Anxiety – 5 Top Ways To Minimise and Manage it

Did know is that anxiety affects 17.2% of Australians aged 16-85 years, making it the most common mental health condition Down Under. Globally, the numbers are equally staggering, with the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacting the future burden of anxiety disorders.

The good news is that anxiety is incredibly treatable. We’re not talking about some wishy-washy “just think positive thoughts” nonsense either. We’re talking about evidence-based strategies that have been tested, retested, and proven to work across multiple continents. So let’s dive into the five most effective ways to kick anxiety to the curb, backed by the latest global research.

If anxiety management techniques were a high school yearbook, CBT would be voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” And for good reason – CBT is a first-line, empirically supported intervention for anxiety disorders, referring to a family of techniques designed to target maladaptive thoughts and behaviours that maintain anxiety over time. CBT works by helping you identify those sneaky thought patterns that turn minor concerns into full-blown panic festivals. These thoughts not only cause our anxiety but also lead to self sabotage in our lives.

The beauty of CBT lies in its practicality. Instead of spending years talking about your childhood (though therapy can be great for that too), CBT focuses on what’s happening right now and gives you concrete tools to handle it. Recent research shows that anxiety disorders can be successfully treated with psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and acceptance commitment therapy, with CBT leading the pack in terms of effectiveness.

What makes this particularly relevant today is that CBT has successfully adapted to our digital age. You can access CBT techniques through apps, online programs, and even AI-powered tools – though nothing quite replaces a good old-fashioned human therapist who can roll their eyes at your catastrophic thinking in real-time.

Mindfulness isn’t about sitting cross-legged chanting “om” (unless that’s your thing, in which case, go for it). It’s about training your brain to stop treating every minor inconvenience like a five-alarm fire. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have demonstrated effectivenss in reducing anxiety and depression symptom severity in a broad range of treatment-seeking individuals, with MBIs consistently outperforming non-evidence-based treatments. The two heavy hitters in this space are Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Here’s what’s actually happening when you practice mindfulness: you’re essentially teaching your brain to observe your thoughts without immediately reacting to them. It’s like being a nature documentary narrator for your own mental activity: “And here we see the wild anxiety thought in its natural habitat, catastrophizing about tomorrow’s presentation…”

One of the most powerful aspects of mindfulness is that it fosters self awareness which puts the power to change our thoughts back into our own hands. Recent European research has shown that mindfulness and CBT integration fosters interconnectedness and empathy toward both self and others, suggesting that combining these approaches might be even more effective than using them separately.

The best part about mindfulness? You can literally do it anywhere. Stuck in traffic? Mindful breathing. Waiting for your coffee? Mindful observation. Lying awake at 3 AM wondering if you remembered to lock the door? Well, that’s when mindfulness really earns its keep.

If exercise were a pharmaceutical drug, it would be hailed as a miracle cure and probably cost $500 per pill. Lucky for your wallet (and unlucky for your excuses), it’s free and available 24/7. Exercise is basically nature’s Xanax, minus the side effects and dependency issues.

The science behind exercise and anxiety is pretty compelling. When you work out, your body releases endorphins – those lovely little chemicals that make you feel good. But it’s not just about the runner’s high (which, let’s be honest, is more like a runner’s “slightly less miserable” for most of us). Exercise also helps regulate your nervous system, improves sleep quality, and gives you something productive to do with all that anxious energy.

Research consistently shows that both aerobic and resistance exercise can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms. And before you start panicking about having to become a gym rat, relax – we’re not talking about training for the Olympics here. A brisk 20-minute walk can be just as effective as a high-intensity workout for managing anxiety. The key is consistency, not intensity. Think of it like brushing your teeth – you don’t need to scrub your teeth for an hour once a week; you need to do it regularly for a few minutes daily. Same goes for exercise and anxiety management.

What’s particularly interesting is that group exercise classes can provide the added benefit of social connection, which research shows is crucial for mental health. So whether it’s yoga, Pilates, or that oddly therapeutic anger you feel during a spin class, moving your body regularly is one of the best investments you can make in your mental health.

Here’s a fun fact that won’t actually make you feel fun: anxiety and sleep problems are like that toxic couple that everyone knows – they feed off each other and make everything worse for everyone around them. Poor sleep makes anxiety worse, and anxiety makes sleep worse. It’s a vicious cycle that would be fascinating if it weren’t happening to you.

Having a sleep routine can greatly improve your sleep quality and quantity. We’re talking about creating conditions that actually allow your brain to power down instead of treating bedtime like an opportunity to replay every awkward conversation you’ve had since 2015.

Here’s what actually works: consistent sleep and wake times (yes, even on weekends – your circadian rhythm doesn’t care that it’s Saturday), limiting screen time before bed (your phone’s blue light is basically anxiety’s best friend), and creating a sleep environment that’s cool, dark, and quiet.

The bedroom should be for sleep and… well, you know. Not for scrolling social media and definitely not for having heated internal debates about whether you said something stupid at work three years ago. If your mind insists on racing at bedtime, try keeping a notepad by your bed to jot down those “urgent” 2 AM thoughts. Spoiler alert: they’re usually much less urgent in the morning.

Here’s where we get a bit serious for a moment: trying to manage anxiety entirely on your own is like trying to perform surgery on yourself – technically possible, but why would you want to when there are professionals who actually know what they’re doing?

Anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most common reasons for patients to seek help from a general practitioner, which means you’re definitely not alone in this struggle. The stigma around mental health is slowly but surely dying (finally), and seeking professional help is increasingly seen as a sign of intelligence rather than weakness.

Professional help comes in many forms: psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and even your GP can be excellent starting points. The key is finding someone you actually connect with, because therapy with someone you don’t trust is about as effective as using a chocolate teapot.

But professional help is just one part of the social support equation. Having a solid network of friends and family who understand what you’re going through can be incredibly powerful. This doesn’t mean you need to turn every coffee date into a therapy session (your friends will thank you), but having people you can be honest with about your struggles makes a real difference.

Managing anxiety isn’t about finding one magical solution that makes all your worries disappear forever (wouldn’t that be nice?). It’s about building a toolkit of strategies that work for you and using them consistently. Some days you might need the CBT hammer, other days the mindfulness screwdriver, and sometimes you just need to run around the block until your brain stops being dramatic.

The research is clear: MBIs consistently outperform non-evidence-based treatments, and combining multiple approaches often yields the best results. So don’t feel like you have to pick just one strategy – mix and match until you find what works for you.

Remember, anxiety might be common, but that doesn’t mean you have to just live with it. With the anxiety treatment market anticipated to reach USD 34.31 billion by 2033, it’s clear that effective treatments are not only available but constantly improving. You have options, you have support, and most importantly, you have the ability to feel better.

The journey from anxious to awesome isn’t always linear, and it’s definitely not always easy. But with these evidence-based strategies in your back pocket and the right support system around you, you’re already well on your way to showing anxiety who’s really in charge. And spoiler alert: it’s you.