Explore effective anxiety treatments including guided self-help like breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and problem-solving; therapies such as CBT, MBCT, and ACT; and medications like SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines, and beta-blockers. Supported by studies, these options reduce symptoms when combined with professional care.
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A combination of guided self-help exercises, therapy, and medication can effectively reduce anxiety and improve your quality of life.
Diaphragmatic breathing to calm anxiety (Credit: Yan Krukau via Pexels)
Supporting your overall health , for example, through a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and good sleep hygiene , can help you manage anxiety. But these practices alone are not targeted treatments or cure-alls for anxiety disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), professional guidance is key.
While everybody experiences feelings of anxiety from time to time, persistent and debilitating anxiety could suggest you have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are serious but manageable mental health conditions. If you suspect you have an anxiety disorder, your first step is to reach out to a medical professional. From there, you can explore treatment options. See Mayo Clinic overview.
Guided Self-Help Exercises
Guided self-help exercises can be an accessible and effective way to manage anxiety and anxiety disorders. These techniques can be practiced at home and can complement other treatments.
Breathing Techniques
Box breathing for quick anxiety relief (Credit: Ivan S via Pexels)
Breathing exercises , which involve taking intentional, slow breaths , can help calm the mind and reduce anxiety. There are many types of breathing exercises for stress reduction, including:
Belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing: Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to rise, then exhale slowly through your mouth.
Box breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds. Repeat this sequence a few times.
Pursed lip breathing: Inhale through your nose and exhale through pursed lips as if you’re trying to whistle.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a mindfulness-based practice that can help soothe muscle tension and overall anxiety.
Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then slowly relaxing different muscle groups in the body. Start from your toes and work your way up to your head, tensing each muscle group for a few seconds before releasing.
Here’s one way to try progressive muscle relaxation:
Start by lying down or sitting. Try to relax your entire body and breathe deeply.
Tense your toe muscles. Hold, then release.
Tense your calf muscles. Hold, then release.
Tense your thigh muscles. Hold, then release.
Clench your hands. Hold, then release.
Tense your forearms. Hold, then release.
Squeeze your buttocks. Hold, then release.
Tense your abdominal muscles. Hold, then release.
Inhale and tighten your chest. Hold, then exhale and release.
Raise your shoulders to your ears. Hold, then release.
Purse your lips together. Hold, then release.
Close your eyes tightly. Hold, then release.
Lift your eyebrows. Hold, then release.
Progressive muscle relaxation sequence (Credit: Cansu Hangül via Pexels)
A 2018 study found that progressive muscle relaxation reduced tension and anxiety in dental patients, while a 2020 study found that it could help reduce anxiety in people with COVID-19. Another 2020 study found that it reduced anxiety and improved sleep quality in burn patients.
Visualization
Guided visualization for mental calm (Credit: Egor Komarov via Pexels)
Visualization is a technique where you create a mental image of a peaceful, relaxing place or situation. Research from 2018 suggests that it can be a helpful tool for reducing anxiety.
Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a calming environment, focusing on the sights, sounds, and sensations.
Structured Problem-Solving
If a specific issue (or range of issues) contributes to your anxiety, you might want to take a structured problem-solving approach.
Structured problem-solving involves identifying specific problems that contribute to your anxiety and developing practical solutions. Not only does it help you work on the problem that’s bothering you, it also gives you a sense of control and autonomy.
Here are the steps to structured problem-solving:
Define the problem
Brainstorm potential solutions
Consider the pros and cons of each solution
Decide which solution is the best one
Put your solution into action
Review and reflect on your problem-solving attempt
Therapy is a cornerstone of anxiety treatment and can provide significant benefits. Several therapeutic approaches have proven effective in treating anxiety disorders. Learn more from the American Psychological Association (APA).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT session addressing negative patterns (Credit: Timur Weber via Pexels)
CBT is one of the most widely used therapies for anxiety. It focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety.
For example, if you tend to assume the worst will happen, this can contribute to anxiety. CBT can help you “fact-check” this assumption, giving you a more realistic outlook.
Using CBT for anxiety is effective, according to research. One 2018 research review found that CBT could improve the symptoms of anxiety disorders, as well as OCD and stress. Another 2018 study on anxiety in young people found that CBT produced positive long-term results.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
A type of CBT, MBCT combines the principles of cognitive therapy with mindfulness practices.
It helps you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings in the present moment without judgment. This awareness can prevent negative thought spirals that lead to anxiety, improving overall emotional regulation.
Research, such as this 2020 research review, shows there’s some evidence supporting the use of MBCT for anxiety, although further research is needed.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT encourages you to accept your thoughts and feelings rather than trying to change them. It focuses on living in alignment with your values and committing to actions that promote well-being, even when you’re anxious.
Research on ACT suggests it can improve anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Medication Options
Medication can be an important part of anxiety treatment, particularly for those with moderate to severe symptoms. Consult resources like FDA on anxiety medications.
Several types of medications are commonly prescribed to help manage anxiety. Anxiety medication can be prescribed by general practitioners, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants can be used to treat anxiety. These include:
Benzodiazepines are fast-acting medications that can provide quick relief for acute anxiety episodes, insomnia, and panic attacks. However, they’re generally used for short-term treatment due to the risk of dependence.
Beta-Blockers
Beta-blockers, commonly used to treat heart conditions, can also be helpful in managing physical symptoms of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat and trembling. They are particularly useful for situational anxiety, such as performance anxiety.
Belly breathing, box breathing, and pursed lip breathing. Belly breathing involves inhaling deeply through the nose to rise the abdomen and exhaling slowly through the mouth. Box breathing is inhale-hold-exhale-hold for 4 seconds each. Pursed lip breathing exhales through pursed lips.
It involves tensing and slowly relaxing muscle groups from toes to head. Start lying down, breathe deeply, tense each group for seconds then release, progressing upward.
CBT identifies and challenges negative thought patterns and behaviors contributing to anxiety, such as fact-checking worst-case assumptions for a realistic outlook.
Antidepressants like SSRIs (escitalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine) and SNRIs (duloxetine, venlafaxine); anti-anxiety like buspirone, etifoxine, benzodiazepines (diazepam, lorazepam); and beta-blockers for physical symptoms.
Define the problem, brainstorm solutions, consider pros and cons, decide best solution, act on it, review and reflect.
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Editorial Team • Question of the Day
"Which of these anxiety treatments have you tried, and how did it work for you?"
