To manage your anxiety effectively , begin by learning as much as you can about your anxiety. Ask yourself what seems to precipitate or cause your anxiety and how long does a period of anxiety usually last? Also, what are emotional and physical manifestations of your anxiety? Further, what if anything seems to help you manage or deal with your anxiety? You may not be able to answer all of these questions at first, so you may find it helpful to track your anxiety experiences in a notebook or journal over a period of a few weeks. Developing a better understanding of your anxiety can help you to find creative ways to manage and minimize it.
Another important aspect of managing anxiety is that of connecting and communicating with people in your support network. Even though your first instinct when experiencing anxiety may be to hide away or to leave, you should instead make a point to communicate with a close family member or friend. Talk honestly about what you are feeling and experiencing with someone you can trust. Do not try to come up with a solution at this time, instead focus on describing your thoughts and emotions. Connecting and communicating in this way with someone close to you can help to lessen the feelings of isolation that often accompany anxiety and, in turn, reduce your anxiety.
Engaging in moderately challenging circumstances also can help you to manage and even diminish your anxiety. Find creative, yet safe, ways to expose yourself to anxiety-provoking stimuli. For example, you may experience intense anxiety prior to giving a speech in class. You can challenge yourself in a safe way by first giving the same speech to a number of less-threatening audiences, such as your closest friend, your roommates, your family or a co-worker. By giving the same speech multiple times to multiple audiences, you will find that you experience less anxiety when speaking to your actual class. Consistent, moderate exposure to anxiety-producing situations can help you progressively to experience less anxiety in different parts of your life.