An anxiety diagnosis can be a big deal. Putting a name to your experience, having it recognized by a professional, and knowing that other people have gone through something similar can be immediately reassuring. People sometimes spend years feeling like something is off and wondering if something is wrong. Other times, a diagnosis is a complete shock.
Whether it is a long-awaited confirmation or an unexpected development, an anxiety diagnosis is an important step. It’s also far from the end of the journey. Many questions come with a diagnosis: What now? What does treatment look like? Am I stuck with this for life?
Every journey with anxiety is unique. Fortunately, some tried-and-true techniques for managing anxiety are accessible and easy to implement. Let’s take a closer look at what to do after an anxiety diagnosis.
Educate Yourself
Take the time to learn more about anxiety. Educating yourself is a great way to better understand your potential triggers and the signs and symptoms you’re dealing with. Once you have a better understanding of the specific type of anxiety you’re diagnosed with, you can work on being able to manage it more effectively.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Properly fueling your body can help you feel good from the inside out. Unhealthy food and drinks can actually exacerbate anxiety. While most things are fine in moderation, try to ensure you’re consuming healthy foods and well-balanced meals. Limiting your consumption of substances like alcohol, caffeine, and drugs is another great step toward feeling healthier.
Prioritize Your Sleep
Anxiety and poor sleep quality can end up linked in a vicious cycle. Anxiety can lead to difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night, and insufficient sleep can worsen anxiety levels. You should be aiming for between seven to nine hours of sleep each night so that your body and brain can function and full capacity.
Try to get on a good sleep schedule and routine by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up around the same time each morning. Yes, this includes weekends too! Doing so will help your body and brain feel more awake in the morning and more tired at night.
Move Your Body
Exercise has been proven to be extremely beneficial for one’s physical health, but it can be just as important for one’s overall mental health and wellness. By releasing good-feeling endorphins, moving your body can help to improve your mood and reduce your anxiety levels.
Find ways to move your body that work for you. This could include going to the gym, walking or running outside, or completing a yoga routine from the comfort of your own home. Try to find ways to exercise for at least thirty minutes each day to start seeing the benefits.
Practice Mindfulness
Incorporating mindfulness or relaxation techniques into your routine can be a great way to become a little more proactive instead of reactive with your anxiety. These mechanisms can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings so that you can work to better manage them.
Some of these techniques include deep breathing, body scans, or meditation. A major benefit of these skills is that they don’t require any equipment, and you can do them just about anywhere.
Seek Professional Support
Just like there’s nothing wrong with going to the doctor, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with going to a therapist. Unfortunately, there is a stigma associated with mental health. But the longer you go on hiding, dismissing, or ignoring your struggles, the worse they can become.
Connecting with a mental health professional can help you get to the root cause of your anxiety as well as help you better manage and cope. Don’t delay getting the help you need and deserve. Reach out today to set up an initial consultation for anxiety therapy.
