The Anxious Achiever: Tips and Tools for Managing Anxiety in Your 20s and 30s

They say your 20s and 30s are when you worry about what other people think, your 40s and 50s are when you stop worrying about what other people think, and your 60s and 70s are when you realize they were never thinking about you in the first place! Combine this worry with the fact that your 20s and 30s can be some of the most unstable years of your life and you’ve got a recipe for anxiety. This is when you’re navigating some of your largest life milestones such as graduating from college, starting a new  (sometimes many) job, finding and growing long-term relationships, or discovering new places to live. All of these changes, coupled with the often inevitable concern for what others think, can manifest in anxiety. In this blog post, we’ll explore practical tips and tools to help the high achiever manage anxiety through mindfulness.

Recognizing the Signs

Before diving into strategies, it’s important to recognize the signs of anxiety. Common symptoms include restlessness, excessive worry, difficulty concentrating, under or overeating, under or excessive physical exercise, and physical manifestations like muscle tension and insomnia. Acknowledging these signs is the first step toward effective management.

Mindfulness and Meditation

One powerful tool for managing anxiety is mindfulness meditation. Practices such as deep breathing and guided meditation can help center the mind, allowing individuals to detach from overwhelming thoughts and regain a sense of control. In a review of meditation studies, psychology researchers found strong evidence that people who practiced mindfulness meditation had a decreased likelihood to react with negative thoughts or unhelpful emotional reactions in times of stress. 

To get started, consider incorporating mindfulness exercises into your daily routine. Some of our favorite meditation apps include Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, and Waking Up, all of which offer guided meditation sessions suitable for both beginners and seasoned practitioners. These tools provide accessible and convenient ways to introduce mindfulness into your busy schedule.

If meditation isn’t for you—we get it. It’s not for everyone. If that’s the case, try  incorporating one of our favorite dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) skills for mindfulness. Mindfulness is one of the core components of DBT and is often practiced through these six mindfulness skills:

1. Observe: Pay attention to your environment and your internal experiences without adding your usual judgemental mind chatter. Notice what you can see, feel, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
2. Describe: Put your observations into words without adding any of your own interpretations or judgements. Just describe what you are noticing. 
3. Participate: We live in a world full of distractions, so it can be hard to focus on any one thing, uninterrupted, even for a few minutes. By engaging with the present moment, you are able to live more fully and focus more intently. 
4. Nonjudgmental State: Let go of your inner critical monologue and practice self-compassion and understanding. 
5. Open Mindfully: It can be hard not to multitask when you’re a high achiever. Focus all of your attention on the present moment as you juggle multiple competing projects or tasks. 
6. Effectiveness: Focus on what works in a situation, rather than focusing on what is right or wrong. By giving up rigid thinking, you’re able to embrace a more flexible mindset. 

Conclusion

By incorporating mindfulness practices, individuals can navigate the complexities of their 20s and 30s with a greater sense of resilience and well-being. Whether you choose to practice mindful meditation with an easily accessible app or by incorporating DBT’s six mindfulness skills, this practice is sure to help you navigate stress, reduce anxiety, and gain awareness and control of your emotions. Prioritizing your mental health is an investment in your overall success and happiness as you navigate life through your 20s and 30s.

References

Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 37, 1-12. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735815000197

Johnson, M. (2023, May 9). 6 skills to help you be mindful. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-savvy-psychologist/202305/6-skills-to-help-you-be-mindful Krsztic, Z. (2023, November 30). The best meditation apps of 2023. Good Housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/g31945544/best-meditation-apps/