Anyone who has experienced anxiety or a panic attack knows how painful and torturous it can be. Trying to control or eliminate anxiety often feels frustrating and almost impossible, but anxiety is actually highly responsive to treatment.
One very effective way to counter anxiety is to become aware of the possibility that your mind may be overreacting to situations. In other words, you may be responding to a situation as if it's a "10" (on a scale of 1-10) when it is really only a "1, 2 or 3".
Example: Running late for an event creates a feeling of anxiety,panic and a response as if the situation is a "9 or 10". However, exploring the likely outcome of running late reveals that the situation does not truly warrant such a high stress-level response. "1 or 2" is a much more accurate level of stress in most instances of running late.
Overreacting can be a habit. Emotionally painful experiences in the past can create overreaction as a default setting to any stressor. With awareness and some simple techinques, these habits can be changed to create an increased sense of peace.
The next time you feel panicked or anxious ask yourself if you are overreacting and see if the situation truly deserves a highly intense response.
See "Coping With Anxiety, Part 2" and "Coping With Anxiety, Part 3"
