Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life….But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The feelings can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships.”
National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH)
Actions For Now
Steps (& Apps) to Reduce Symptoms
- “5 Quick Ways To Ground Yourself When Anxiety Hits”: Tried and true tips from a therapist that you can engage in no matter the place or time.
- “Screening For Generalized Anxiety Disorder”: This online questionnaire can help you figure out whether your level of anxiety is unhealthy
- “11 Ways To Stop A Panic Attack”: Prevent a panic attack from ruining your day with these tricks
- “Sensory Tips To Soothe Anxiety”: These anti-anxiety activities engage with your senses to reduce symptoms
- Emotion Explorer: Get to the bottom of how you’re feeling, how it’s affecting you, and what you can do to soothe yourself with this interactive website
- Self-Defeating Beliefs: These worksheets will help you identify thoughts that are causing distress and preventing you from living a full life
- Tried and True Anxiety Busters: This infographic offers ideas for managing anxiety in your daily life
- Worry Worksheet: This worksheet helps you overcome worries by organizing your thoughts and developing simple solutions
- “1 Simple Strategy To Reduce Anxiety in a Crowded Place”: This technique is effective both for coping with claustrophobia and dealing with feelings of anxiety and/or panic in general
- Workplace Anxieties: Sometimes, you just need to laugh about workplace anxieties. These comics take care of that!
- Guided Meditation: This meditation focuses on relieving anxiety, stress, and worry
- Tapping Exercise: Another brain-based, tapping exercise to help you reduce anxiety
- “Guided Meditation For Detachment from Overthinking”: This meditation aims to free you from thoughts that threaten to lock themselves into your head and cause chronic worry
- “Surefire Tips To Overcome Presentation Anxiety”: This graphic will show you how to become secure in public speaking
- “5 Senses Meditation”: A mindfulness meditation to reduce anxiety. This is a written meditation rather than an audio or video meditation, so you can take it at your own pace.
- “Aromatherapy For Panic Attacks”: These scents have soothing properties that can help when panic threatens to overwhelm you
- “Calming Exercise” ft. Carolyn Wolf, LMFT: This physical exercise will soothe you when you feel overstimulated
- One Minute Mindfulness Exercise: This quick, deep breathing exercise will help you reduce feelings of anxiety
- 21 Day Anxiety Challenge: Try a new self-care activity each day to reduce anxiety symptoms and increase your sense of inner peace
Apps
- Breathe2Relax: Breathing exercises for stress management, anger control, and anxiety management
- Headspace: Learn meditation for stress and anxiety
- SAM: Monitor anxious thoughts and behaviors over time, coping exercises
- Mindshift: Change your thinking to better cope with your anxiety
- notOK: Receive immediate support from your friends, family, or peer network
- SuperBetter: Play games that strengthen your emotional resiliency
For Allies
Give the Best Support Possible
“36 People Share How They’ve Helped Their Friends Through Anxiety”: These real-life examples can inspire you in your allyship
“How To Help A Friend With Social Anxiety Disorder”: Learn more about how Social Anxiety might manifest itself in your friend, and how you can provide support
“Information For Friends And Family,” On OCD: Learn more about OCD and how other families have worked to support loved ones coping with it
“7 Things You Shouldn’t Say To Someone With Anxiety”: Avoid these phrases and ideas, which may seem helpful but can actually cause harm
“How You Can Support a Partner Who’s Struggling with their Mental Health”: Kristin Dart, LICSW, offers tips for those unsure how to best support their significant other during tough psychological times.
You’re Not Alone
Connect with Others, Hear their Stories & Access Playlists
- “I Embrace My Anxiety, Because It’s Part Of Me”: China McCarney, the founder of Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression (see our “Advocate” section), discusses his journey with anxiety and self-acceptance
- “We’re All Mad Here”: Award-winning writer Claire Eastham draws from her own experiences with anxiety in this witty, honest blog
- Check In With Me: Having a rough day and looking for support? This community from The Mighty has you covered.
