Anxiety is sneaky. It can come up in situations where you might expect it, like an important test or a job interview. But when the “fight or flight” response comes up in situations where it isn’t necessary, then it’s time to think about what’s really causing your anxiety and what you can do to help it. If your anxiety is showing up in situations where you didn’t feel it before, you might be ignoring the needs of your body and mind, and could use some relaxation tips.

The problem is, anxiety can happen without rhyme or reason, so it can be difficult to figure out why you’re suddenly feeling the way you do. For some, it can be easy to reach for drugs or alcohol in the midst of a moment that feels like a crisis.

Here are four things you can do to avoid substance use disorder in the midst of anxiety, to calm yourself when you’re in the midst of an anxious moment.

1) Breathe. When you slowly breathe in and exhale, your body immediately begins to relax, and your mind slows down. Breathing slowly, in and out, helps to send positive signals to the brain and relax muscles and nerves in the body.
2) Analyze the situation. What’s really going on? Is it a life or death scenario? Is this something you’re going to think about tomorrow? Is this something you’re going to be thinking about in one hour? Even though something might make you anxious in the moment, it may not have an effect on the future.
3) Relax. Think about your body, and “scan” your tension, from head to toe. You may be surprised that you are clenching your muscles, or frowning. Tension builds up in the body, but you can let it out by simply thinking about where you’re tense.
4) Take meds. When you’ve exhausted your coping mechanisms, it might be time to take something that’ll help with the physical and mental reactions to anxiety. There are anti-anxiety medications out there that do not contain benzodiazepines, which can be addictive. However, when taken exactly as prescribed, anti-anxiety medication can have a very immediate effect on easing even the anxiety you thought you could never overcome.