Take Things Nice And Easy
If you havent worked out physically in some time, you wouldnt, on your first day at the gym, run for an hour on the treadmill and THEN lift heavy weights afterward. Youd take things slow so as not to hurt yourself.
Apply this same logic to your social life. If you feel out of shape socially, then take things slow. Dont suddenly fill your social calendar with all kinds of activities and events. Start with a small gathering and go from there.
Instead Say: Ive Noticed Youve Been Anxious A Lot Lately And Im Concerned
If you notice your friend getting more and more anxious and you know they havent sought any kind of professional help, its OK to express your concern if it comes from the heart. Focus on how youve seen the anxiety change them: maybe they arent going to concerts anymore even though they used to love live music, or they havent been socializing as much and youre worried about them being lonely. If theyre open to getting help but feel overwhelmed, offer to do some research on good therapists or to wait for them in the lobby during their first appointment. Remind them that anxiety is treatable, even without medication, and that this isnt something they have to fight alone.
If someone confides in you that theyre feeling anxious or having a panic attack, the most important thing to remember is that the feelingsand telling you about themare a big deal. It takes trust to show that kind of vulnerability. Listen and respond in a way that doesnt minimize their experience.
There are definitely times when I havent been heard, when my anxiety has been dismissed or questioned. Ive been subjected to jokes about how me and my fellow Millennials are the Xanax generation or how Im only anxious because U.S. culture is in an age of anxiety, as though everyone feels exactly as I do so I should just suck it up.
Dont Say: Why Arent You Seeing A Therapist/on Medication
Theres nothing wrong with showing concern for a friend, but be careful it doesnt come across as accusatory. Suggesting your friend should be doing something can create a sense of shame if they arent, or make them feel like theyre being judged. If they do need to see a counselor or take medication, those are decisions they need to make on their own and at their own pace.
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How To Comfort Someone Over Text
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Its always good to know how to comfort a friend or family member whos feeling anxious or upset. Thanks to cellphones, we can even lend emotional support from far away. This is why its so important to know how to comfort someone over text.
The best way to comfort someone over text is by using the RUOK Method. This involves recognizing the problem, understanding how to best help, offering a listening ear, and keeping the conversation about them. Implemented correctly, the RUOK Method can be used to comfort someone from anywhere in the world.
If you havent heard of the RUOK Method before, dont feel bad. This is actually a system that weve recently invented to help others comfort someone in need.
Read on to become an RUOK Method expert at comforting someone over text. If additional resources are required, feel free to check out our complete system for beating anxiety.
How Teachers Can Help Students With Anxiety: 9 Easy Methods
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Looking back on my high school and college years, I recall all the ways in which my classroom anxiety affected my ability to focus and learn. I made my best efforts to beat anxiety in school, and certain teaching styles helped me immensely. So, how can teachers help students with anxiety?
Everyone has that one teacher, who changed their life and whom theyll never forget. By following the above steps to help students with anxiety in the classroom, you can be that teacher for someone.
If the above methods seem a bit vague, no worries. Were about to go into much greater detail about how teachers can help students with anxiety.
Alright, lets dive in!
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What To Text Someone Who Is Going Through A Breakup
Knowing how to comfort someone who is going through a breakup can be tricky. Relationships can be complicated, and these situations will vary based on many factors. Length of time and commitment to the relationship, having children or pets together, and the nature of the breakup will all play a role.
In these situations, the RUOK Method can really come in handy. If someone has recently been cheated on, they may just really need to vent. If the breakup was more complicated than that, your friend might need some advice. As always, dont be afraid to ask how you can best help.
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Pinpoint The Price Of Inaction
I use this exercise to show me what my anxiety is holding me back from. This helps me push through because the price of inaction is often higher than I could bear in the long run.
Be specific. What is the price of inaction for you? Think emotionally, physically, psychologically, financially, and beyond yourself. Think next 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, your life.
- There will be at least one person who will be miserable in their career because they didnt know how to deal with their limiting beliefs, discover what they actually want to do, and learn all the skills to get a career they love. And I couldnt help them
- I will constantly be thinking what-if and be mad at myself for not taking action on something I truly believed in. And pretty sure that would lead to a depressive spiral
- I would save some money from not running the business but would lose a huge upside by not pursuing it at all
- I will lose all the potential learning of running a business which I can use for my next venture
- I will lose out on all the potential connections I could make with people who are going to change the world
- I will not push myself to ask for help, work with other creators in this space, and not build a network of people who inspire me to do what I love
- I will lose out on creating a career that I love
When you see the cost of not acting, it creates a new drive in you.
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Define All The Positives And Benefits Of Action
Our brains have a negativity bias. It can take up to 5 positive thoughts to reverse one negative thought. Were hard wired this way due to our evolutionary past of surviving in the wilderness. For the action anxiety is preventing you from taking, write down all the positives and benefits of taking it.
- Ill be able to devote my life doing something which I absolutely love, helping people figure out what they want to do and supporting them through their journey
- Help people realize their true wants, needs, and purpose, and help them pursue what they truly want to do
- Give back to all the people who have supported and guided me
- Prove to myself that I could do this
- Provide time, attention and love to all the people I care about in this world
- Ill be able to support myself, do what I want and when I want it without worry
Building up what I call a fountain of happiness provides you a place to soak in all the good vibes and thoughts when the evil face of anxiety comes crawling back.
