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What do you do to relieve short term anxiety?

9 replies

Cryingbadger · 10/09/2025 15:15

I need some ideas or techniques about how to reduce my anxiety at the moment. It should only be another 2 weeks until the situation that’s worrying me is over, but I’m really struggling now.

I’ve got no appetite, I feel sick half the time, I wake up early and can’t get back to sleep. I’ve had an upset stomach on and off for weeks. In a nutshell I’m not dealing with the stress very well. (It’s not medical, not life and death, not work so I should be able to get a grip on it, but I’m not!)

OP posts:
GreenFrogYellow · 10/09/2025 15:15

Exercise. Deep breathing exercises. Talk it out with a pal.

butidid · 10/09/2025 15:16

Agree, exercise, yoga, swim, just walk fast with music, get yourself out of your head. Hold you feel better soon

ThreePears · 10/09/2025 15:29

You are extremely worried and that is totally to be expected, but I wouldn't label it as 'anxiety' as such, which is more of a generalised and unspecified 'what if' ongoing thing, if you see what I mean.

Be kind to yourself, and just allow yourself to be worried. It is totally normal. Maybe try some relaxation techniques, but don't beat yourself up thinking you have 'anxiety'. You don't.

Cinaferna · 10/09/2025 15:40

The simple breathing technique: breathe in for count of four, hold for four, out for four. Or in through the nose for a count of four, hold for seven, out slowly through the mouth for a count of eight (as though you are trying to make a candle flicker).

Another good one is to tense every muscle then release it. Work through the body: tense feet, relax them, calves, relax them, thighs, relax them, bum, relax, stomach, relax, shoulders, relax, arms relax, fingers, relax, face, relax.

Do this once (breathing normally as you do it) then a breathing exercise 3 times, then the muscles once, then breathing exercise 3 times.

If it really isn't a life or death situation, try giving yourself little mantras like: 'I can handle this,' or, 'This too shall pass,' or, 'This won't be happening in two weeks time, or This won't matter in a thousand years, a hundred years, fifty years, ten years, five years, two years, a year, six months.' Work backwards through a big period of time until you realise how small a period of time the stress is for and how little the world cares, in the grand scheme of things.

It might also help to say to yourself: This is happening anyway. I can feel stressed about it or I can let go of the stress. I can't control what's happening but I choose to control how my brain and body respond. I choose to stretch, to walk, to listen to music, to play Candy Crush, to make something creative, to plan for better times when this is over etc etc.

AutumnalLight · 10/09/2025 15:41

Go swimming
Do yoga
Walk in nature
Read
Cuddle your pets/kids/DH

bumblebramble · 10/09/2025 15:49

Schedule it. I find that saying firmly to myself “I’ll worry about that at x o’clock” and imagining adding it to a diary, or putting it in a box labelled x o’clock helps to compartmentalise. Then at that time I set a timer and I might do some free writing, or talk to someone, or draw it out visually.

If there’s something I can actually do, I make a list and schedule it, or parse it out and delegate.

And if it’s something I just have to wait through, I would probably say prayers because that captures the liminal space between doing something and not doing anything.

But I would also look for something to immerse myself in to distract my brain, like a 6 part series on Netflix or a good thick book.

JacknDiane · 10/09/2025 15:51

Propranolol helps me. The GP needs to prescribe it.

ProfoundlyPeculiarAndWeird · 10/09/2025 16:00

I had a period of intense worry about a severe situation several years ago. In my experience things like CBT and yoga that can help as a longer-term solution for anxiety aren't necessarily the best solution when you are dealing with crisis-level worry. They take so much focus and long-term commitment.

If you are up for it, very intense exercise, such as a spinning class or going running at your highest effort level, can provide more instant relief, at least while you are doing it and for an hour or so after.

I also tried to "chain my brain" to a couple of fairly undemanding pieces of telly and reading. I was so frightened to stop and think about the crisis that I somehow managed to suck in stories despite everything that was going on.

I remember that, bizarrely, I became hooked on Eastenders, which I didn't watch before and haven't since. I also re-read Jane Austen, compulsively, frightened to stop reading or even slow down.

EDITED TO ADD: Also, daft bubble-popping games on Android, satisfying sound effects. One called Bubble Bust 2 tranquillises me still.

Cryingbadger · 10/09/2025 18:16

Thanks everyone these suggestions are helpful.

@ProfoundlyPeculiarAndWeird I’m sorry to hear you had to go through such a stressful time. I hope it all worked out for you.

I kept myself busy yesterday, I didn’t stop and it helped. I haven’t had the energy to exercise because of not eating much. I’ve lost 2kg in a week. Also watching lots of easy tv has helped.

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