As a hypnotherapist, one of my specialisms is in the area of anxiety. After experiencing crippling anxiety in the past, it’s now a mission of mine to help others to burn away their anxieties for good. With that in mind, here are my top five tips to help you burn away your anxiety.

 

1. Meditate rather than medicate. In my view, GPs hand out pills like they’re sweets and don’t do enough to help people overcome anxiety. Medication only masks anxiety; it doesn’t cure it. However, meditation is a great alternative that can genuinely help you to feel good on the inside. So give yourself the gift of ten minutes alone each morning and evening so you can sit down, close your eyes, breathe, allow yourself to relax, and feel the positive energy within you.

 

2. Tell yourself that feelings are not facts. This can be a hard one as negative beliefs are part of anxiety, but it’s important to challenge those beliefs. You may feel low self-worth or shame because of your anxiety, but it doesn’t mean you actually are any of those things that you think you are. So, my task for you is to look in the mirror each morning and say one nice thing to yourself out loud. Give yourself a compliment and tell yourself what you actually are. Negative thoughts always come before negative feelings, so start the day with a positive thought about yourself and let that shape how you feel for the rest of the day.

 

3. Attend a social event, even if you don’t want to. Are you going to let your anxiety win or are you going to tell it to do one? Being an introvert is ok, but it’s good to connect with other people socially. Your anxiety may be socially related, which could make this tip difficult for you, but you may find that you enjoy yourself once you’re out. If you have a friend who knows about your anxiety, tell them to force you to go out. It’s for your long term benefit.

 

4. Accept your anxiety. In order to overcome your anxiety, you need to accept it. This doesn’t mean that you give into it and fall deeper into the cloud of anxiety; it’s more about understanding the anxiety that is a part of your life and then working on a strategy to reduce or overcome it.

 

5. Know when to get help. If anxiety is having a detrimental impact on your life, it’s important to know when to ask for help. This could be speaking to a friend or family member, or it could be going to see a therapist. Either way, know that you are not alone and that there are people who can help you.