How to Manage Anxiety: Psychology-Backed Strategies That Can Help

Authored by La Jolla Vitality Co.

Anxiety is a normal human emotion. It can help us prepare for challenges, recognize potential problems, and respond to danger. But when anxiety becomes frequent, intense, or difficult to control, it can begin interfering with sleep, relationships, work, and everyday life.

The good news is that anxiety is treatable, and there are evidence-based psychological strategies that can help you respond to anxious thoughts and sensations more effectively.

You don't have to eliminate every anxious feeling. The goal is to develop the skills to manage anxiety rather than allowing anxiety to manage you.

Here are practical, psychology-backed approaches to consider.

1. Understand What Anxiety Is Trying to Do

Anxiety is essentially an alarm system.

Your brain detects a potential threat and prepares your body to respond. Your heart may beat faster, your muscles may tense, and your attention may become highly focused on whatever seems threatening.

The problem is that the alarm system can sometimes become overly sensitive.

You might experience intense anxiety about:

• A conversation

• A health concern

• Work

• Relationships

• Finances

• An upcoming event

• Something that happened in the past

• Something that might happen in the future

Recognizing anxiety as an alarm—not necessarily evidence that something terrible is happening—can be a useful first step.

2. Identify Your Anxiety Triggers

You can't change a pattern you haven't identified.

Consider keeping a brief anxiety journal for a week or two.

Write down:

What happened?

What did I think?

What did I feel physically?

What did I do in response?

What happened afterward?

You may begin to notice patterns.

For example:

Trigger: An unanswered text

Thought: "They're upset with me."

Feeling: Anxiety

Behavior: Checking the phone repeatedly

Short-term result: Temporary reassurance

Long-term result: More dependence on checking

Recognizing the cycle creates an opportunity to change it.

3. Challenge Anxious Thoughts

One of the core techniques associated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is examining the thoughts that contribute to anxiety.

Anxious thinking often includes:

• Catastrophizing

• Assuming the worst

• Overestimating danger

• Underestimating your ability to cope

• Mind-reading

• All-or-nothing thinking

• Treating uncertainty as intolerable

When you notice an anxious thought, ask:

What is the evidence for this thought?

What evidence contradicts it?

Am I assuming I know what someone else is thinking?

Am I predicting the future?

What's another possible explanation?

What would I tell a friend who had this thought?

The goal isn't to replace every negative thought with forced positivity.

It's to develop a more balanced interpretation.

4. Separate Possibility From Probability

Anxiety often focuses on what could happen.

But something being possible doesn't mean it's likely.

For example:

"Something could go wrong."

That's true of almost everything.

A more useful question is:

"How likely is it to happen, based on the evidence I have?"

Then ask:

"If it did happen, how would I cope?"

This shifts your attention from trying to guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen toward building confidence in your ability to handle uncertainty.

5. Practice Slow, Controlled Breathing

Anxiety can produce rapid or shallow breathing, which may contribute to uncomfortable physical sensations.

Slow, comfortable breathing can be a useful way to help settle your physiological arousal.

Try:

1. Relax your shoulders.

2. Breathe in comfortably through your nose.

3. Allow your abdomen to expand naturally.

4. Exhale slowly and comfortably.

5. Repeat for several breaths.

You don't need to take extremely deep breaths. Overly forceful breathing can sometimes make people feel lightheaded.

The objective is gentle, slower breathing, not trying to force yourself to feel calm immediately.

6. Don't Fight Every Physical Sensation

Anxiety can cause sensations such as:

• A racing heart

• Sweating

• Muscle tension

• Shaking

• Stomach discomfort

• A feeling of tightness

• Restlessness

These sensations can become more frightening when we interpret them catastrophically.

Instead of:

"My heart is racing. Something is terribly wrong."

try:

"My body is having an anxiety response. I can allow the sensation to pass."

This doesn't mean ignoring genuine medical symptoms. New, severe, or concerning physical symptoms should be appropriately evaluated.

