Follow these simple tips to help manage your anxiety so you can enjoy celebrations with your friends and family.

Tip # 1. Be aware

Anxiety doesn’t need to be at high levels in order for it to affect us. 

High levels can impact our work, relationships, as well as our health. 

We can improve our daily experiences by learning to recognise when we are allowing our worries to get the better of us.

Tip #2 Identify your triggers

People who are prone to feeling anxious may feel that it’s just the way they are but after some reflection, triggers that set off the vicious thinking cycle can usually be found. 

Past experiences may bias what we expect an outcome to be; feelings of inadequacy to deal with a crisis; and even an under-stimulated mind or social life can leave you fretting over the unknown. 

Keeping busy with your day to day life rather than living in your own head can help shift your attention.

Tip #3. Keeping negative thoughts in check

The main thing to remember is that thoughts are simply that – thoughts – and they do not always correspond with reality. 

It’s very easy to get caught up in the “What if?” way of thinking. Rather than living in fear of the unknown, it can be helpful to go ahead and actually answer the question – as scary as that may seem. 

Tip #4. “What if I embarrass myself in public?”

With people being so caught up in their own daily life, please consider how many people would actually notice. 

Also consider how you would react if someone else embarrassed themselves. 

Tip # 5. “What if I lose my job?”

If you spend hours worrying about losing your job, think about the practical things you can put into place to minimise the impact of job loss. 

Also evaluate how likely it would happen in the first place.