Anxiety Toolkit

This post will show you various tools to use. Some will work for you; others will not. Your task is to find the ones that suit you and put them all in an imaginary box.

Be prepared to try different tools at different times. Be open-minded – don’t dismiss an idea until you’ve tried it. Often the tool you’re sure won’t work for you is the one that does. If you find other techniques that help that aren’t mentioned here, add them to your imaginary box too.

Don’t forget… praise yourself

When you notice you’ve used a technique that helps you stand up to your anxiety, praise yourself. It is essential to stay kind to yourself. Keep reassuring yourself that you are OK right now and doing your best.

Celebrate every positive step you make, even the small ones. Self-praise helps us stay motivated, rather than slipping into self-shaming. If you do mess up, don’t beat yourself up about it. Let yourself off the hook. Remember, we are all a work in progress – still growing, still learning.

In this anxiety toolkit are techniques that can be done by anyone, anywhere. Start tackling your anxiety today and take steps towards more freedom.

Get to know yourself

Learn to recognise the onset of an anxiety attack.

What does it feel like?
What thoughts and feelings warn you that your anxiety is rising and might become hard to manage?

As soon as you start feeling anxious, you can try one of the techniques below. The idea is to manage your anxiety before it stops you leaving the house or makes you avoid social situations.

Anxiety Toolkit

1. Count the colours

You can do this anywhere, with any colour. It helps you move your focus away from your thoughts and become more aware of your surroundings. I’ve picked yellow as it feels like a cheerful colour, but you can pick any colour you like.

1. Look around you and find something yellow. Pick something that is close to you or a yellow object that is obvious. Focus on it.

2. Now look around you and find other yellow objects: something big, something small. Keep count of them.

3. Sit somewhere quiet and close your eyes. How many yellow things can you imagine? Keep count.

2. Stand up straight

When we feel anxious we tend to make ourselves small. We try to hide away so that no one notices us. Instead, you can stand tall and imagine yourself taking up space.

• Put both feet flat on the floor with your weight evenly distributed.

• Gently straighten your back from your tailbone upwards. Let your head come into a natural position.

• Take a deep breath, broaden your chest and let your lungs expand.

3. Five, four, three, two, one

This exercise is a popular one when you feel a panic attack coming on. It’s useful when you are waiting around and can help you feel grounded fairly quickly.

Ask yourself:

• What five things can I see?
  Count five items on one hand. It can be anything – a car, a crack in the pavement, your feet.

• What four things can I hear?
  Listen for four different sounds around you, and again count them on your hand one at a time.

• What three things can I smell?

• What two things can I feel?
  (For example, your feet in your shoes, the chair under you, your hands on your lap.)

• What one thing can I taste?

4. Hands on

This exercise is useful if focusing on your breath alone doesn’t help you. By focusing on a physical sensation, it can help stop your mind racing.

• Hold one hand in front of you with the fingers relaxed.

• Place the first finger of your other hand on the base of your thumb. Slowly move your finger up the side of your thumb as you breathe in. Pause briefly at the tip.

• Then trace your finger down the other side as you breathe out. Pause when you reach the fold between the thumb and the next finger.

• Continue in the same way around the rest of your fingers: breathe in as you go up, pause at the top; breathe out as you go down, pause at the fold.

• Swap hands and repeat if you wish.

5. Worry time

This exercise encourages you to set aside 10 minutes and write down all your worries.

If your mind is very busy, simply sit down and write everything that is on your mind. Everything. Keep writing until it is all out.

When you have finished, tear up the paper. Keep tearing it into small pieces. Throw the pieces into the bin and take a deep breath.

This can help you see how illogical some of your thoughts are. Writing them down slows them down and can bring some calmness.

6. Exercise

Being active can help burn off anxious energy. Finding small ways to build movement into your daily routine can also help keep anxiety in check. Think of small changes you could make, such as:

• Getting off your bus, tram or train one or two stops early and walking the rest of the way home.

• Taking the stairs instead of the lift.

• Going for a walk with friends rather than sitting in a park, coffee shop or bar.

• Pacing while you’re on the phone.

• Taking a walk at lunchtime, even if it’s just around the block, campus or playground.

7. Get rid of the parrot

Do you often have a “parrot” on your shoulder telling you that you are not good enough or that you are a failure? If so, you need to knock that parrot off its perch.

• Notice the negative thoughts and feelings that are screeching in your mind.

• Imagine a parrot on your shoulder shouting out all these insults and insecurities.

• In your mind’s eye, knock the parrot off your shoulder so you don’t have to listen any more.

• If the negative thoughts persist and the parrot hops back up, knock it off again. Anytime you notice it back on your shoulder, knock it off.

8. Project playlist

Music is a great way of changing your mood. Do you have a song that always makes you dance or sing?

When you’re feeling fairly settled, put together a playlist of songs that evoke a sense of calm or make you feel secure. Notice how each song makes you feel. Notice the physical sensations that go with this feeling of calm or happiness.

You can then play this playlist when your anxiety rises.

9. Mood journal – how am I feeling right now?

Keep a mood journal for a few days. At intervals throughout the day, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is completely calm and 10 is hyper-anxious.

1 – Super chill
5 – On the edge
10 – Peak anxiety

Note down the time as well as the score, then you can see what patterns arise. Are there regular times when you are more anxious?

If so, try to build some of these “calm zone” ideas into your routine ahead of these anxiety-inducing times, people or places.

10. Reframe reality

This is a mental rehearsal trick. Visualise yourself succeeding at something you are dreading. It might be a date, a work performance review, or a difficult conversation.

Instead of focusing on everything that could go wrong, imagine what could go right. Go all out with this – then go all out again – until you are ready to let your star shine bright.

• Imagine an upcoming scene vividly. Your senses are your props. What will you be able to see, hear and smell?

• Who, what and how? What are you wearing? Who are your “co-stars”? What’s the backdrop? What’s your motivation for being there? The more detail, the better.

• And… action. Imagine the best possible way things could play out. Picture yourself calm, confident and in control. We’re talking best-case scenario here.

  11. Mindfulness

  Mindfulness can be another powerful tool in your anxiety toolkit, gently bringing your attention back to the present moment instead of getting lost in ‘what ifs’.