But when symptoms are part of a known anxiety pattern, learning not to fear every sensation can reduce the anxiety cycle.

7. Stop Seeking Reassurance Every Time You Feel Anxious

Reassurance can provide immediate relief.

But repeatedly asking others:

"Are you sure everything is okay?"

or repeatedly checking symptoms, messages, locks, emails, or other sources of uncertainty can sometimes reinforce anxiety.

Your brain may learn:

"I can only feel safe after I check."

Instead, gradually practice tolerating uncertainty.

Try telling yourself:

"I don't know for certain, and I can tolerate not knowing right now."

This is particularly important when anxiety involves excessive checking or reassurance-seeking.

8. Face What You're Avoiding

Avoidance often makes anxiety stronger over time.

If something scares you, avoiding it can produce immediate relief.

But your brain may learn:

"I escaped, so that must have been dangerous."

Evidence-based treatments for anxiety frequently use exposure, in which a person gradually and safely approaches feared situations rather than continually avoiding them.

For example, someone with social anxiety might gradually progress from:

1. Making brief eye contact

2. Saying hello to someone

3. Asking a simple question

4. Having a short conversation

5. Attending a small social gathering

The process is gradual and individualized.

Exposure shouldn't mean forcing yourself into an overwhelming situation. A qualified therapist can help develop an appropriate exposure plan.

9. Reduce Safety Behaviors

Safety behaviors are actions people use to prevent something they fear from happening.

Examples might include:

• Constantly checking your phone

• Repeatedly rehearsing conversations

• Always sitting near an exit

• Avoiding eye contact

• Repeatedly researching symptoms

• Asking others for reassurance

• Carrying something "just in case"

These behaviors can make you feel safer temporarily but may prevent you from learning:

"I can handle this situation without doing all of these things."

Reducing safety behaviors gradually can help build confidence.

10. Schedule "Worry Time"

If your mind constantly produces worries throughout the day, try setting aside a specific period for them.

For example, schedule 15–20 minutes in the evening.

When a worry appears earlier in the day, write it down and tell yourself:

"I'll think about this during my worry period."

When the scheduled time arrives, review your list.

Some concerns may turn out to require action. Others may seem less important after you've had some distance.

This technique can help prevent worry from consuming the entire day.

11. Distinguish Problems From Worries

Not every anxious thought requires action.

Ask:

"Is there something I can actually do about this?"

If yes, identify one concrete action.

For example:

Problem: You have an upcoming presentation.

Action: Spend 30 minutes preparing.

But sometimes anxiety focuses on hypothetical situations:

"What if everyone thinks I'm terrible?"

There may be no action that can guarantee the outcome.

In those situations, the goal may be accepting uncertainty rather than continuing to analyze every possible outcome.

12. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without immediately judging or reacting to your experience.

When anxiety takes you into the future, mindfulness can help bring your attention back to what's actually happening now.

Try noticing:

• Your breathing

• Your feet touching the floor

• Sounds around you

• Sensations in your body

• What you can see

• What you're doing right now

You don't need to make the anxiety disappear.

Instead:

"I'm noticing that I'm anxious, and I'm going to continue with what I'm doing."

That distinction can be powerful.

13. Exercise Regularly

Physical activity is associated with improvements in mood and anxiety for many people.

You don't need an extreme exercise program.

Consider:

• Walking

• Running

• Cycling

• Swimming

• Dancing

• Strength training

• Yoga

• Recreational sports

Choose activities you enjoy enough to do consistently.

Exercise shouldn't become another source of pressure. The goal is regular movement, not perfection.

14. Prioritize Sleep

Poor sleep can make it harder to regulate emotions and cope with stress.

Create a consistent sleep routine when possible.

Try:

• Going to bed and waking at roughly consistent times

• Keeping your bedroom comfortable and dark

• Limiting stimulating activities before bed

• Creating a relaxing wind-down routine

• Addressing persistent sleep problems with a healthcare professional

If anxiety is repeatedly preventing you from sleeping, addressing the anxiety itself may also be important.

