What are some self-help methods for anxiety disorder?
Nov 17, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Baohua
Introduction
Self-help methods for anxiety disorders generally include regular breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, establishing daily exercise habits, managing negative thoughts, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. When feelings of anxiety arise, practice diaphragmatic breathing: inhale slowly for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 2 seconds, then exhale slowly for 6 seconds, repeating this cycle several times. Regulating the breathing rhythm helps to reduce sympathetic nervous system activation.
Anxiety self-help methods generally involve regular breathing regulation, progressive muscle relaxation, establishing daily exercise habits, managing negative thoughts, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. The details are as follows:
1. Regular Breathing Regulation: When anxiety arises, use diaphragmatic breathing—inhale slowly for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 2 seconds, then exhale slowly for 6 seconds. Repeat this cycle several times. By regulating your breathing rhythm, you can reduce sympathetic nervous system activation and alleviate physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat and chest tightness, helping to stabilize emotions gradually.
2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Begin with the feet and progressively tense muscle groups throughout the body (such as calves, thighs, abdomen, and arms), holding each tension for 5 seconds before releasing. Pay attention to the contrast between muscle tension and relaxation. Systematically relaxing each body part helps release physical tension and indirectly reduces psychological anxiety.
3. Daily Exercise Habits: Engage in moderate-intensity exercise 3–4 times per week, such as brisk walking, jogging, or yoga. Physical activity promotes the release of endorphins, which help suppress anxiety. Long-term adherence enhances psychological resilience and reduces the frequency of anxiety episodes.
4. Managing Negative Thoughts: Use a notebook to record anxious thoughts—for example, "worried about making mistakes at work." Then objectively assess the validity of these thoughts and write down constructive responses, such as "I rarely make mistakes at work; I can minimize risks by double-checking tasks in advance." This rational approach helps break cycles of negative thinking.
5. Consistent Sleep Schedule: Maintain fixed wake-up and bedtime hours every day, avoiding late nights or excessive sleeping. A regular sleep routine stabilizes nervous system function and reduces the risk of worsening anxiety due to sleep disturbances, thereby providing a solid physiological foundation for emotional regulation.
These self-help strategies require long-term commitment to be effective. If anxiety symptoms occur frequently, significantly impair daily functioning, or show no improvement despite self-help efforts, it is important to seek professional psychological support promptly to avoid delaying appropriate intervention.
