If you are one of the millions of people suffering from anxiety, you know how difficult it can be to simulate a normal existence when you live in constant fear. Never knowing when an anxiety attack will occur can keep you locked up in your house and miserable. Keep reading for helpful advice on how to cope with anxiety.

When you are suffering from an anxiety attack, you may be tempted to self-medicate yourself with prescription drugs or alcohol. This is the last thing you should do. It may seem to work well for a while, but it can cause long-term problems with drug addiction and alcoholism.

Gain control of your thoughts and you will find that your anxiety issues will affect you less. The more that your mind is filled with negative thoughts, the more anxiety attacks you will experience. Once you find a way to manage your thoughts, you will find anxiety issues are decreased, as well.

Accepting uncertainty will help you avoid anxiety. Worrying yourself about what may or may not happen does not increase the predictability or certainty in your life. Instead, you will find yourself unable to enjoy anything in life. You need to embrace uncertainty and realize that an instant solution for every situation in life does not exist.

When you are having an anxiety attack, it is a good idea to splash your face with cold water. Many people have heard this, but they may not do it because they think that it is not going to really help them. Actually, it causes what is known as a dive reflex, and it sends a message to your brain to tell your body to slow down.

If you do not have someone you trust to talk to, stress levels can build up and become crippling. A good support system can make a huge difference. Discussing your problems can be quite helpful, and may minimize the amount of anxiety you feel on a regular basis.

Reduce your nicotine and alcohol intake. Even though some believe they work to relax you, this is not the case. Ultimately, though, the chemicals in alcohol and cigarettes can actually exacerbate your anxiety. Instead, use healthier anxiety-busting methods, such as social activities, healthy diets and relaxation techniques.

If you are constantly feeling anxious, take a day for a professional massage. This will help to loosen up all of the knots in your body, and help eliminate the extra tension that you feel. Staying healthy physically is one of the best ways that you can improve your mental state.

Write a letter to your greatest fear about why you are so worried about it. Be sure to write exactly why it is making you feel that way and how it is affecting you. Now write a hate letter to your greatest anxiety, then battle it through the letter and dismiss it!

Learning to live with and control anxiety can really help you to live a happier life. Staying stuck in the grip that anxiety can hold over you is a sentence nobody deserves. Hopefully this article has provided you with some solid advice you can put to good use in alleviating the symptoms of your anxiety.