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The anxiety hacks to stop worry in its tracksCredit: Vector Illustration<\/p>\n
Do you often find yourself tangled in a spiral of negative thoughts<\/a>?<\/p>\n Maybe you worry that you\u2019ll mess up a meeting at work that will ruin everything, or you overthink that joke you told at the pub into the early hours of the morning. <\/p>\n Anxious thoughts<\/a> are something we all experience \u2013 37% of women report having high anxiety levels<\/a>* \u2013 but if it affects daily life, it\u2019s a problem. <\/p>\n The sliding scale of symptoms can range from racing thoughts to a pounding heart \u2013 or a full-blown panic attack. <\/p>\n And yet, chances are, you\u2019ve told yourself to \u201cstop being silly\u201d when you\u2019ve felt anxious \u2013 or maybe someone else has. <\/p>\n \u201cMany patients come to me bewildered by their anxiety and feeling quite foolish about it, which disempowers them and leaves them feeling defeated and stuck,\u201d <\/p>\n NHS<\/a> GP Dr Martin Brunet tells Fabulous. <\/p>\n He is the author of Your Worry Makes Sense, which explores why anxiety is logical and how you can manage it. <\/p>\n He adds: \u201cIf you can understand anxiety, then you can be empowered, and if you\u2019re empowered, you can take small steps and get to a point where you\u2019re in control of your anxiety, rather than it being in control of you.\u201d <\/p>\n You should see your GP if you are concerned about the impact it is having on your life and if it is there most of the time. <\/p>\n The Surprising Benefits of Swearing for Mental Health<\/p>\n But there are some things you can do to help yourself, as Dr Brunet explains.\u200a.\u200a.<\/p>\n What Is Anxiety?<\/p>\n Anxiety is a normal bodily response<\/a> that, from an evolutionary perspective, protects you from threat. <\/p>\n It is part of the broader \u201cfight, flight or freeze\u201d response that kicks in when you sense danger. <\/p>\n The point at which it becomes excessive and persistent, rather than temporary, may be considered generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), which affects one in 25 people in the UK.** <\/p>\n Dr Brunet likens anxiety to \u201ca faulty smoke alarm that goes off every time you use the toaster.\u201d <\/p>\n He explains: \u201cWhat we perceive as a threat can be impacted by conditioning, maybe from a past experience or how we\u2019ve been brought up.\u201d <\/p>\n Other forms of anxiety disorder include social anxiety, agoraphobia and OCD<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThe false alarm in OCD might be a fear of contamination that can only be calmed by excessive cleaning,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n But the symptoms can prevent you from living a full life. <\/p>\n \u201cI want to help people understand it makes perfect sense if you avoid the supermarket because you have panic attacks when you get there,\u201d says Dr Brunet. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat you need to know next is: \u2018What do I do now? How do I regain control and manage anxiety in my day-to-day life?\u2019\u200a\u201d<\/p>\n Stop thoughts spiralling<\/p>\n The first step is understanding and acknowledging what is happening when you begin to feel anxious \u2013 your body is going into protective mode. <\/p>\n The second step is to focus on the facts, rather than letting your imagination run wild. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, when you start panicking, instead of thinking: \u2018My body is falling apart and something terrible is going on,\u2019 think: \u2018My heart is racing and that is my healthy heart responding to adrenalin, because I\u2019m anxious about such and such\u2019,\u201d says Dr Brunet. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is about taking a step back, allowing the adrenalin in your body to drop a little bit and your breath to slow down, so you are not spiralling.\u201d<\/p>\n Rethink Your Language<\/p>\n Your language reflects your mindset, and therefore, adapting it can prove empowering. <\/p>\n Someone stuck in \u201cobey mode\u201d to their anxiety often tells themselves \u201cI can\u2019t\u201d or \u201cI have to\u201d statements. <\/p>\n Dr Brunet explains: \u201cIt restricts their life, leaving them powerless.\u201d<\/p>\n Reframing your anxiety as a doubting disorder, for example, can be useful. <\/p>\n \u201cAnxiety is best thought of as a problem with uncertainty or doubt,\u201d says Dr Brunet. <\/p>\n You might remind yourself: \u201cI find it difficult to deal with uncertainty and doubt.\u201d <\/p>\n He adds: \u201cYou\u2019re acknowledging it\u2019s not what you want, and it\u2019s a challenge for you, but notably, you can work with that and move forwards.\u201d<\/p>\n Expand Your Comfort Zone<\/p>\n Anxiety can be all-consuming, so Dr Brunet suggests approaching recovery like rehabilitation of a physical injury \u2013 slowly and kindly. <\/p>\n He recommends drawing three large circles, one inside the other. The inner circle is the Comfort Zone. <\/p>\n He says: \u201cWrite down activities where anxiety might not be absent, but you do them freely because you enjoy them.\u201d <\/p>\n The outer circle is the No-Go Zone: \u201cWrite down activities or situations anxiety currently stops you from doing, but you would be happy to never do. It reminds us that anxiety is normal.\u201d <\/p>\n This could include getting public transport, for example. <\/p>\n The middle circle is the Expansion Zone: \u201cWrite down activities or situations you can\u2019t do because of your anxiety, but would like to do.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, you would like to go to your friend\u2019s party, despite knowing few people. <\/p>\n Work on expanding your Comfort Zone.<\/p>\n \u201cPick something you think you can realistically achieve and plan how you might start doing that thing in little steps,\u201d says Dr Brunet. <\/p>\n \u201cIt might be going that bit further or doing something a bit longer each time, and then practise getting used to each step, tolerating and accepting the feeling of anxiety that you get when you do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Imagine Your Anxiety Monster<\/p>\n It might sound absurd to put yourself in situations where you have to endure anxiety. <\/p>\n So, imagine your anxiety as a goofy monster or an excitable puppy, and give it a name you find funny \u2013 in his book, Dr Brunet calls it Wilbur. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t expect Wilbur to stay at home, so you acknowledge he will be with you as you go about your day,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not going to fight him; you\u2019re not going to let him be the boss. You might even thank him for trying to keep you safe, but reassure him everything is OK. That way, he quietens down.\u201d <\/p>\n If this feels daft, it should do! <\/p>\n \u201cAnxiety takes itself very seriously and there is power in the silliness,\u201d says Dr Brunet. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, if thinking of your anxiety monster makes you smile, you are building new associations in the brain and changing your relationship with anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n When Do I Need Professional Help?<\/p>\n \u201cIf it is something that\u2019s been going on for some time, or if you\u2019re finding it very difficult, then why try to manage on your own?\u201d asks Dr Brunet. <\/p>\n Visit your GP<\/a>, who may prescribe medication or refer you for talking therapy if self-help hasn\u2019t worked. <\/p>\n This is usually cognitive behavioural therapy<\/a> (CBT<\/a>), either alone with a therapist or in a group. <\/p>\n