Anxiety stems from concern about the future. It can manifest as worries about a specific outcome or be a more general feeling. Apart from the emotional toll that anxiety can cause, it can distract us from the task at hand and reduce our capacity for mental effort, thereby increasing procrastination.

It can help to identify and work through the cause of your anxiety. There are several techniques that can help with this, including:

• Writing it out.
• Taking a long walk without distrations.
• Talking with someone you trust.

Once you have an idea of what is causing your anxiety, it can help to address that cause. The following techniques can help:

• Researching and learning about any areas of the problem you don’t understand or any outcomes you can’t predict.
• Identifying and, where possible, controlling any triggers for your anxiety.
• Singling out and breaking down any problems into small, easy-to-consider chunks.
• Planning the best response to each of the small chunks.
• Learning to manage fear.

If you need help coping with a bout of anxiety immediately, the techniques for dealing with stress in the moment can help.

There are many techniques that can help reduce anxiety long term, including:

• Meditation.
• Exercise.
• Good nutrition.
• Getting enough sleep.
• Journaling.
• Keeping alcohol and caffeine use in check.
• Avoiding recreational drugs and nicotine.

Severe and persistent anxiety can become too much for anyone to deal with alone. If you struggle with this, there are medical treatments that can help. Talk to your doctor or someone you trust about getting help.