes we get caught up in our thoughts, and we dwell on them, which increases our anxiety. Practice letting them pass you by instead of focusing on them. It can help to view them like clouds in the sky or cars driving past your window. You can let them pass you by without grabbing onto each one to think about and analyze it.

Therapy for anxiety in New York

The tips shared by our therapists above can help you learn how to overcome and manage your anxiety this year; however, if your anxiety is impacting your daily life, don't hesitate to seek help from a therapist. We've all faced what feels like a never-ending list of concerns over the past two years. If you are having a hard time processing it all or feeling anxious for unknown reasons, one of our licensed NYC therapists can help.

Follow the steps below to get started:

• Click here to share some information about you so that we can match you with the perfect therapist for your needs.

• Have a low-pressure, 20-minute call with your therapist to make sure they are the right fit.

• Schedule your first session and start on your journey to feeling better right away.

We offer specialized services for related issues like Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ Affirming Therapy, and Therapy Specifically for Young Adults. We can help you feel less overwhelmed, more relaxed, and more like the self you want to be.

Contact us here to get started today!