Simple, practical guides based on CBT and gradual exposure. Read at your own pace and try things in small steps.
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Anxiety ManagementHealth anxiety (illness anxiety) is constant worry that you have or will get a serious illness, along with checking your body and searching symptoms online, even when medical check-ups come back fine. Gradually reducing checking and reassurance-seeking and questioning your thoughts are the core CBT methods for breaking this cycle.
Anxiety ManagementA panic attack is a sudden, intense wave of fear that peaks within a few minutes and comes with a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness and a feeling of losing control. Although it is very frightening, it is not dangerous; instead of escaping, lengthening your exhale, naming the symptoms and letting the wave pass are the most helpful steps.
Anxiety ManagementGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is excessive worry about many things, such as work, health, family and money, that is hard to control and has lasted on most days for at least six months, along with restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension and sleep problems. It differs from a phobia, which focuses on a specific situation, and CBT is one of the main research-backed approaches.
Anxiety ManagementNighttime anxiety is when worries pushed aside during the day come back louder in bed because there are fewer distractions, and the mind keeps spinning the same thoughts. CBT-based steps such as setting aside a short 'worry time' during the day, writing your thoughts down before bed, questioning them and getting out of bed if you can't sleep can help.
Anxiety ManagementCatastrophizing means thinking of the worst possible outcome of a situation as almost certain and believing you won't be able to cope with it. Together with mind reading, fortune telling, overgeneralization and all-or-nothing thinking, it is one of the most common thinking traps that fuel anxiety, and it can be noticed and balanced with a thought record.
Anxiety ManagementYou build an anxiety ladder by listing 8–12 scenarios related to the situation you fear, giving each an anxiety rating from 0 to 100 and ordering them from easiest to hardest. Then you start at the bottom step and work your way up, repeating each step until your anxiety clearly decreases.
Anxiety ManagementIn the 4-7-8 breathing technique you breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and breathe out slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds, repeating the cycle 4 times. The long exhale activates the body's calming system (the parasympathetic nervous system), helping to slow your heart rate and breathing during a moment of panic.