Identify All Your Triggers And Where Theyre Stemming From
After doing the power breath and bringing myself back to a relaxed state, I get out a piece of paper or my laptop and I start identifying all my triggers for my current anxiety.
In this case, my two triggers were:
Then, I try to go down deeper. I break it to its root issues. What exactly am I anxious about?
- Im anxious about people not finding my service
- Im anxious about people not finding value in my service
- Im anxious that I cannot support the business costs
- Im anxious that this will blow up into a million pieces
- Im anxious that I will self-sabotage myself and not push myself to share this with as many people as possible
- Im anxious that this will not work out
- Im anxious about building the reputation and credibility I need
- Im anxious about the time itll take to get the ball moving and my general lack of patience with it
Putting feelings to paper helps me see my feelings, acknowledge them, and start working with them rather than them against me.
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What Are Some Tips For Being A Helpful And Supportive Ally
When someone you care about is feeling anxious, it may be difficult to understand why they feel the way they do. But you dont have to understand the way someone else feels to respect it. Focus on validation and hopeful comments. Try saying I hear youre feeling really frightened or I have faith youll get through this difficult period. Avoid comments that call the persons feelings into question. Dont say, Just stop worrying. It will all be fine. or I dont understand why youre so upset. The Make It OK offers helpful language for speaking to people with mental illnesses in a respectful manner.
Inviting the person to engage in another activity with you is very helpful. Distraction is a great coping skill for people with anxiety. Its also helpful to remember that simply spending time with someone who is feeling anxious can be a great comfort. Its supportive even if the anxiety doesnt go away.
Its important to educate yourself about mental health issues. This is especially true if you have a loved one dealing with them. Doing this can help you understand your role in the treatment process. NAMI is a great resource. They have free programs and support groups for those looking to better educate themselves on mental health.
A Pet Care Professional
Do you have a passion for animals? If your answer is yes, then you can consider working as a pet care professional. Working close to pets can help you take away the negative experience of spending time with many people in a social setup.
Your duties will entail providing care to different pets, maintaining their hygiene, or providing them with proper training. What is more, you can work as a pet sitter when the owner of that particular pet is not around.
Pets are stress relievers and taking care of them or playing with them can help you relieve some stress in the process.
Working as a pet care professional does not require anyone to possess a particular degree. Knowledge of how to handle different pet animals can come in as a plus with training from an experienced veterinary doctor.
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Accessing Professional Support For Anxiety
If the person with anxiety hasnt been accessing professional support, yet their anxiety is having a significant impact on their day-to-day life, it may be something to think about suggesting to them.
Remind them that many people have experienced anxiety and that there is plenty of support available. Let them know that you will be there to help them during their first appointment and will continue to support them as they work towards feeling better. There are professionals who know how to deal with someone with anxiety and can provide all of the help and support needed to overcome this condition.
You may want to suggest that they start off by visiting their local GP. GPs are there to help with our mental health as well as our physical health, and they are able to provide advice, support and access to specialist treatment providers, like the Priory Group.
You can also suggest that the person starts off their journey by visiting Priory Group. Here, they will be assessed by one of our consultant psychiatrists, who will then work with the person to determine a diagnosis and the most effective treatment path for them at Priory Group. Depending on the person and their anxiety symptoms, this could include a course of therapy sessions, medication, a series of day sessions at one of our centres or an inpatient stay, if deemed necessary.
If you would like to find out more about the treatment that we offer for people with anxiety, please visit our anxiety treatment page.
Supporting Someone With Anxiety Or Depression
There are ways that you can help someone with anxiety or depression. It may be helpful to:
- let them know if youve noticed a change in their behaviour
- spend time talking about their experiences and let them know youre there to listen without being judgmental
- help them to get information from a website, library or community health centre
- suggest they go to a doctor or health professional, and help them to make an appointment
- offer to go with them to their appointment and follow up with them afterwards
- encourage them to get enough sleep, to exercise and to eat well
- encourage family and friends to invite them out and keep in touch, but dont pressure them to participate in activities
- contact a doctor or hospital if they become a threat to themselves or others.
It is unhelpful to:
- put pressure on them by telling them to snap out of it or get their act together
- stay away or avoid them
- tell them they just need to stay busy or get out more
- pressure them to party more or wipe out how theyre feeling with drugs and alcohol
- assume the problem will just go away.
If you or someone you know needs support, talk to a doctor or other health professional about getting appropriate treatment.
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The Do’s And Don’ts Of Anxiety
With that in mind, it’s time to go over some tips on how to help a friend with anxiety. Note that every person is different and has different needs. There are some people who want to talk about their anxieties, and there are others who may have never mentioned it. So even with these do’s and don’ts, it’s hard to know exactly what you should do. However, this can be a helpful guide.
Let’s begin:
Dealing with anxiety is an uphill battle, and it does take a toll on others around them. Anxiety can strain relationships, and may even cause significant stress on a loved one. Some people find that they actually start developing anxieties of their own.
But a supportive friend is an extremely effective way to treat your own anxiety. Learn from the above tips to better understand how to help your friend, family member, or a partner and you’ll give them the best opportunity to overcome their anxiety and grow closer to you as a result.
SUMMARY:
Those that love someone with anxiety may feel helpless that they cannot help their partner or friend. Anxiety is treatable, but its also a very individual experience. Learning more about anxiety is the best thing you can do for them, as well as encouraging them if they decide theyre ready to treat it.
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