When you feel overwhelmed and stressed, it’s easy to let your anxiety take over. If you can learn to spot when the symptoms begin, you can learn ways that can bring yourself back down. If you plan out some tips and tricks for yourself to do, you can help keep your anxiety at a minimum. Let’s take a look at 5 tips on how to overcome anxiety.

Give Yourself an Out

One of the easiest and simplest things is to not be afraid to give yourself an out. When you feel overwhelmed, you panic. Your panic turns into an anxiety episode when you don’t know how to get out of a certain situation.

Before you go someplace new, or even someplace you normally go, having a way to get out and go home thought out can give you a sense of peace. You’ll already know ahead of time that you know how you are going to make a quick exit.

Get Your Sleep

You are more prone to stress and anxiety when you aren’t on a regular sleep schedule. If your body is tired, if your mind is tired, you will be more prone to raise your anxiety faster in normal situations. You can’t think straight from being tired.

Getting into a bedtime routine isn’t only for little children. Set an alarm if you have to, but make sure you are getting to bed at the same time every night. Your body wants that routine, and it will help bring your mind a sense of calm. No one works well after a crappy night of sleep.

Get It Out

Seriously, get it out. Whether you dance it out, punch it out, run it out, or scream it out, get it out. Holding in that stress will trigger an anxiety attack faster. Find whichever way works best for you. Then schedule time, every day if you need it, and do it.

Punch your pillow. Scream into your pillow. Have a cry in the shower. Have a late night dance party of one in your living room. If you keep it bottled in, you are more likely to have a quicker and more sudden attack of anxiety. Releasing all of that negative energy will make your mind and body feel so much better.

Exercise

This isn’t the most fun, but it’s effective. Get up. Get moving. Get it done. We know that you think exercise will be the worst thing and only make you more anxious. But once you are done you’ll feel better.

Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Just like in that Reese Witherspoon movie. But in real life, doing a physical activity for only 30 minutes a day can reduce your stress and anxiety.

Deal with Your Problems

Okay, this one might be a bit harsh. But your anxiety and stress are probably stemming from a load of decisions you need to make or small things that are just piling up.

Make a list. Write it all down. Do one thing at a time. Cross it off your list. Doesn’t that feel nice? Now do one more thing. Cross off another. Feels better. Keep going. Once you see yourself being able to cross things off, you will start to feel better. That sense of accomplishment can do wonders.

These are relatively easy and pain-free ways to help you bring your anxiety down a level. Having anxiety is a serious matter that you should take seriously. If these and other methods aren’t working, you may need to seek more professional help.

If you ever feel like giving up or that you can’t overcome your anxiety, please talk to someone or a professional.