Why People are Getting Tired of Coping Strategies for Anxiety: It’s Not a One-Size-Fits-All Solution

By Brian Mathwich, MD, MBA

Coping strategies are great. They can often be someone’s saving grace in an anxiety-inducing situation. The reality is, of course, that anxiety is as individual as all of us, and therefore finding the best coping skills will be an individual process, as well.

Want to know a secret? You’re not “wrong”. You aren’t somehow broken just because this method or that breathing technique doesn’t quell your panic. Stop letting people tell you that you’re unfixable. Just because it doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean that you’re wrong. It also doesn’t mean that it’s wrong—it may be a valid coping strategy for some people. It just so happens that it doesn’t work for you.

Yes, there are some tried-and-true coping strategies for anxiety, as you’ll see in the infographic below. Things like deep breathing, the 3-3-3 technique, and others are helpful to a great number of people. However, if they aren’t effective for you, there’s nothing wrong with finding something else that works.

Trying is Half the Battle

When it comes to finding the best ways to cope with anxiety, most people get stuck right from the start. It can be scary to attempt to tackle something as serious as this, but you have to know that you’re not alone. There is support, and there are solutions that can help you cope. You just have to put in the work to find them.

For people with anxiety, even the knowledge that there is a better solution out there is sometimes half the battle. Perhaps now is the time to consider online therapy to assist you in managing your anxiety. Thanks to the rising solutions for teletherapy, it’s easier than ever to get the help that you need.