How to Cope with Anxiety: Reader Tips

A recent threadjack inspired us to share some reader suggestions on how to cope with anxiety — including tips both from that thread and comments on our past posts about anxiety. You're probably familiar with some of them, but we're sure you'll find something you haven't tried. (Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? We're pretty sure every month should be Mental Health Awareness Month…)

What have you found to be the best ways to cope with anxiety? What have you tried that hasn't helped you?

Reader Suggestions on How to Cope With Anxiety

The Usual Suspects

• Therapy! Contacting your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a simple way to start (well, usually; it depends on your company's provider). Also check out this NYT article from 2022 for great tips on finding a therapist right now.
• Medication! Here's some basic info on anxiety meds, from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (Also, for some “humor therapy,” check out this La La Land-inspired, Emmy-winning song from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: “Anti-Depressants Are So Not a Big Deal.)

Exercise

Readers especially recommend these activities:

• Kickboxing
• Running
• Peloton
• HIIT
• Dance
• Yoga
• Pilates (I tried this myself recently and really enjoyed it.)

{related: guaranteed laughs: how to deal with anxiety through laughter}

Outdoor Time

• Hiking (Here are our tips for gear!)
• Taking a long walk — even while on a phone call with a friend
• Gardening (I have zero gardening expertise, but I find weeding to be cathartic…)

Personal Care/Self-Care

First off, here are two great lines about self-care that I've seen online: (1) Self-care is more than bubble baths, and (2) Self-care is anything your future self will thank your present self for doing (as noted by a psychotherapist in this article in Allure).

I've also heard good things about this new book by Pooja Lakshmin, M.D.: Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) [affiliate link].

All that said, here are some reader favorites:

• A visit to a spa (Here are some reader-favorite treatments.)
• A home spa day
• A massage (Related: Here's Elizabeth's Theragun review — my husband really likes his, too.)

Mental Techniques

• Meditation (Try these apps.)
• Breathing techniques, e.g., the 4-7-8 technique
• The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne [affiliate link]
• Dbt911 app (Android only)
• For our lawyer readers: Stress reduction classes aimed at lawyers, e.g., “Mindfulness For Lawyers in a Time Of Stress” (NYSBA)
• Give yourself a set amount of time to worry, and then put your thoughts aside for the time being. (Try these tips from Thrive Global; also check out the WorryTree app.)

{related: dealing with anxiety (post-interview or otherwise)}

Everyday Habits

• Drink less caffeine. (Here are some teas Kat recommends.)
• Drink less alcohol — or cut it out entirely. (Here are Kat's recs for mocktails.)
• Try to keep a regular sleep schedule. (We — and the readers — offered tips on tackling insomnia in this post.)
• Cut down on social media — or quit entirely. (Check out our advice on taking a social media break.)

Extra Tips from Kate & Kat

• Try the progressive muscle relaxation technique. It's a simple and quick way to feel more physically relaxed.
• Grounding, also known as earthing, is making contact with the ground by placing your hands on or lying down on it, swimming, etc. (There isn't much research on this yet, and some say the benefits may be a placebo effect, but it's worth a try!)
• Do a brain dump: When you have a ton of thoughts swirling around your head, grab a piece of paper and write everything down. You don't even have to organize the tasks/thoughts or tackle them right away; simply writing them down gets them out of your brain.
• Kat likes a meditation tool called TRIPP that offers 10-, 20-, and 30-minute sessions for relaxation. It's available for VR devices, mobile, and web, and offers a free demo.

{related: how to cope with anxiety when you're busy}

Readers, do tell: What are your favorite ways to cope with anxiety? Which of the ones above have worked for you?

Stock photo via Stencil.