Coping With Anxiety: Six Tips to Better Manage Your Anxiety
Insights From a Houston Anxiety Therapist: 6 Effective Ways to Manage Anxiety Naturally
Anxiety is a normal human emotion — one we all experience at times. For some, it’s situational and short-term. For others, it’s more generalized and persistent. Whether it shows up as racing thoughts, sleepless nights, irritability, or physical tension, anxiety can impact our daily lives in powerful ways.
As a Houston-based anxiety therapist, I work with clients across Texas to help them build awareness of their anxiety and develop effective, holistic coping strategies. While we can’t eliminate anxiety altogether, we can learn to manage it in healthy, empowering ways that increase our resilience and improve our overall well-being.
Understanding Anxiety: A Humanistic Perspective
Rather than jumping straight to diagnoses, I focus on understanding anxiety as part of the human emotional experience. Our emotions are signals — often pointing us toward unmet needs or unresolved pain. By understanding the why behind your anxiety (even if it's stored in the body from early experiences), we can begin the process of healing and growth.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing anxiety. That’s why I emphasize using a toolbox of strategies — so you can find what works best for you. Below are six therapist-approved, natural techniques to help you manage anxiety more effectively.
1. Exercise: A Natural Anxiety Reducer
Movement is one of the most powerful, evidence-backed ways to reduce anxiety. Regular exercise helps regulate your nervous system, release tension, and improve mood.
You don’t need a rigid routine — start with something sustainable like walking for 15–20 minutes a few days a week. The goal is to find movement that feels good, not punishing. Movement supports mental clarity and builds emotional resilience.
2. Journaling: Create Space for Emotional Processing
Journaling offers a safe outlet to explore and process anxious thoughts. By writing things down, you’re turning toward the anxiety instead of avoiding it — allowing yourself to acknowledge, feel, and release.
Journaling doesn’t eliminate anxiety, but it softens its grip and helps you build emotional awareness. It’s a compassionate practice of sitting with your emotions rather than resisting them.
3. Get Organized: Reduce Mental Clutter
Procrastination and disorganization often increase anxiety. If your to-do list is overwhelming, try shifting your focus to how you’ll feel after completing a task — relieved, calm, and more in control.
Cleaning and organizing your space can also bring mental clarity. Our external environment affects our internal state, and taking small steps to declutter can help create a sense of stability and peace.
4. Take Social Media Breaks
Social media can fuel anxiety by triggering comparison, overstimulation, and information overload. Taking a break — even putting your phone in another room or switching to airplane mode — can help you reconnect with yourself and regulate your emotions.
Intentional breaks allow your nervous system to reset and give your mind a chance to rest.
5. Reading: Calm the Mind and Reduce Stress
Reading is a simple but powerful way to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), improve focus, and create a calming mental escape. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, reading supports cognitive and emotional well-being.
If books aren’t your thing, try audiobooks. Even just 15–20 minutes a day can make a noticeable difference in your anxiety levels.
6. Cognitive Reframing: Shift Unhelpful Thought Patterns
Anxiety often stems from negative, automatic thoughts. Cognitive reframing helps you gain awareness of these patterns and replace them with thoughts that are more balanced and supportive.
Next time you find yourself spiraling or imagining the worst-case scenario, pause and ask:
“Is this thought helpful or unhelpful?”
Then challenge it with a more empowering alternative. Over time, this practice rewires your brain for calm, resilience, and emotional regulation.
When to Seek Help from an Anxiety Therapist
Remember, what works for one person may not work for another. It’s okay if you haven’t found your go-to tools yet — experimentation is part of the process. But if your anxiety feels overwhelming, persistent, or is interfering with daily life, therapy can help.
As a Houston-based anxiety therapist, I offer online therapy for women and young professionals across Texas. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and a compassionate, humanistic approach, I help clients better understand their anxiety and develop personalized tools for long-term relief.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re looking for anxiety therapy in Houston or anywhere in Texas, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit. Reach out whenever you’re ready!
