Anxiety and How I Deal With It
For today's post I wanted to write about something I polled all my followers a couple years ago about: Anxiety and Tips for Overcoming it!
A little back story... I posted 5 facts about me on Instagram stories a couple weeks ago, and one of the facts was about me dealing with anxiety and overcoming it. I didn't realize how many messages I would receive asking HOW I did it and any advice I can give. With all of the overwhelming responses, I thought it would be good to ask all of you for your advice and some tips. The amount of responses I got was truly amazing!! Anxiety looks so different for everyone, so what may have helped me may not help everyone.
And before we dive into the responses, I want to say a little disclaimer: I am no doctor and I am not telling you all of these things will cure your anxiety. The information on this website are for informational purposes only. I am simply sharing my experience and what others have shared based on theirs. Always speak with a professional or other qualified health care provider with any questions you might have regarding a condition or treatment.
I want to give a quick back story on my anxiety. I started having anxiety in college, it was my sophomore year. It started off small but very quickly became almost completely debilitating - I thought I was sick with a cold/flu, but it was anxiety playing tricks on me. I was missing classes and missing out on fun with friends. I went to urgent care a few times because I was determined to figure out what was wrong. I did not know why was I sweating and/or feeling like I was going to pass out when I would go to the grocery story or class. Or why I would randomly have moments where my heart beat faster than a drum. It wasn't until going to 3 different places, the doctor told me, I think you may be experiencing anxiety. Every test we did came back totally fine, and I had no other concerning symptoms. I would just get these anxiety attacks.
Fast forward a few months, I went home for Christmas and I was prescribed some meds to help. For me, it really helped. I knew this was the right choice for now and what I needed to get back on track until I was more settled into a routine. I continued meds through college and a couple years after graduating until I was in a steady place in my life before stopping the medicine. I had a 9-5 job, an apartment, and I was in a steady relationship. I worked with my doctor to get to a place where I no longer needed anxiety medicine.
I have been off anxiety meds for 7 years now and I feel great. I still have anxious thoughts and anxiety filled days, but I'm much more aware of those feelings now when they start to bubble up. I started to pay heavy attention to what triggered my anxiety. For example, too much coffee, feeling like I was going to let someone down, negative thoughts that I knew weren't true, and those are just a few. I learned that almost all of these emotions were in MY control. Once I had a grasp on the emotions that made me anxious. I turned my focus to overcoming them. Soooo, that's my personal story!
RESPONSES FROM FOLLOWERS FOR HOW TO HANDLE ANXIETY:
Focus on gratitude - Think about what you have in your life. Focus on being grateful. This might not sound like it is related to anxiety, but it is HIGHLY related to mental health. Which in turns helps with anxiety.
Deep breathing - Breath in slow and controlled, and then slowly breathe out the same number of seconds you breathed in. When I do this, I normally do 6 seconds.
Being present and mindful - THIS ONE IS AMAZING. It takes practice. Think about the exact task you are currently doing. Not in the future, not wanting to be done with the task, not about yesterday. Let me explain, if you are making breakfast and anxious about work- focus on cutting the strawberries, pouring the milk into your oatmeal, buttering your toast, etc. Practice this with all things and you will notice everything slow down a little, clearer thoughts, better attention to detail, and less anxious thoughts outside the task you are currently doing.
Stay Active - Take a walk outside and get some fresh air. Go for hikes, go to the park, bring your dog to the dog park. Vitamin D and moving your body works wonders. Sometimes you forget how good it feels to really move your body until you do again!
Journaling - Write down your thoughts. Or get a journal with prompts and just start writing! Writing things out helps you make sense of it in your own head. There’s a positivity journal on amazon :)
Be patient with yourself and give yourself grace - I’m a perfectionist, so this one took some time for me to really grasp. But nobody is perfect and most of the time if you are anxious about what people are thinking about you, they probably aren't thinking about you cuz they're too worried about how THEY are coming across.
Disconnect - Figure out what may be a trigger for you and disconnect from that. For me, being on social media a ton for my job, I only try to focus on watching people that are generally positive. If someone you follow or a friend of yours is negative all the time, try to distance yourself from the negativity and you won't feel so drained.
Change in diet - Choosing healthier options when you are out and about, cutting out or consuming less of certain foods and drinks. For example, less alcohol, less fake sugary foods, less soda, more fruits and veggies and fresh juices!
Simplify things - Get rid of clutter. If a space is overwhelming you because it’s messy or there’s just too much stuff, start with getting rid of things you haven’t used in the last year. Once you’ve purged, then reorganize. Everything should have a place. If it doesn't have a place and you don't need it, GET RID OF IT. You won't miss it. Trust me, you’ll feel so much better after.
Exercise Regularly - Even if it’s just a 10 min walk, a quick stretch series or a high intense workout. Just get your body moving!! (This was a game changer for me!)
Therapy - Talk to a professional! Thousands of you said this helped so much. Maybe you need to get to the root of the triggers or even understanding a bit more about what anxiety is and how it’s affecting you. Talking to someone can help so much!
To-do Lists - If you’re feeling like you have a million things to do and are overwhelmed by it, write it all down and check off one thing at a time. Start with small tasks so that you get inspired by all you have checked off. Momentum is powerful!!
Find your Triggers - Once you know what may trigger anxiety, you can then find solutions or things to ease it!
Praying or Meditating- both of these practices ease your mind, help relive anxious thoughts, and allow you a minute to breath. They work by slowing your brain down so that you are more focused on certain things instead of your life as a whole.
READ! - I like to think that no matter what you are going through, you can pretty much guarantee someone else has been there. Find a book about it. THEN READ IT!
Filter what you consume - Changing the type of shows/movies/social media you consume! This helped me greatly! And you can stay up on the latest happenings without watching nightly news. 99% of it is negativity.
Daily Affirmations! - This helped me so much, I would put up sticky notes around my apartment as little reminders to myself :)
Essential Oils - peppermint was the top response & helped many breathe better during a panic attack.
If you've made it here, go back and read through them again and think about what some of these may look like for you. Ex. working out may look like high intensity cardio for some, whereas it may look like a casual walk on the treadmill for others. Deep dive into these tips and start adding them to your daily life. imagine yourself doing these tings. Try something new. Maybe you've never practiced deep breathing, give it a try the next time you feel anxious. I hope this post has helped you with some ideas that may help combat your anxiety. Remember, you're not alone!! Love you all!!
