What is Anxiety and How to Manage It: Practical Tips for Mental Health | Episode 20

What is Anxiety?

Example: Feeling nervous before a big presentation is stress; persistent worry for weeks about events that may never happen is anxiety.

Practical Tips to Manage Anxiety

1. Deep Breathing Exercises

   • Box breathing: inhale 4 sec → hold 4 sec → exhale 4 sec → hold 4 sec.

   • Helps regulate the nervous system and calm racing thoughts.

2. Grounding Techniques

   • 5-4-3-2-1 exercise: notice 5 things you see, 4 things you touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste.

   • Brings focus back to the present moment.

3. Mindfulness and Movement

   • Short walks, yoga, or stretching can help release tension and reduce anxious energy.

4. Thought Journaling

   • Write down anxious thoughts and challenge them: “Is this fact or fear?”

   • Helps create perspective and reduces overwhelm.

The New Mental Health Podcast Episode aimed to be a resource helping you improve your mental health. To schedule a counseling appointment with Santos Counseling, click the link below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://santoscounseling.com/