Read time: 5 mins

Anxiety was this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness week and it’s one I've had my fair share of experience with. 

It's a common yet often overlooked part of living with a chronic health condition – and can be one of the most draining and difficult to manage. 

But you CAN learn to manage it. I'm going to share 6 tried-and-tested ways to help you take back control.

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry or apprehension.

It’s a normal human emotion that we all feel from time to time, especially in times of uncertainty. 

The problem is, managing a chronic health condition can create uncertainty around simple, everyday things that others don’t even have to think about:

❓ Will this get worse? 

❓ What if I have a flare at work? 

❓ What if the environment is inaccessible? 

❓ How do I fit appointments around work? 

❓ Do I disclose? When? How much do I share?

❓ Will people believe me? Will they see me as less capable?

❓ Do I ask for the support I need or muddle through?

❓ Does the benefit of X new intervention outweigh the risks? 

Left unchecked, this constant state of anticipation sends your nervous system into high alert – scanning your environment for the smallest sign of danger. You might not even notice you’re doing it anymore, but your body does.

To cope, you might find yourself:

👉 Avoiding new or challenging situations 

👉 Turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms 

👉 Pushing through in survival mode 

In time, these strategies chip away at the very things you were trying to protect: 

💚 your health

💛 your happiness

🧡 your quality of life

Becoming aware of this pattern is the first step towards changing it.

So what can we do instead?

Whilst there’s no one-size-fits all approach, there are several science-backed strategies for managing anxiety in the moment and longer-term. Think of these as a pick 'n' mix you can choose from in different situations.

1. Get out of your head and into your body

Changing your physiology is one of the quickest ways to shift your psychology. This might sound woo-woo, but there’s a wealth of research that supports it. Here are two simple ways you can do it: 

👉 Breathwork: Certain breathing techniques can help down-regulate your nervous system from “fight or flight” mode into “rest and digest”. The easiest ones to start with are:

• Box breathing: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4
• 4-7-8 breathing: in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8

Repeat until you feel calmer. You can also try a guided app, like Breathwrk.

👉 Exercise: Anything from a walk to some gentle stretches or a full body workout. It can shift your focus, whilst also releasing hormones that help to lift your mood. 

2. Interrupt the pattern

Ever had a friend make you laugh out loud when you were sad or angry? 

Anxiety can fixate our mind on a particular thought pattern. Interrupting this with the right trigger can lift our mood in an instant, just long enough for us to get back in the driver’s seat.

When we’re feeling down or anxious, we’re usually drawn to things that match our mood (think Adele + ice cream).

Instead, try something that shifts it – put fun music on and dance it out, watch something funny, or call that friend who always makes you laugh. 

You won’t feel like it at first, but it can make a surprising difference.

3. Balance your blood sugar

Regulating blood sugar levels is important for everyone (not just diabetics) and can have a huge impact on your mood. Ever felt hangry? Well, you can get hanxiety too!

Unfortunately, anxiety can also cause behaviours that send blood sugar spiralling, like skipping meals, reaching for sugary snacks or drinking alcohol – causing a vicious cycle. Nobody likes a vicious cycle. 

Maintaining regular meals that have a healthy balance of protein, complex carbs and fat will help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day.

4. Create distance between you, your thoughts and your emotions

Challenge your thoughts: Pause, write and reflect.

👉 What thought is making me feel this way? 

👉 How likely is it to happen?

👉 If it did, how could I cope with it?

👉 What would I advise a friend in the same situation?

👉 What evidence do I have that I’ve coped with challenges before? 

You are not your emotions: The language we use is more powerful than we think. Expressing anxiety as an emotion (“I feel anxious”), rather than as a fixed trait (“I am anxious”, “I have anxiety”) allows you room to grow and helps reinforce the belief that you can learn to manage it.

5. Connection and support

We’re social creatures – connection is a must have, not a nice to have. Yet the stigma surrounding mental health can often make people withdraw when they need it most.

• Don’t shut yourself away – make an extra effort to connect with friends, family or new people
• If you can, share how you’re feeling – talking through worries out loud can give you a different perspective
• Ask for support – be that from loved ones or by searching for support services in your country (some examples in the UK)

6. Build your mental fitness

Prevention is better than cure. Take steps to care for your mental health proactively:

👉 Make time for rest and active relaxation, to bring your nervous system into balance – such as journaling, breathwork or time in nature

👉 Counterbalance your default thought patterns by prompting yourself to notice the positive each day – what went well, what you’re grateful for, what you’re looking forward to. 

Just a few minutes each day adds up to sustainable, longer-term changes.

Knowing this stuff is one thing, applying it is another.

When you’re feeling panicked, it’s easy to slip into old coping mechanisms. Don’t beat yourself up for it, plan for it – whilst you’re feeling good:

👉 Choose the strategies you’d like to try (keep an open mind) 

👉 Write them somewhere easily accessible, like pinned to your notes app

👉 Practise when you’re feeling good, so they become second nature

👉 Accountability works – so hit reply and let me know which ones you’ll try!

In time, you’ll build your own personal toolkit to fall back on when things get tough.

Remember, you’ve got this. 

PS. Got a topic in mind that you’d love me to cover? Send me your suggestions here