Hey man, I've been struggling with anxiety my entire life. So I definitely feel you on this one. It's only within the past 3-4 years that I've been able to shed most of it and live a life that I enjoy. Here are a few things which have helped me:
If you've had it your whole life, there's probably no quick fix to this. The simplest and most effective route is to get a therapist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is usually the quickest and most cost effective method (hopefully free if you have good insurance!). It's designed to get you feeling better within 6-8 sessions or so. If that doesn't get you to where you want to be, Psychodynamic Therapy can be useful as well. But definitely try CBT first.
Aside from that, here are some lifestyle considerations:
Sleep- When you go into counseling, one of the first conversations most therapists will have with you is about your sleep patterns. Fixing any sleeping deficiencies you might have is easiest way to fix anxiety. It will get you more bang for your buck than anything else BY FAR. So that means getting 8-9 hours per day. Plenty of people will go into therapy, do literally nothing except fix their sleep patterns, then feel better within a matter of weeks. I know this sounds like something your mother would say, but it's seriously not at all trivial. Stop staying up late and watching Netflix, go to bed early enough to get enough sleep.
Nutrition- I can't write up a detailed enough post on what good nutrition looks like (would take forever and I'm not super well versed in nutrition), but for starters, cut out as many processed foods as you can. So this means stick with mostly meats, veggies, fruits and some dairy (dairy is processed, but if consumed in moderation, is no big deal). The American "food pyramid" is a lie. If you're stuffing yourself with grains almost every day, you're going to be miserable. Grain is only slightly better than sugar. I would recommend looking into what healthy eating looks like and fixing your lifestyle from there.
Exercise- There have been plenty of studies which show a direct correlation between exercise and mood. So if you're anxious, exercising more will improve your mood. If you can't motivate yourself to consistently exercise, do it in a group so you're accountable your peers. So that means do stuff like Crossfit, Yoga, Intermural/Underdog sports leagues, dance classes, martial arts, pickup Basketball/Volleyball games etc. (BONUS: Most of these places are great ways to meet women. Also, being in shape will make you more attractive to said women.). Or get a personal trainer.
Socializing- If you're stuck at home playing videogames or watching Netflix every day, you will have more anxiety. We're social animals. So when we isolate ourselves, we start to feel shitty. Just by going out and hanging out with friends and loved ones as much as you can, your anxiety will decrease (Yes, I know it can be hard to motivate yourself to do this when you're anxious. But push through and do it anyways. You'll thank yourself later). If you don't have any close friends, its paramount that you find some (again...having friends will also help you get laid. So 2 birds here.)
These things take time, but if you get all 4 of those things handled (especially sleep!), you'll probably feel significantly better.
Also if you're a younger guy (college aged or younger), understand that this is a somewhat normal experience in our society. It's difficult to feel good about yourself before you've built up your confidence and found a place in the world. After you've had a few great girlfriends, have a steady career which brings meaning to your life, you feel like you understand the world better etc., you'll find that you're a more resilient to emotional highs and lows. You'll feel that there's more consistency in your life. But it's hard to do this if you're still super young and haven't really figured your shit out. As such, you become more susceptible to whatever your environment throws at you. And that's okay. Just accept it and keep striving for greatness
