Managing Anxiety: Tools and Techniques for Overwhelmed Women
Anxiety can feel like a constant weight on your shoulders, pulling you down and making even the simplest tasks seem overwhelming. For many women, anxiety is an everyday battle—one that often goes unnoticed by others. You might be managing a successful career, raising a family, or caring for others, but beneath the surface, anxiety may be churning away, leaving you feeling exhausted and out of control.
The good news is that anxiety doesn’t have to control your life. With the right tools and techniques, you can learn to manage your anxiety, regain a sense of calm, and navigate life’s challenges with more confidence and ease.
Why Anxiety Feels Overwhelming
Anxiety often stems from feelings of uncertainty, that something bad is going to happen or the pressure to meet expectations—both internal and external. When you’re juggling multiple responsibilities, it’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough, and that pressure can quickly spiral into anxiety. Add to that the physical symptoms—racing heart, tight chest, shortness of breath—and anxiety can feel like a storm you can’t escape.
The first step to managing anxiety is recognising its presence and the thoughts, feelings and emotions associated with it, to gain an understanding of its root causes. Our Chat It Out Anxiety Journal is a great way to get started with this. Anxiety can often be linked to unaddressed stress or burnout. If you’re unsure whether stress is a contributing factor, explore our article on the impact of stress on physical and mental health.
Tools and Techniques to Manage Anxiety
Here are some practical techniques you can start using today to help manage your anxiety:
Deep breathing exercises: When anxiety strikes, your body’s “fight or flight” response kicks in, often leading to shallow, rapid breathing. To counteract this, practise deep breathing. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. This simple technique can help calm your nervous system and bring your focus back to the present.
Progressive muscle relaxation: Anxiety often leads to physical tension, which can compound your feelings of stress. Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then releasing each muscle group, starting from your toes and working your way up to your head. This technique helps release the physical tension that accompanies anxiety.
Grounding exercises: When you feel overwhelmed, grounding exercises can help bring you back to the present moment. One simple technique is to focus on your five senses—name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This practice helps shift your focus away from anxious thoughts.
Mindfulness practices: Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can help you manage anxiety as it helps you learn to stay with difficult feelings, without analysing, suppressing or encouraging them. Allowing yourself to acknowledge and feel your worries, thoughts and emotions, this often helps them diminish. If you’re new to mindfulness, explore our guide on mindfulness techniques for everyday life to get started.
Build emotional resilience: Emotional resilience allows you to recover more quickly from stressful or anxiety-provoking situations. By strengthening your resilience, you can better handle life’s ups and downs. Learn more about building emotional resilience.
Seeking Professional Help for Anxiety
While self-help techniques can be incredibly effective, sometimes anxiety requires professional support. Speaking with a counsellor can provide you with the tools and guidance you need to manage your anxiety in a more sustainable way. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, booking a time to chat with Chat It Out could be a valuable step toward reclaiming your peace of mind.
Anxiety may be a part of your life right now, but it doesn’t have to define you. By taking small, intentional steps, you can begin to manage your anxiety and move through life with more ease.
