3 Self-Help Tips For Coping With Anxiety Attacks

To begin with, it's important to understand that the inability to handle uncertainty plays a very large role in anxiety and worry.

Self-help tip #1: Learn to accept uncertainty

If you are a chronic worrier, you probably have a hard time when you don't know with 100% uncertainty what's going to happen.

But thinking about all the things that could go wrong, doesn't make like any more predictable. So, one good way to stop constant worrying is to work on your need for immediate answers and total certainty.

Ask yourself questions such as, "is it really possible to be certain about everything, " " How helpful would it be if you could be certain about everything," and "do I predict bad things will happen just because I'm uncertain."

Asking and answering these questions can go a long way to helping you stop worrying as much.

Self-help tip #2: Challenge negative thoughts

If you suffer from GAD, chances are you think the world is more dangerous then it really is. For example, you may think that everything you do will turn our badly or you may immediately jump to a worst-case scenario.

These negative thoughts are called cognitive distortions and are usually part of a lifelong pattern of thinking - making them hard to break.

To fight these negative thoughts, start by identifying the thoughts that are frightening you, then treat them not as facts but as hypotheses that you are testing.

For example, you might ask yourself questions such as "is there a better, more positive way to look at the situation," "what's the probability of the event that is frightening me actually happening," and "what is the evidence that this thought is true or that it's not true."

Self-help-tip #3: Learn to relax

If you are a chronic worrier, learn some relaxation techniques such as muscle relaxation, deep breathing and meditation - all of which can teach you to relax. The key here is to practice your relaxation technique every day. Try to set aside 30 minutes a day. Over time, the relaxation response will become easier and more natural and you will find that you blood pressure stabilizes, your heart rate slows down and you breathe slower and more deeply.