Methods that help me cope with anxiety.

Life is not easy. We can often feel that we are floating on a cloud while trying to navigate different cycles of life. When you add anxiety to this, it can feel like something is constantly blurring and blocking one’s judgement on things. It can make simple tasks feel very difficult. I am someone who has suffered from chronic anxiety since adolescence. So, I feel your pain! HOWEVER, throughout the years, with trial and error I can confidently say I feel more in control of my anxiety.

Anxiety can be felt in many ways physically and mentally. Personally, for me, it can feel like brain fog, body tension, lethargy, intrusive thoughts, and stomach discomfort. It can feel quite debilitating when your body is in constant stress. This can often make anxiety feel worse and for some life threatening in the form of panic attacks. It can sometimes make one feel like they have another underlying condition, when really, it is just the mind tricking us (or there is something actually going on – see a professional if in doubt)!

Understanding how you feel when having anxiety is the first step into understanding how to identify and cope. I am going to share some things that I found have helped me deal with my anxiety on a day-to-day basis:

Journaling – take 5 minutes to jot down how you are feeling! Notice the sensations your body feels. What is bothering you that day? What is something nice that is happening? Journaling on days we feel unwell I feel, can help release those intrusive thoughts our mind can often set up mentally which inhibit us. It can help restructure the mind to think more positively and solution based to make the day better. It can also help identify issues that we have to work on once we notice a particular pattern with things and keep accountability.

Gratitude & acknowledging good things – noting down three things I am grateful for and three good things that happen each day really helped me to be proactive in positive thinking. There may be days where we feel lost, not successful, work issues or absorbed in world events and politics. I have been doing this since 2018. Initially I typed it out or wrote. Now, I mentally think of it when I do not get time to write it down. This helps reduce my anxiety and fears. I feel more in control of something good happening and wanting to continue that each day. It has made me more kind, patient and positive in situations with other people and my surroundings. Where before, I could have easily been upset (I still get upset of course, but I have better mechanisms than before).

Reducing screen time & following people who inspire you – I found that over the years, reducing my screen time on social media has been quite helpful. I find that not opening the app during the first 1-3 hours of the day allows the brain to focus on my tasks for the days. For some, it may help them to find encouraging quotes, talks etc. I find for me however, that I like to open a podcast on YouTube for example while I get ready to tackle my day. With this said, be mindful of who you follow. Are they draining your thoughts or inspiring you in some way? Social media can have its benefits if used wisely! Choose your path! I am still personally working on reducing my hours on Instagram during the evening hours. I have set 2 hours total for the day and set a quiet mode reminder to close the app each night. Still a work in progress! It might sound strict but I am mindful of what I watch and read everyday, as I feel it influences to how I feel each day and effects my mood. Maybe try this!

Movement – whether its 5 min or 1 hour, getting movement in our day can be very helpful. I will not lie, even on days I squeezed in 5 min of yoga at the start of my day, I found myself still having anxiety. I did notice however, when I do movement for 30min or more, my mind refocuses and I am able to complete tasks that I found daunting. If you’re into meditation or yoga, I highly recommend Yoga with Kassandra and Yoga with Adrienne. I found Yoga with Kassandra good for breathwork and relaxing the body. With Adrienne, her meditation videos are helpful and she has faster paced vinyasa yoga videos. I also weight train and am a HUGE advocate for this! This has helped my concentration and self-confidence after I stopped playing certain sports in my schooling years. I try to implement movement and meditation daily. I hope you can too! I hope to write more about fitness and movement later!

Diet – what are you eating? This is often a very UNDERRATED topic, but food can affect one’s anxiety! Are you consuming too much caffeine? Are you eating any fruits or veggies? There are so many important minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, iron, etc, that can help uplift lethargy or moods that we have when experiencing anxiety. Taking note of our diet and water intake can do miraculous things. Acknowledging if we are getting enough calories or excessive calories can also affect. Did you know that people are often more stressed and fatigued due to undereating and not drinking enough water? We hear it every day, but I believe this is a strong factor that we can work on to reduce anxiety. Of course, though, there will be days we just want to indulge to feel good, so enjoy that too! I found working on my diet helps my brain stay less foggy and focused.

Reading – THIS was a big one for me! I used to read a lot of different types of help books. Which was great but I felt I wanted change. I went back to my love for fiction! I feel this has not only reduced my anxiety but improved my concentration and makes me happy overall! Escaping from reality into a book, helped my mind especially at night to relax and sleep better overall.

Knowing when to get help – this is a tough one for many to decide. When we feel anxiety crippling our mind it’s time to get help. Start with talking with a loved one, a friend, healthcare professional letting them know what is happening. Being vulnerable and open to someone you trust can be self-soothing. It can also be an outside perspective if we need aid. It allows your loved ones to understand you better. Never feel ashamed to communicate! If we feel anxiety is further impacting our relationships and behavior this is another sign. Receiving help does not make one appear weak and can help us move forward. I tried therapy for the first time over the summer of 2021 and found it to be helpful. I was able to wean off in 2022. Since 2023, I have been managing okay on my own! Telling people how we feel can be quite liberating and can change the distortions we sometimes create in our mind. Or it can help deal with difficult scenarios that are troubling us. Never feel ashamed to get help when you need it, we are human after all! The growth that comes with therapy is tremendous. A source that I also used was CIMHS http://cimhs.com/ (Free Online Therapy for Depression). This site was quite helpful for me when I was going through a rough patch in 2021 before deciding to seek therapy. You work on different modules for a few weeks, and it helps analyze things for yourself.

Not letting it define you – No matter what type of anxiety disorder you’re suffering from we can all relate to one thing. That it can feel like your brain is a hamster running on a wheel. Just know that you are not alone and there are many people like yourself who are dealing with anxiety daily 24/7 around the globe! When we are going through tough times it can feel even worse. For me, doing all this for many years has helped me proudly say that in 2024 I am feeling more at ease and in control. Remembering that the thoughts you have are passing clouds and that it does not define the current moment or who you are (a mental note I also tell myself every day even on tough days!!!).

Let me know if you do any of the things that I have mentioned. Does it help you? What are some techniques that you have done or do now to reduce anxiety? There are so many things that help people differently. I found doing a combination of the above over the years has helped me reduce so much of my anxiety naturally. It is never an easy path but I hope this gives hope to someone that it is obtainable. Feel free to mention what helps you or thoughts regarding anxiety! It might help someone.