When you are experiencing a whirlwind of stress and anxiety, in a slew of ‘what’s’ and ‘ifs’ can further add to your depression. You start contemplating how to deal with it, which makes you more anxious and you get filled with all kinds of negative notions.

However, there are a plethora of techniques to deal with this negativity. Some of them are given below to help in reducing your anxiety and cure your depression.

1. Deep breathing Deep breathing is a very effective anxiety-reducing technique. Just changing your breathing pattern can make a huge difference to your mental state. Deep breathing can calm your mind within a few minutes.

2. Acceptance of being anxious Anxiety is simply an emotional reaction. Trying to evade the feeling only worsens it as you do not work towards getting rid of it. Feeling anxious is not ideal but it is not intolerable or incurable.

3.  Understand that it is your brain’s trick Your brain can think of the impossible. It might make you interpret your panic attack as a heart attack, which will leave you totally disheartened and broken. The psychiatrists often share their experience of chronic patients who had no medical diagnosis but turned out to be psychosomatic. 

4.  Calming visualization is impactful Visualize yourself of being in a ‘happy place’ of which you have some really good memories. It could be a beautiful garden or a beach. Be with nature and enjoy the sound of the water flowing or the chirping of birds. This will help your mind to relax. 

5. Just observe without being judgmental Pen down your thoughts, emotions, judgments, and feelings with compassion without being judgmental about it. Being judgmental only worsens the situation. 

6. Counsel yourself with a pep talk Encourage yourself to be positive in every situation. Tell yourself, ‘I know that I am feeling very anxious it but it will pass.’ The way you talk to yourself matters. An optimistic conversation can help you manage your emotions and take positive action. 

7. Re-adjust your focus Do not get engulfed in the present situation and think of a bleak future. Instead, find ways to manage the current crisis and overcome the difficulties.

8. Focus on meaningful activities Think of the activities that you would have taken up if you were not anxious. Instead of brooding over the difficult situation, divert your mind by taking up some interesting and meaningful activities. Remember that remaining in a bad situation and just thinking about it will only worsen it.