Stress is particularly difficult for a person with an anxiety disorder to deal with. Not only are more things perceived as being stressful, the same stressor affects a person with an anxiety disorder more strongly than other people. People with anxiety disorders are prone to deal with stress in more extreme ways, such as substance abuse, withdrawal, procrastinating, and other detrimental practices in order to deny or avoid problems. Anxiety symptoms become aggravated.

Luckily, you can learn how to handle stress in such a way that makes life easier to handle. The key is accepting your responsibility in your current stress situation: stress comes not necessarily from an event, but how you respond to it or perceive it.

The first step to better stress management is to identify what exactly causes you stress. To do this, you may require a few days of self-observation. Some stressors are obvious, such as debt, but others, not so much. Write them all down in a stress journal. A stress journal is a daily account of what caused you stress, how you felt (physically and emotionally), how you reacted, and what action you took to feel better.

The next step is to look at how you currently cope with stress. As mentioned before, many people turn to intoxicants to relax. Others will procrastinate, avoiding dealing with the stressor and instead fill their day with unimportant activities, such as watching hours of TV or using the computer for a long time. Other people sleep a lot or withdraw from those they love. Some eat more or less than usual. And more than a few take their stress out on others, whether it be through outbursts or anger or physical violence or just plain moodiness. Though these are common ways of dealing with stress, they also aren’t helpful in the long run and certainly don’t solve the problem.

There are four ways to deal with stressful situations:

• Avoid unnecessary stress: This means saying no when someone asks you to do something beyond your limits. It also means limiting the amount of time you spend with stressful people and cutting down your to-do list to what you must do, not what you think you should do. However, not all stress should be avoided. Sometimes changing a situation is necessary.


• Alter the situation: Instead of reacting the same way to a situation, try a different approach that can make things less stressful. This includes being more assertive or expressing your feelings rather than bottling them up. Also don’t be so immaleable; take steps to changing your behavior as well as asking others to change theirs. Additionally, learn how to manage your time rather than procrastinating.


• Adapt to the stressor: You can’t change all the stressors in your life. You can change the way you react or perceive them. Try such practices as focusing on the positive, reframing problems so that they can become opportunities and giving up on the idea of perfectionism, a major stressor for many people with anxiety. It is also a good idea to look at the big picture. How important is a stressful situation going to be tomorrow or a month from now? Is it really worth all of the stress.


• Accept what you cannot change: Surprisingly, some stressors, especially for those with anxiety, are the unchangeable. Dwelling in the past can cause feelings from an event long ago to come back repeatedly. But learning to forgive and sharing your feelings can go a long way in accepting the past and moving on. Also, not trying to control the uncontrollable, particularly the behavior of others can help reduce stress as well.

Putting some fun and relaxation in your life is a great way to deal with recurring stress. Find something that you love and do it regularly. This includes reading a good book, listening to music, watching a comedy, spending time with a positive people, or developing a hobby.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can also reduce anxiety significantly. Exercising regularly can help release stress while eating a healthy diet and eating regularly can keep your blood sugar up, as well as your mood. Avoiding caffeine, refined sugar, and intoxicants is also very helpful. Make sure you get enough sleep as well, as a poorly rested person tends to think irrationally as well.

Stress is not only a psychological problem, it is also a health hazard. Take steps now to keep stress under control.