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You are not alone in experiencing anxiety — we all do sometimes. Anxiety can be helpful — when it flags up something that you feel is important or dangerous and therefore requires your attention. However, anxiety can become unhelpful. It may send false alarm signal when there is no actual danger. Anxiety may also highjack your attention and leave you space for little else, for example making it difficult to find solutions and take action. Here are some tips that many young people have found helpful in coping with their anxiety.

You can also watch the film on YouTube.

You are not alone in experiencing anxiety — we all do sometimes. Anxiety can be helpful when it flags up an important or dangerous issue which requires your attention. Yet, anxiety can be unhelpful when it sends false alarm signals. It can highjack your attention and make it difficult for you to find solutions or take action. Here are some tips that many young people have found helpful in coping with their anxiety.

Watch our film on Anxiety

Here are some tips that many young people have found helpful in coping with their anxiety.

Breathe in deeply three times, look around the room and name the five things you can see.

Breathing and grounding techniques can act as distractions when you are feeling anxious. Focusing on your breath and on what is going on around you – what you can see, hear, smell, taste and feel – can help to break the cycle of anxious thinking. Check out the Young Minds website for more ideas. However, these techniques do not stop anxiety from coming back again! The same is true for absorbing activities or hobbies. That’s why the other strategies described below are also very important.

Make sure you're on top of your fitness. It will make you feel a lot more comfortable in your body.

Taking care of your body can also help your mind. Almost all body movements can lower anxiety levels by getting rid of stress hormones. The key is to find something that you enjoy and can have a go at a couple of times a week. This can yoga, strength training, or dancing in the kitchen to your favourite song. See NHS advice for further guidance.

It’s important to give your body the nutrients it needs. Make sure you are eating enough and regularly throughout the day. Try to eat a variety of foods if you can. Too much caffeine and alcohol can trigger anxiety so limit that too. The NHS has more advice.

Poor sleep can increase arousal and, therefore, anxiety. Try to wind down with good sleep routines and avoid LED lights and screens before going to bed. See NHS advice.

Writing down your worries could help manage anxiety.

Trying to distract yourself or avoid a situation that makes you anxious will only help in the short term.

To strip worry of its power, accept that worrying is normal and that you can learn to manage it. Writing down your worries before bed may help your mind to let go of them. You can also find a “worry time” – a 15-minute period at the same time every day. Then try to postpone any worries during other times of the day to your “worry time” so you are in charge.

Face it. Stare it down. Don't shy away from it.

Challenge yourself to take action. Fear causes people to avoid important activities, and avoidance may reduce fear in the short term. However, in the long term it worsens and prolongs it, and limits your life. Break the cycle of fear one step at a time. Start with an action that makes you only mildly uncomfortable and take bigger steps as you build up your confidence.

The same is true for worry. Sometimes you can keep worrying because the idea of taking action feels even worse. What if you are unable to find the best solution? What if you fail to achieve the perfect outcome?

What if, what if, what if? But not taking action is the worst outcome, as time and opportunities may slip away.

Of course, taking action can be very difficult, particularly when the problem appears too big to be solved. Take charge by breaking them down into smaller pieces. Then think about a set of possible solutions. Pick one that has the most advantages in comparison to disadvantages, even if it is not perfect. Try it out – even for just two minutes at a time – and see if it works. If the first solution does not work, you will have others to try. Just keep going and you will find a strategy that suits you.

Accept that it’s a process and it may take a while.

Finding what works best for you when reducing anxiety can take a while. The first step is learning to recognise symptoms like worry and fear. Then you can choose how to respond to each symptom, using some of our previously mentioned symptoms.

Changing your mindset can feel uncomfortable at the beginning, and using these new strategies always takes practice. However, anxiety is manageable once you find methods that work for you. This might take a while, and it is important to find others who can support you in this journey.

More KeepCool information

• Read more about the KeepCool project

• Find out more about coping strategies for sadness 

• Find out more about coping strategies for anger.

Crisis helplines

If you are in crisis, please contact your GP or one of the following organisations that can offer advice:

• Call Samaritans at 116 123 (lines open 24/7) or visit their website at www.samaritans.org.
• Call Childline at 0800 1111 (lines open 7.30am to 3.30am Monday to Friday, and 9am to 3.30am Saturday to Sunday) or visit their website at www.childline.org.uk.
• Call Mind at 0300 123 3393 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays) or visit their website at www.mind.org.uk.