This time of year, anxiety can begin to grow—from economic uncertainty in the world around us to meeting year-end goals at work—these are just a few factors that influence climbing anxiety rates. Anxiety can lead to disability and is on track to cost the global economy $16 trillion, according to the World Economic Forum.

Marlene Chism, an executive educator and author, provides advice on simple actions you can take that will help reduce anxiety. Following are five of her suggestions:

1. Stop ruminating. When your mind is constantly engaged in negative, repetitive thoughts, you are ruminating. You will have to be mindful that you are going in circle and instead find positive thoughts to focus on.

2. Take a social media detox. Reduce your time engaged with social media and direct your energies to doing something more productive, such as exercise or learning a new skill.

3. Get organized. Take some time to tackle your messy junk drawer or write down your list of worries. Getting rid of unwanted clutter will help clear your mind.

4. Build structure. With shifting schedules and hybrid work environments, creating structure around how you do your work can help reduce anxiety. Structure can influence behavior, and that can lead to being more successful in your projects.

5. Re-ignite relationships. Sometimes as things start to feel out of control, you may pull away from people. But experts say you should do the opposite -- reconnecting with others takes the focus off yourself, and can help calm your anxity.

There are several other actions you can take that will make you feel more grounded and less anxious. For more ideas, read 7 practical ways to reduce anxiety in difficult times on Smartbrief.com.