5 Tips to Help Someone You Love Cope with Anxiety

Anxiety affects roughly 18% of the population in some way during their lifetime. It has become one of the most common mental health conditions, yet it isn’t often fully understood.

Watching your loved one suffer from anxiety and/or anxiety attacks can be difficult, especially if you don’t feel prepared to be able to help them. Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Learn What You Can About Anxiety

Anxiety is a personal experience, and the symptoms one person experiences may differ from those of another. Whether or not you suffer from anxiety, it is important to understand how anxiety can manifest and the different symptoms to be aware of.

It’s human nature to respond to fearful situations with either a fight, flight, or freeze response. Anxiety essentially puts you into a place where your mind feels threatened and triggers one of these responses. If someone you love acts a certain type of way when they feel anxious, it’s important to pay attention to their natural response and give them grace.

Understanding anxiety symptom presentation is also important. Symptoms can be physical, emotional, and behavioral.

Physical symptoms may include shortness of breath, lightheadedness, nausea, perspiration, an elevated heart rate, or generalized fatigue. Emotional symptoms may include feeling a sense of panic, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, worry, overgeneralizing, and ruminating over worst-case scenarios. Behavioral symptoms may include compulsive behaviors, irritability, avoidance, and being short-fused.

2. Provide the Right Type of Encouragement

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of an anxiety flare-up or an anxious situation and someone telling you to calm down. It negates and minimizes your feelings.

While it may seem harmless, and you have the best intentions, avoid using comments like “calm down” or “don’t worry about it.” It’s not that easy.

Instead, encourage your loved one by giving them some outsider insight or your perspective. Often, little molehills can feel like mountains. Help them bring their world down to something more manageable and within their control.

If ever in doubt, ask them how they like to receive support and encouragement. Make sure you’re matching their preferred style.

3. Be a Listening Ear

When you see someone struggling, it can be easy to want to help them. This is especially true when it’s a loved one. In some situations, you may find yourself unable to help them physically. Whether it’s because you truly don’t understand or you don’t have the proper resources, it happens.

When this occurs, offer them something that is still useful. Be a good listening ear. With anxiety, your loved one may appreciate someone to be a good sounding board while they work out their own issues. You don’t always have to have the “right” advice, or any at all.

4. Help Steer Them to Healthy Coping Strategies

Another way you can help your loved one who is struggling is to help guide them to healthy coping strategies. This may take some more education on your part, but your guidance will be appreciated.

You’re helping them gain the tools they need to help themselves. Examples can be grounding exercises, physical activity, or creative outlets. In some instances, when anxiety can become too much, you may want to encourage professional services.

5. Remember to Take Care of Yourself, Too

Anytime you are offering support to a loved one, you also take on some of the burden in some capacity. It’s important that you remember to take care of yourself throughout the process, too. You won’t be able to help them if you begin to struggle.

Burnout, stress, guilt, and your own anxiety are common symptoms that can develop for loved ones and caregivers. Be sure to practice self-care strategies and establish coping mechanisms for yourself when needed.

Is your loved one struggling with anxiety? Contact us to learn more about our services.

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