Coping with anxiety can be very difficult. And when you hear voices on all sides telling you to “calm down,” it’s impossible at all. But we know a few ways that you can help.

No, you cannot just pick yourself up. Anxiety disorder puts a person in a stupor and makes him afraid of even the most ordinary things. But you should not confuse anxiety with stress, stress is a perfectly normal reaction of the body to external stimuli, but anxiety appears when everything seems to be normal.

Unfortunately, there is no universal cure for anxiety. It is clear that a deep breath and a long exhalation or a long walk in the park will not solve the problem, but the degree of tension will decrease. Just like you may be afraid of an exam, but thinking about who can write my essay will save you from unnecessary anxiety.

Below you will find a shortlist of simple rules of life that have helped many people learn to live with anxiety and not let it poison every new day.

Dedicate your morning to yourself

The alarm clock rings ten times, the dog has licked your face for half an hour, the kitchen radio is playing, and in 40 minutes meeting at work. Sound familiar? Day after day, we drive ourselves almost to hysteria. The secret lies in leaving the house calm and prepared. Allow yourself an hour in comfort before plunging into the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Get up early, take a contrasting shower, make a delicious breakfast, and play with the dog – all without rushing. And make a habit of making your bed in the morning. It’s an effortless activity, but it’s one task you’re more than likely to master. And if you have a bad day, you’ll be glad to come home to a clean and tidy house.

Make a plan

Unfinished business makes you nervous and creates guilt and, of course, anxiety. Okay, time management is not for everyone, but everyone can make a to-do list for the day. It is important not to leave anything out and write down every little thing – the more pleasant it will be to cross things off the list and enjoy your accomplishments (even if all you had to do was take out the trash).

It is very useful to make such a plan before going to bed – so it will be easier to fall asleep and get rid of worries. It is necessary to go to bed with a sense of deep satisfaction.

Forget about gadgets

Sometimes it’s enough just to put your phone into silent mode. We don’t even think about how much excitement and anxiety are brought by calls and texts that we don’t expect. You can always call back or write a little later – no one gets hurt (and you can get a separate phone for your beloved grandmother and always be in touch).

The same goes for social media. By turning off notifications of new comments, messages, and likes, you can reduce the number of anxiety attacks. And don’t start your day with a social media feed – give yourself some time to enjoy a quiet and peaceful life before plunging into a world of arguments, insults, and bad news. Or better yet, remove all apps from your smartphone. After all, going to social networks through the browser is not so convenient – very soon the desire to hang out on the Internet will disappear by itself.

Learn to say no and goodbye

You have to learn to say “no.” If you can do what you’re asked to do, do it, but don’t overstep your bounds and make an effort.

And you had better learn to say “goodbye” to those who are poisoning your life. This is not selfishness but only care for yourself and your sanity. Sure, it can be hard to cut pseudo-friends out of your life, but it’s better this way. Deleting, unsubscribing, blocking, and not answering the phone is the minimum.

Think of the good

A competent therapist can help with anxiety in most cases. One of the main techniques is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Its essence lies in the fact that the therapist helps the patient identify and articulate “automatic” thoughts and attitudes that poison your life and prevent normal functioning in society. It is important that the therapist does not impose the “right” way of thinking, but conducts a dialogue with the patient, after which the patient himself wants to change his attitude to a more positive ones.

But if you do not have time or desire to go to a specialist, you can start by yourself: at the end of the day, try to objectively evaluate the events that happened to you. Have you achieved at least one goal? Did you meet a pleasant person? Maybe something minor, but pleasant, happened? If you take your day apart piece by piece, you’ll find that it wasn’t so bad at all. Think about what you are thankful for that day. Whether it was a beautiful sunrise or a delicious lunch, it doesn’t matter. For every bad thought, three good ones.

Try it and see: there are far fewer truly bad days in our lives than we think.