All posts tagged anxiety

Anxiety Books

Reading is generally a good way to get some distance from whatever’s eating you at any given moment. Unless you’re reading about what’s getting you wound up. Here are a few collections of recommended books about anxiety and potentially helpful for anxiety relief. 6 Great Books to Read if You Have Anxiety (the Cut) 13 […]

Breathing for Stress Relief

An illustrated menu of breathing options from the NYT: Consciously changing the way you breathe appears to send a signal to the brain to adjust the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, which can slow heart rate and digestion and promote feelings of calm as well as the sympathetic system, which controls the release of […]

Resolutions for the New Year

One way to reduce anxiety is to look at the big picture. What’s giving you trouble? (Relationships, work, family, old habits, old attitudes…) What power, if any, do you have to change those things? One way that therapy can often help is by questioning long-held beliefs about what can and can’t be changed. You can […]

Managing Anxiety–Some Tips

Have you been finding yourself worrying more than usual? You’re not alone. Here’s a good list–ways to help manage anxiety from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Take a time-out. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head. Eat well-balanced […]

Happiness Anxiety

A new book looks at Americans’ pursuit of happiness and discovers a source of anxiety (NYT review): The problem with our quest for happiness is that, apparently, it’s making us miserable. After some idle Googling, her suspicions are confirmed. Various clever studies by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, show that “paradoxically, the more people valued […]

Yoga vs. GAD

This “study” (with only three subjects!) indicates yoga may help with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. It’s not the first. You can run your own one-person study if you are struggling with GAD. Try some yoga and see what result you get. Might help!

Anxious and Proud

We need anxiety. (We just don’t need too much anxiety.) Along with the very useful emotion of fear, anxiety has been “largely responsible for the survival of the species,” he says. Sensing future dangers and figuring out what to do about them is hugely valuable, survival-wise. The clan with no one worrying about fermenting enough fish […]

Anxiety and Gender

The NYT asks, why do girls have more anxiety than boys? It may start with how they feel about how they look. Some research has shown that in adolescence, girls tend to become more dissatisfied with their bodies, whereas boys tend to become more satisfied with their bodies. Another factor has to do with differences […]

Crowds Decrease Anxiety?

From the “not for everyone” department: Anxiety-Prone May Relax Better in a Busy Environment (PsychCentral). Provocative new research suggest a one-size fits all strategy to wind-down or reduce anxiety/stress is probably not the right approach. For some, the best way to relax after a difficult day at work is to go for a walk or hike in […]

Is This You?

Writing about how anxiety can ruin relationships, PsychCentral blogger Peg Streep asks, “Is This You?” Here are four common patterns that amp up both your worry and your reactivity. Learning to recognize these triggers is the first step in getting into the present that’s really the present, unfiltered by the past. Awareness of these underlying […]