15. Pay Attention to Caffeine

Caffeine can increase alertness and, in some people, contribute to jitteriness or anxiety-like physical sensations.

If you experience significant anxiety, experiment with reducing caffeine—particularly later in the day.

You don't necessarily need to eliminate it completely.

Pay attention to how your body responds.

16. Build a Life That Isn't Organized Around Anxiety

When anxiety becomes prominent, life can gradually become smaller.

You may stop traveling.

Avoid social events.

Turn down opportunities.

Stay home.

Stop pursuing goals.

Avoid difficult conversations.

The more your life becomes organized around avoiding anxiety, the more power anxiety can have.

Instead, ask:

"What would I be doing if anxiety weren't making this decision for me?"

Then begin moving toward that life in manageable steps.

17. Practice Self-Compassion

People with anxiety often become frustrated with themselves:

"Why can't I just get over this?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"Other people don't seem this anxious."

Self-criticism can add another layer of distress.

Try responding to yourself with the same kindness you would offer someone you love.

"This is difficult, but I'm learning how to handle it."

"I don't have to solve everything today."

"Feeling anxious doesn't mean I'm failing."

Self-compassion doesn't mean giving up.

It creates a healthier foundation for change.

18. Focus on What You Can Control

Anxiety loves uncertainty.

But many aspects of life aren't under your control.

You can't control:

• Other people's opinions

• The future

• Every outcome

• Other people's behavior

• Whether unexpected events occur

You can control:

• Your actions

• Your preparation

• Your boundaries

• How you communicate

• How you care for yourself

• Whether you seek help

• How you respond to uncertainty

When anxiety starts spiraling, ask:

"What is within my control right now?"

Then focus your energy there.

19. Use Professional Treatment When You Need It

Self-help strategies can be useful, but you don't have to manage significant anxiety alone.

Psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment for many anxiety disorders. CBT is particularly well established, and other approaches—including exposure-based therapies and acceptance-based approaches—may also be helpful depending on the individual and the type of anxiety.

A mental health professional can help you:

• Identify patterns

• Challenge unhelpful thoughts

• Develop coping skills

• Work through avoidance

• Practice exposure when appropriate

• Address underlying concerns

• Create an individualized treatment plan

Medication may also be appropriate for some people and can be discussed with a qualified

healthcare professional.

20. Know When Anxiety Needs Professional Attention

Consider seeking professional help if anxiety:

• Is interfering with work or school

• Is affecting relationships

• Is disrupting sleep

• Causes significant avoidance

• Feels difficult to control

• Leads to frequent panic attacks

• Causes persistent physical symptoms

• Is significantly reducing your quality of life

You don't have to wait until anxiety becomes overwhelming.

Getting help early can make it easier to regain control.

A Simple Daily Anxiety-Management Routine

If you're looking for a starting point, try incorporating these five habits:

Morning: Take a few minutes for mindful breathing.

During the day: Notice anxious thoughts and question whether they are facts or predictions.

Movement: Get some form of physical activity.

Evening: Write down unresolved worries rather than carrying them into bed.

Throughout the day: Practice approaching—not automatically avoiding—situations that anxiety tells you to fear.

Start small.

Consistency is more important than doing everything perfectly.

The Takeaway

Managing anxiety isn't about creating a life in which you never feel worried, nervous, or uncertain.

It's about learning that you can experience anxiety without automatically obeying it.

Notice your thoughts.

Question catastrophic predictions.

Regulate your breathing.

Reduce unnecessary reassurance-seeking.

Gradually face what you avoid.

Move your body.

Protect your sleep.

Practice mindfulness and self-compassion.

And seek professional support when anxiety begins interfering with your life.

You may not be able to control every anxious thought that enters your mind—but you can learn to choose what you do next.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for general educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Anxiety can have many causes, and persistent or severe symptoms should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional. If you are experiencing an immediate mental health emergency or feel that you may be in danger, seek emergency assistance in your area.