How to Deal With Anxiety: Practical Tools & Tactics for Immediate Relief and Lasting Change

Anxiety—everyone has faced it, but not everyone knows how to overcome it. In Episode 187 of The Impossible Life Podcast, hosts Nick Surface and former Navy SEAL Garrett Unclebach dive deep into proven strategies for handling anxiety. If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed by uncertainty, this guide is your blueprint for lasting peace.

Let’s get into it.

Understanding Anxiety: The Real Definition

First, let's define anxiety clearly. According to Webster’s Dictionary:

Anxiety is "concern or solicitude about a future event which disturbs the mind, causing painful uneasiness, suspense, and perplexity."

In simpler terms—anxiety is fear of future pain. It's the feeling that something bad might happen, but you don't know how or when.

As Garrett breaks it down further:

• Depression: "Nothing I do matters."

• Overwhelm: "I have too much to do and don’t know what matters."

• Anxiety: "Something painful is coming, and I don't know what to do."

Recognizing anxiety as anticipation of future pain is the first step to overcoming it.

The Core Principle: Certainty vs. Uncertainty

The #1 way to either increase or decrease anxiety comes down to one simple choice:

• Increase Anxiety: Focus on what's uncertain.

• Decrease Anxiety: Focus on what's certain.

As Tony Robbins famously says:

“We don't experience life—we experience the life we focus on.”

You control your anxiety by choosing your focus. If you concentrate on uncertainty ("How bad will it get?"), anxiety skyrockets. Instead, choose to focus on what you know is certain. Garrett's experience in Navy SEAL training perfectly illustrates this:

“I never focused on how bad SEAL training would get. I knew it would be bad, but I focused on the certainty that others had done it before, and eventually it would be over.”

Action Step:

• Clearly identify what's certain in your situation and intentionally shift your focus there.

Practical Tools: Short-Term, Medium-Term, and Long-Term Solutions

Anxiety solutions fall into three categories: immediate relief, medium-term adjustments, and long-term mindset shifts. Here’s how to leverage all three effectively.

Short-Term: Immediate Relief

When anxiety hits hard, your breathing changes. It becomes short, quick, and shallow, intensifying panic. To regain control:

• Breath Control:

  • Breathe deeply in and out through your nose.

  • Focus intensely on the sound of your breathing.

  • Repeat until tension releases from your shoulders.

• Take a Walk:

  • Movement changes your breathing pattern and naturally reduces tension.

  • Even a short walk around the block can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms.

Garrett shares that these tools are used by Navy SEALs in their "Big Four" mental resilience strategies: visualization, segmentation, self-talk, and controlled breathing.

Medium-Term: Build Resilience

The root cause of frequent anxiety often lies in a lack of resilience—being too comfortable or avoiding discomfort. In Garrett’s words:

"Anxiety is your inability to handle pain, and it exists because you’ve become too comfortable."

How do you build resilience?

• Regularly expose yourself to discomfort:

  • Cold showers daily—practicing your response to discomfort.

  • Doing difficult tasks consistently.

  • Challenging yourself physically and mentally to build toughness over time.

Remember, running from discomfort increases anxiety; facing it head-on builds your resistance.

Long-Term: Create a Mindset of Preparedness

Ultimately, defeating anxiety for good requires adopting a resilient mindset. The goal: develop confidence that you can handle whatever comes your way.

Garrett explains:

"Peace doesn't come from knowing what will happen—it comes from knowing what you'll do no matter what."

When you have confidence rooted in preparation, uncertainty loses power. Instead of worrying about pain, you acknowledge it and move forward anyway.

How to build this mindset:

• Do challenging things regularly.

• Remind yourself of past victories.

• Refuse to quantify or dwell on how difficult future situations might be.

Real-Life Example: Overcoming Anxiety in Childbirth

Garrett shares how he supported his wife Lindsay as she prepared for natural childbirth—a situation filled with uncertainty and potential anxiety. She overcame anxiety by:

• Believing she was designed by God to handle childbirth.

• Deciding in advance that she would push through regardless of how difficult it became.

• Staying focused on certainty rather than uncertainty.

By using these exact principles, Lindsay successfully managed anxiety and achieved the childbirth experience she desired. You can do the same in your challenges.

Final Thoughts: Anxiety Doesn’t Have to Define You

Everyone experiences anxiety—whether you're a special operations veteran, a parent, or somewhere in between. What matters isn't that you experience anxiety; it's how you respond to it.

Use the tools outlined here:

• Short-term relief: Breathing exercises and walks.

• Medium-term strength: Regularly exposing yourself to discomfort.

• Long-term resilience: Building a mindset of preparedness.

Your life doesn’t have to be dominated by anxiety. Take back control by applying these tools and tactics consistently.

Take Action Today

Enjoyed this article? Here's what you can do next:

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And if you're looking for personal or business coaching from Garrett, reach out at info@theimpossible.life.

Anxiety is manageable. You have the tools—now go out, apply them, and live the impossible.