How to get rid of chronic anxiety - 5 tips from psychologist

How to recognize chronic anxiety

"Every person can have feelings, can spin themselves up half a turn and get worried. If these are episodic states or are related to critical, dangerous real events - anxiety is justified, it has a basis. And here we will say 'to worry is normal,'" explains Holentovska.

It is important to understand when anxiety becomes a problem. This happens when events that have not yet occurred, and you are already experiencing and worrying about their possibility of occurrence, the catastrophic consequences that this problem will lead to, about the unknown that may await you.

Signs of chronic anxiety

• persistent worry and feeling on edge
• reduced energy levels
• easily fatigued
• difficulty concentrating
• irritability
• muscle tension, body aches
• sleep problems

How to get rid of chronic anxiety

"Start with the simple fact that anxiety is not equal to me. It's just a state, and it's changeable. Concluding your personality solely based on anxiety is at least unfair," says the psychologist.

"Don't try to get rid of anxious thoughts, as this can make them more aggressive."

Holentovska also advises learning to notice such thoughts but not to stick to them or make decisions based on them.

"It's a skill that needs to be practiced, otherwise, these thoughts will 'stick' in your head and haunt you. Your thought is not yet the truth. Often we confuse our assumptions with real facts," the expert says.

She recommends consciously noticing your emotions and being attentive to them. This is necessary to develop effective emotional regulation skills.

"Anxious people constantly try to do something about this state, hence the constant hustle and focus on it. Some try to avoid their emotions," Holentovska explains.

It's worth testing new behavior for yourself and doing the opposite of your usual actions. Allow emotions to come and go, without getting fixated on them.

"This way you can see that not all states are catastrophic if you don't make them the center of your life. You can endure them and perceive them as background noise. Once you stop holding onto your anxiety, it decreases on its own," the psychologist says.

Earlier, we wrote about how the inner critic actually affects our self-esteem.