ADVICE
5 Things You Can Try to Deal With Relationship Anxiety
Dating is hard.
It can be challenging even for those with a lot of experience, so one can only imagine how stressful it must be for people with relationship anxiety.
There’s a lot of worrying and too much overthinking. Sometimes, even a simple thought can spiral out of control and trigger the biggest fights between couples. When someone in a relationship is constantly plagued with irrational fears and insecurities, the next seed of doubt can come from anywhere.
So to try and help people not just manage relationship anxiety but also take the necessary steps to properly address it, below are 5 tips aimed to do just that:
1. Read about attachment styles.
Yes, you got that right. The first tip is about reading.
Most of the time, even a little bit of research can go a long way. When it comes to love and dating, reading about attachment styles and how they contribute to the dynamics between partners can help you understand and combat relationship anxiety.
If someone has an anxious attachment style, for example, it may explain why they struggle with low self-esteem or end up becoming overprotective. Knowing may not solve the problem right away, but putting a name to the issue is still often the first and most important step.
2. Go for a run.
Going outside and sweating it out is a quick and common method of dealing with most types of anxiety, including relationship anxiety.
Physical movement that lets you cover a significant distance can trick your body into thinking you’re “running away” from the danger that’s causing your stress.
Even though your concerns are largely about whether or not your partner is still mad at you or if they ever truly loved you in the first place, a short jog around your neighborhood can at least hack your brain into believing that no one’s out to get you anymore.
3. Take your partner out on a date.
Another good way to appease your relationship anxiety is to remind yourself that your partner loves you very much.
Planning a romantic night out or going down memory lane to reminisce your best moments together can help quiet down all the ugly and often-false worries that continue to eat up all your mental energy.
4. Stop making comparisons.
Sometimes, the fears and insecurities are based on thoughts that are a little more concrete.
When dealing with relationship anxiety, giving in to the temptation of comparing your partner to your exes or even your entire relationship to other couples is an endless cycle that only makes your concerns worse.
Being envious of other people is a common way of feeding your anxieties. If you don’t want to trap yourself into chasing impossible standards and expectations, you need to be more careful about internalizing the things you see on Facebook and Instagram or the stories you hear from all your friends and family.
5. Set an appointment with a therapist.
At the end of the day, it’s always important for everyone to understand the impact mental health has on relationships.
If you have relationship anxiety and you know it’s no longer possible to deal with it by yourself, seeking professional help may be your next best option.
Taking care of yourself is another way of making sure your loved ones are taken care of. There’s no shame in admitting you need the aid of an expert. Anxiety is a legitimate health condition, after all.
The sooner you find a good therapist to guide your road to recovery, the higher your chances are of making sure your relationship anxiety won’t turn you against the people in your life you love most.
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