Anxiety.
It starts with one little troublesome thought that creates other pesky thoughts and before you know it, your mind is running a hundred miles an hour.

While you may think that too much anxiety can only affect your moods, according to the experts at WebMD:

Excessive worry doesn't just affect your mental health; it also can wreak havoc on your physical well-being.

If you want to stop anxiety, and eventually banish it completely, follow these simple steps:

Step One: Create a list.
Writing out all of your worries to help figure out what it is that your anxiety focuses on.

Step Two: Evaluate the list you made and split each worry into two categories, unproductive and productive worries.
A productive worry is something that you can actively do something about, whereas an unproductive worry is often a worry about something unlikely or something that you cannot do something about.

Step Three: Accept the ambiguity.
Eventually, you will have to come to terms with the uncertainty in life or look for a way to get over some of the unproductive worries you have.

Step Four: Try repeating your fears to yourself.
Repetition can, and will, bore your mind to help you come to terms with the fact that some of your largest fears might come true.

Step Five: Step outside the comfort zone.
Do something that might scare you a bit to help you break out of your bubble. Once you do something that you were previously scared to do, your stress and anxiety will ease.

Step Six: Take a breather.
Often, people with anxiety have a high sense of urgency in their daily lives. When you feel like you are getting overwhelmed take a step back and have a moment to yourself.

Step Seven: Lower the expectation.
You have to remind yourself that most often, the anticipation is worse for worriers than the actual thing you are worrying about.

Step Eight: Let your emotions rage.
Don’t try to suppress your emotions that you are feeling with worry and anxiety. Once you free your emotions, you will often feel much better.

Step Nine: Talking may help.
Think about seeing a therapist to help talk you through your worries and anxiety. If that isn’t in the cards for you, try talking to a friend or loved one that has an open mind.

About Choices Psychotherapy

Choice is the foundation for a change. Choice speaks to the reality that there is not one right answer for all.  At Choices Psychotherapy, we are committed to empowering clients and their families to identify options while assisting in creating a personal roadmap toward health and recovery.

Related: Anxiety Disorder