If the problem started and ended with a single worry, it might not be such a big deal.

Instead, people with GAD get bogged down as one worry leads to another and another.

7 Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety

What Causes Anxiety?

Tips for overcoming anxiety

Verywell / Laura Porter

Impact of Anxiety

Anxiety can have a number of distressing effects on your health and well-being.

Some of these include:

Intrusive, anxious thoughts can create distress and make it difficult to cope.

Take, for example, this worry: “My boyfriend is going to break up with me.”

This is an intrusive thought that is actually quite normal for a person to have.

It might come up out of the blue or in response to a specific situation.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather?

The following are some strategies you might have a go at include.

Simply put, not every thought is true.

So it’s often unhelpful to make a run at disprove the beliefs.

You are letting it come and go without focusing on it.

This technique is a cornerstone of a treatment approach called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

You ask a series of questions about the belief that can encourage a more balanced view.

Nutrition

Research shows that anxiety levels can be impacted by the kinds offoods and drinksyou consume.

Taking a walk for even 10 minutes can help improve your mood.

Exercise can improve your concentration, your sleep, and lower your stress levels.

Many doctors advisephysical exercisealongside therapy and/or medication for people with anxiety and depression.

Connect With Nature

Connecting with nature is another way to improve your anxiety.

If anxiety is causing distress and disruptions in your normal functioning, it is important to get help.

Treatments for anxiety typically rely onpsychotherapy,medications, or a combination of the two.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

A Word From Verywell

Anxiety can create a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape.

Fortunately, anxiety is highly treatable.

National Institute of Mental Health.

US Department of Health and Human Services.Generalized anxiety disorder: When worry gets out of control.

Wells A.Metacognitive theory and therapy for worry and generalized anxiety disorder: Review and status.Journal of Experimental Psychopathology.

2016;87:76-108. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2016.08.001

Cleveland Clinic.Anxiety disorders.

Guilford Publications, Inc.;2016.

2019;15:120-125. doi:10.2174/1745017901915010120

Anxiety & Depression Association of America.Exercise for stress and anxiety.

2017;14(8):864. doi:10.3390/ijerph14080864

National Institute of Mental Health.An anxiety disorder.