Know Someone Who Has Anxiety? 4 Soothing Methods To Help Them

You experience different emotions every single day. You could wake up in the best mood of your life—refreshed, recovered, and energized. As you bounce out of bed, you feel ready to greet the day.

But while you're making breakfast, you spill coffee all over yourself, you burn your toast, and now you're running late for work. Now, you feel angry, bitter, and sad.

While you're on your way into the office, you get stuck in traffic, further delaying your arrival time at work. Your heart is beating faster—beads of sweat start forming on your forehead. And you're starting to experience shortness of breath.

Anxiety is a normal emotion, just like any of the other emotions you experience each and every day.

Whether you've experienced anxiety before or not, if someone you know is struggling, you want to be there for them. Here are four soothing methods to help someone who is experiencing anxiety.

1. Ask How You Can Help

It can be hard to know how to help. You definitely don't want to make things worse for them. You also want to make sure you're not pressuring them to talk about things they don't want to talk about. Don't assume they want to talk about their anxiety.

One of the best things you can do for someone struggling with anxiety is to let them know you're there for them. Be present. Show up for them. Ask them what you can do to help them. If you're not sure what to do or say, just listening to them can be a huge help. Allowing them to get their thoughts and emotions off of their chest and out of their head can help them release a lot of that pent-up energy instead of having to hold it in all for themself.

2. Educate Yourself More About Anxiety

You can't expect to be able to help someone with something if you don't really understand what they're going through. Take the time to educate yourself and learn more about anxiety, its causes, triggers, and ways to cope. The better understanding you have about anxiety, the more you'll be able to offer your support. Your loved one may think you don't really understand what they're going through. Showing them that you've taken the time to understand will show them that you care and are willing and able to help whenever they are ready to receive it.

3. Try Grounding Techniques With Them

After you learn more about anxiety and some coping techniques, you may be able to teach them some of the exercises. Next time you're with them, and they're feeling anxious, have them focus on their environment to keep them grounded and in the present moment. Have them name 5 things they see in the room, 4 things they feel, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and one positive thing they can say about themself.

4. Offer Your Support With Them Receiving Additional Help

If you notice that your loved one has been struggling with anxiety for a while, and it's starting to affect how they live their life, you should encourage them to seek support outside of the people they know. A trained and licensed third party, like a therapist, is one of the best treatment options for those struggling with anxiety. You can take it a step further by assisting them in finding a therapist, offering to drive them to their appointments, or being there for them after they attend a session.

If you or a loved one is interested in starting therapy for anxiety, reach out to me today to set up a consultation for anxiety treatment.