Slowing Down Helps My Anxiety

I've noticed that slowing down helps my anxiety. When I am extremely busy, the pressures of having a demanding schedule and multiple deadlines begin to weigh on me and contribute to my anxiety. The busier my schedule gets, the more I feel anxious daily. Unfortunately, this becomes evident as I start having a hard time sleeping, concentrating, and focusing on day-to-day responsibilities. In these situations, I need to help my anxiety by slowing down.

When this happens, I know it is time to reevaluate my current situation. I've found that the most effective coping techniques that I've used for my anxiety always start with self-awareness and insight. If I don't take the time to assess my current circumstances, then I don't know what can be the most helpful for me. So, I take a step back and reflect on my situation.

During times like these, I know that my anxiety is not so much the result of having taken on too much as it is the result of feeling that there is a lack of structure and control. And so, to regain a sense of control and keep from feeling as though my situation is chaotic, I take some time to slow down.

How Slowing Down Helps My Anxiety

By slowing down to help my anxiety, I mean that instead of trying to multitask and complete too many things all at the same time, I organize and structure my day and focus on only one thing at a time. If I try to multitask, this becomes overwhelming and stressful, especially because it feels like my attention is being pulled in too many directions.

Beyond organizing my day to focus on one task at a time, I also try to prioritize the things I need to accomplish. For example, if I have a looming deadline on a project, this doesn't necessarily mean I need to work on it right away. If I allow myself to spend a lot of time thinking about it, I will feel more stressed, regardless of when that deadline is. The racing thoughts and worries can then become overwhelming and interfere with my daily functioning.

So, instead, I take an honest look at the things I need to work on and decide what is the most urgent. For those tasks, I will make them a priority and then focus my attention fully when I am working on them. Beyond that, to help keep my racing thoughts at bay, I make it a point to allow my thoughts to center only on the task at hand. This has taken quite a bit of practice, but the more I do this, the more I have found my tendency to ruminate decreases.

Lastly, it is tremendously helpful to have a structured schedule in which my responsibilities are organized and given a designated time. No matter how small or large the task is, it gets a spot on my schedule, and this helps me regain a sense of control that then lessens my anxious thoughts.

Take a look at the video below, in which I talk about what is helpful for me concerning slowing down to help my anxiety. Have you found this helpful for your anxiety? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below.