I provide in-person services in Roseville, CA & serve surrounding communities throughout California (Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Folsom & Sacramento).
Everyone encounters anxiety and stress during their lives at one point—never-ending bills, demanding schedules, work, and family responsibilities—and that can make stress seem inescapable and uncontrollable. Anxiety and stress management skills are designed to help a person take control of their lifestyle, thoughts, and emotions and teach them healthy ways to cope with their problems.
Find the Cause
Major life changes and events such as marriage, divorce, birth of a new child, new job or job loss, retirement, ending a relationship, moving or sociopolitical changes can precipitate adjustment difficulties leading one to feel overwhelmed, anxious and unbalanced. Lack of focus, concentration, motivation and increased agitation, irritability, anger and resentment may be experienced as we experience such changes.
The first step in anxiety and stress management is identifying your stressors. While this sounds fairly easy—it’s not hard to point to major changes or a lot of work piling up—chronic anxiety and stress can be complicated, and most people don’t realize how their habits contribute to their anxiety and stress levels. Maybe work piling up isn’t from the actual demands of your job, but more so from your procrastination. You have to claim responsibility for the role you play in creating your anxiety and stress or you won’t be able to control it.
Strategies for Anxiety and Stress Management
Once you’ve found what causes your stress, focus on what you can control. Eliminate the realistic stressors and develop consistent self-care habits. Instead of watching TV or responding to texts in bed after work - take a walk, or read a book. Maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough quality sleep, will ease feelings of anxiety and stress and help you relax.
Also, make a conscious effort to set aside time for yourself and for relaxation. Alone time can be whatever you need it to be. Some people like doing activities such as tai chi, yoga, or meditation, but you can also treat yourself to something simple, like getting out in nature, listening to music or watching a funny movie.
Finally, don’t feel like you have to solve your anxiety and stress on your own. Reach out to your trusted family members and friends. Whether you need help with a problem or just need someone to listen, find a person who will be there to positively reinforce and support you. If anxiety and stress becomes chronic, don’t hesitate to seek the help of a therapist.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy are some of the best treatment interventions for reducing symptoms of anxiety and stress. Therapy is also an effective intervention for anger management. Anger is often referred to as a "secondary emotion." Underlying emotions such as fear, worry, sadness can be repressed or suppressed to an extent that can impact emotional regulation. Emotional dysregulation and reactivity can occur when one neglects or fails to notice triggers, signs and symptoms of increased stress and anxiety.
