Self-help - Generalised anxiety disorder

There are many ways you can help ease the symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder.

Try a book or an online course

When you're diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, your GP may recommend self-help treatments. They may do this before you have talk therapy or medicine.

Self-help treatments usually involve working from a book or an online course. For example, this could be self-help CBT.

Self-help CBT is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). You work through a CBT-based workbook or computer course with the support of a therapist.

CBT helps you understand the way you think and change unhelpful patterns of behaviour.

You can get a free guided digital CBT service from the HSE and Silvercloud.

Physical activity

Physical activity can help you fight stress and release tension.

It also encourages your brain to release serotonin, which can improve your mood.

Examples of physical activity that is good for anxiety include:

• walking fast or jogging
• swimming
• cycling
• tennis
• hiking
• football or rugby
• aerobics

You should aim to be active for at least 2 and a half hours a week. It should raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster.

Ways to keep active and help your mental health

Try breathing exercises or relaxation techniques

As well as keeping active, learning how to relax is important.

You may find breathing exercises, mindfulness and other relaxation techniques helpful. Or you may prefer activities such as yoga or pilates to help you unwind.

Relaxation tips and breathing exercises

Mindfulness and applied relaxation

Mindfulness and applied relaxation are alternative types of psychological treatment.

Mindfulness helps you focus on the present moment. It allows you to acknowledge and accept certain feelings. It can reduce anxiety associated with the fear of actual situations or sensations.

Applied relaxation focuses on relaxing your muscles in a particular way. A trained therapist teaches you how to do this.

This alleviates anxiety and involves:

• learning how to relax your muscles
• relaxing your muscles quickly in response to a trigger
• practising relaxing your muscles in situations that make you anxious

Find out more about mindfulness

Avoid smoking and drinking

Smoking and alcohol make anxiety worse. Cutting down or giving up alcohol or smoking may help to reduce your anxiety.

Try to:

• stick to the weekly low-risk alcohol guidelines
• give up smoking - get help to quit

Find out more about how alcohol affects your mental health

Contact support groups

Support groups can give you advice on how to manage your anxiety. They're also a good way to meet other people with similar experiences.

Support groups can often arrange in-person meetings. You can use these meetings to talk about your anxiety. Many support groups also provide support and guidance over the phone or in writing.

Talk to your GP about local support groups for anxiety in your area.

Find organisations that run support groups