If you don’t live in a cave, chances are you have heard of the term anxiety.

Statistics suggest, one in

every five people on the planet suffers from anxiety. The disorder of anxiety is almost a global epidemic
today if not a threat as big as diabetes or cancer. Even so, people are largely unaware of its effects. More
often than not, anxiety is seen as sweaty palms, heavy breathing, or “something that happens to others”.
Such a lack of awareness is what makes anxiety an invisible threat. “As per the latest research by
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bangalore, an individual takes around 8 to 10
years to reach an expert for their anxiety-related issues,” says a Mumbai-based psychiatrist, Dr Hemant
Mittal. He adds, by this time, anxiety becomes an integral part of one’s temperament making it difficult
for a patient to recover from there.
To overcome anxiety, you need to know what you are up against—how anxiety looks and how it
manifests. Dr Mittal classifies anxiety into three groups on the scale of their intensity. Mild, moderate,
and extreme. In the first one, anxiety looks like a mix of emotions that ranges from nervousness and
agitation to discomfort and apprehension. Almost everyone in the world experiences mild anxiety. The
triggers could be hiccups in relationships, problems at work, bad traffic, or bad grades.
Dr Archita Reddy, a psychotherapist, believes the fear of loneliness, feeling of emptiness, and self-doubt
are also stimulants of anxiety. Moderate and extreme anxiety have severe effects as they combine
negative emotions such as nervousness, emptiness, discomfort, and self-doubt that require expert
intervention. “Moderate and extreme anxiety attacks work like a spring. The more you try to suppress
them, they bounce back with equal ferocity,” says Dr Mittal.
With the right coping mechanisms, anxiety can easily be overcome in its nascent stages. Below are five
strategies you can adopt to calm the anxious mind.

But he didn’t imagine that the mirror-

talking would one day become a
remedy for people suffering from
anxiety.

Talk to someone you trust

Opening up to a friend, partner or family is the best way to manage your anxiety. Although it sounds
preachy, talking to someone you trust can open doors you didn’t even know existed. How? One word,
perspective. Sometimes anxiety blurs the line between the real and the imaginary. Things become
magnified. Where there is nothing, one sees an immediate danger. But when you reveal your thoughts to
someone, they can give you a perspective on things that you might be missing. “Communication is the
most effective way to cope with mild anxiety. It can also work to manage moderate anxiety as it enables
you to find a solution,” says Dr Mittal. Who knows? They might share a story of someone who was in
the same boat but rose above the disorder by confiding in someone.
Mirror activity

Remember Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver, talking to himself in the mirror? That “are you talking to me”
mirror-scene, is a testimonial performance of the legendary actor. But he didn’t imagine that the mirror-
talking would one day become a remedy for people suffering from anxiety. Dr Reddy believes talking to
oneself in the mirror can give people perspectives and ideas to manage their anxiety. “Stand in front of
the mirror, talk to yourself. Talk about your likes and dislikes, your dreams, your aspirations, your
challenges. Do a conversation you would do with other people. Try to figure out who you are. In the
introspection, you can find a safe space in your mind that could help you fight your anxiety,” Dr Reddy
explains.

Instead of taking a walk outside,

watching a show in a theatre or going
for a drive, many people nestle in
their bed for hours

Meditation and exercise

When it comes to calming a mind, nothing works better than meditation. For centuries, monks and
hermits have practised meditation to attain mindfulness. Now, experts claim it can also help people
control their anxieties. A study, conducted by the researchers from Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore, assessed over 3000 anxiety patients who were advised to meditate. The results revealed the
benefits of meditation on anxiety.
While people can practice any form of meditation, Dr Mittal has one in particular that tops the list.
“Among various types of meditation, deep breathing is the only proven mechanism that helps to curb
anxiety,” he says. Other than deep breathing, he also suggests lightweight workout and aerobic exercises
that can help anxiety patients keep their mind healthy and rational.
Do what you don’t want to do

When people are anxious, they often look for a cocoon. Such people are easily overwhelmed by fear or a
feeling of helplessness. They often lose the motivation to do anything, when they are under the grip of
fear or helplessness. Instead of taking a walk outside, watching a show in a theatre or going for a drive,
many people nestle in their bed for hours. In such cases, Dr Reddy advises people to do exactly what
they are avoiding. “The idea is to not let anxiety take control over you. Instead, take the reins in your
hands. You have to become bigger than your anxiety. So much so that you can stomp it like an ant,” says
Dr Reddy.
Keep a journal

Both, Dr Mittal and Dr Reddy believe writing a diary can make people mindful and proactive. “Writing a
diary should be a continuous and consistent process. I advise my patients to write one page almost every
day,” says Dr Mittal. An important thing to remember, experts advise, is not to read what you have
written until after two months. Once you have recorded several pages about your days, fears and desires,
go back to the first page and read what you wrote on day one. Dr Reddy believes by doing so, people can
recognise their triggers and find a solution to mitigate them.
Like all coping mechanisms, writing a diary is also a one-step-at-a-time strategy to alleviate anxiety. But
nothing can be accomplished without discipline. It is the antidote for anxiety.