- Social Anxiety Forums: Learn about a number of online forums for living with social anxiety
- “The Day I Met My Fear Of Butterflies: A Story Of Traveling With Phobias”: The writer reflects on her butterfly phobia and how it affects her life plans
- “Social Anxiety: A Day In The Life”: Misdiagnoses and self-medication are both covered in this New York Times article about Social Anxiety Disorder
- “Living With Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)”: One woman opens up about her struggle with anxiety, particularly when it comes to social interactions, and how it interplays with her life as a college student
- The OCD Stories: Listen to the podcast or join the online community to hear other people’s stories of hardship and hope
- “Panic Attack!”: This writer turned her anxious thoughts into a short film, which you can watch here
- “25 Stories of Panic Attacks And Living With Anxiety”: Buzzfeed readers shared experiences with panic
Tune In
Check out our Spotify playlist for Anxiety here
- “Breathe (2 AM),” Anna Nalick
- “Days Like This,” Van Morrison
- “Brave,” Sara Bareilles
- “19th Nervous Breakdown,” The Rolling Stones
- “Don’t Panic,” Coldplay
- “Here Comes The Sun,” The Beatles
- “Waving Through A Window,” Dear Evan Hansen
- “Vienna,” Billy Joel
- “Breathe,” Michelle Branch
- “fake smile,” Ariana Grande
- “The Middle,” Jimmy Eat World
- “Let Go,” Frou Frou
- “Mr. Brightside,” The Killers
- “Delicate,” Taylor Swift
- “Breathe Me,” Sia
- “Keep Breathing,” Ingrid Michaelson
- “Demons,” Imagine Dragons
- “Obsessions,” Marina and the Diamonds
- “Roar,” Katy Perry
- “Be Ok,” Ingrid Michaelson
- “Let It Go,” Frozen
- “breathin,” Ariana Grande
- “The Remedy,” Jason Mraz
Master The Subject
Learn How it Works & The Science Behind It
- “Anxiety Disorders, National Institute Of Mental Health: Learn what anxiety disorders are, how they may manifest, and common forms of treatment
- “The Anatomy Of Anxiety”: How does anxiety affect your brain’s functioning?
- “Impact of Anxiety Disorders”: This article and graphic explain how anxiety can affect your physical and psychological wellness
- “Anxiety Disorders”, National Alliance On Mental Health: Another overview on anxiety disorders, their effects, and approaches to treating them
- International OCD Foundation: Learn more about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and how you can cope with it
- “3 Signs Your Mental Health is Interfering With Your Work”: Melanie Shapiro, LICSW, details ways in which chronic mental health concerns can derail your professional goals and offers advice for coping
- Social Anxiety Support: Learn more about Social Anxiety and connect with others in the online forum
- “Phobias and Irrational Fears”: How do phobias work, and how can you fight them?
- APA, “How Psychologists Help with Anxiety Disorders”: Learn how a professional can aid you as you learn to manage your anxiety
- “Irrational Versus Rational Thoughts,” parts one and two: Identify irrational fears and replace them with more realistic ideas
- Mindfulness for Healthy Living: How can mindfulness ease your symptoms and contribute to your wellbeing?
- International Paruresis Association: Find resources for anxiety-induced bladder issues
- Anxiety Slayer: This podcast covers everything from breathing techniques to dissociation
- How To File For Social Security Benefits With An Anxiety Disorder: Get your healthcare covered by applying for the benefits you deserve
- How to Conquer a Phobia: Learn what phobias are and how you can reduce related symptoms in this blog
- “Networking With Social Anxiety”: Advice for connecting with other professionals in a way that won’t overwhelm you with worry
Advocate
Connect to the Larger Movement
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America: This nonprofit is a leader in research, education, and training for mental health disorders
- International OCD Foundation: Their mission is to help everyone with OCD and/or related disorders live full and happy lives
- Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression: This nonprofit is dedicated to bringing awareness, prevention, and treatment to those suffering from mental health issues, and to reduce the stigma around them.
- AnxietyBC: Located in British Columbia, this organization offers free anxiety plans, educational resources, videos, and apps to people around the world.