Anxiety can be an overwhelming experience, affecting the way we think, feel, and respond to everyday situations. It can fill our minds with fear, self-doubt, and worst-case scenarios, sometimes making anxious thoughts feel like undeniable facts. However, the thoughts created by anxiety do not always reflect reality. We all go through anxiety in one way or another, and it affects us in different ways as human beings.
During an interview on the Mind Over Matter TV Show, guest Reece Manigan shared a powerful reminder: anxiety can lie to us. His experience highlights the importance of recognizing anxious thoughts, challenging them, and responding to ourselves with reassurance rather than fear.
Practical Ways to Manage Anxious Thoughts
Question Your Anxious Thoughts
When anxiety takes hold, it can be difficult to separate what we fear from what is actually happening. Pause and ask yourself: “What evidence do I have that this thought is true?” You could also consider whether there is another, more balanced way of looking at the situation.
For example, instead of thinking, “Everything is going to go wrong,” you might say, “I feel worried because this situation is uncertain, but that does not mean the worst will happen.” The aim is not to dismiss your feelings, but to recognize that anxious thoughts are not always facts.
Use Supportive Self-Talk
The way we speak to ourselves can influence how we cope with difficult moments. Try speaking to yourself with the same understanding you would offer a friend.
Simple statements such as “I am safe in this moment,” “I have overcome difficult situations before,” or “This feeling will pass” may help interrupt a cycle of fear. Positive self-talk is not about pretending that everything is perfect; it is about responding to yourself with patience, reassurance, and compassion.
Write Down Your Worries
Writing can create distance between you and your thoughts. Try recording what you are worried about, what triggered the feeling, and what you fear might happen. Then write down a more balanced response or one practical action you can take.
Some people also find it useful to set aside a short period of “worry time” each day. If a worry appears outside that time, write it down and return to it later. This can help prevent anxious thoughts from dominating the entire day. The NHS includes this technique among its practical approaches to managing worry. (NHS.uk, nhs.uk)
Try Grounding and Breathing Exercises
Grounding techniques can bring your attention away from frightening thoughts and back to the present moment. One method is to notice five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.
You can also focus on breathing slowly and comfortably. Allow your breath to move gently into your stomach, breathe out without forcing it, and continue for a few minutes if it feels helpful. Breathing and sensory exercises are recognized as practical ways of managing feelings of anxiety and panic. (mind.org.uk, nhs.uk)
Speak to Someone You Trust
Anxiety often feels heavier when it is carried alone. Speaking honestly to a trusted friend, relative, colleague or mental-health professional may help you process what you are experiencing.
You do not always need the other person to provide an answer. Sometimes, being heard without judgment can make a meaningful difference. If speaking feels difficult, you could begin by sending a message or writing down what you would like the person to understand.
Why Honest Conversations Matter
When people speak openly about their mental health, it can help others realize that they are not alone. Honest conversations can challenge stigma, encourage understanding and give people the confidence to seek support.
Every experience of anxiety is different, and no single coping technique will work for everyone. However, hearing how another person has navigated a difficult period can offer reassurance, hope, and new ideas. Sharing our experiences does not make us weak—it allows others to see the human being behind the struggle.
Creating a Platform Through “Mind Over Matter TV Show”
Mind Over Matter TV Show provides guests with a platform to share personal stories, discuss the realities of living with mental-health challenges and explain the strategies that have helped them move forward.
These conversations are not about presenting perfect solutions. They are about creating a safe and honest space in which vulnerability, resilience and recovery can be discussed openly. By bringing different voices and experiences to the screen, the programme aims to reduce stigma and remind viewers that support, understanding and positive change are possible.
Anxiety may sometimes feel as though it is controlling your thoughts, decisions and daily life, but you do not have to manage it by yourself. Small techniques such as challenging unhelpful thoughts, practising supportive self-talk, writing down worries, grounding yourself and speaking to someone you trust may help.
If anxiety is persistent, overwhelming or affecting your everyday life, consider speaking to your GP or referring yourself to NHS Talking Therapies in England. (nhs.uk, nhs.uk)
This article offers general information and should not replace professional medical advice. If you need urgent mental-health support in England, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and select the mental-health option. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. You can also call Samaritans free at any time on 116 123 for confidential emotional support. (nhs.uk, samaritans.org)
