These are10 things I do and/or have done when feeling anxious. Tell me if you’ve tried any of these or let me know what you do when you are feeling anxious!
1. calming environment
Our environment affects us more than we may think. I know that if I am in a very busy or noisy atmosphere with lots of people and I start to feel little pricks of anxiety it’s time for me to go. Find a calming environment where you can get your bearings and gather your thoughts. You can also CREATE a calming environment. One of my favorite things to do is to take a warm bath with bubbles and candles.
2. eat/drink
When was the last time you ate or drank anything? Not eating is probably not the root of your anxiety, but it sure doesn’t help it. It is important to eat healthy foods and stay hydrated. It also doesn’t hurt to have something you love when your anxiety spikes. Have some fruit, make some tea, or eat a piece of candy. Chew slowly and let your mind concentrate on the flavors and the feeling of eating that food.
3. watch tv
I don’t know if you’re like me, but sometimes I make my anxiety worse. I can feel my heart start to beat faster and the nervous feeling settle into the pit of my stomach and I start to panic. Why is happening right now, what is wrong, how can I get this to go away? My anxiety starts to give me anxiety. Watching a tv episode, movie, or video often helps to distract my mind enough to help it calm down. Even if it is just ten minutes it is often enough to pull me away from the ledge and start gaining a little bit of control back.
4. read
Reading is my go to. Truthfully this was my saving grace. It was the only thing that ever took my mind completely off my situation. I can get so lost in a book and I am so grateful I still can because it seems to be the only time my mind shuts off, my heart slows down, and my nerves ease up. Find a good book and immerse yourself in it and see if you can get the same results.
5. color
I didn’t like to color when I was little… I love to color now! It is true when they say it’s very therapeutic. I’ve colored lots of things like dinosaurs, flowers, shapes, or bookmarks. It helps to just set your mind to one task: coloring. It is movement so you are still actively doing something and in the end you get a pretty picture to hang on the fridge.
6. talk
This can be a great help even if you have to spit out the words quickly. Just letting someone know what is going on takes a bit of the pressure off your shoulders. You aren’t the only one that knows and if things start getting worse you have someone to help. Talking to someone who has anxiety has helped me a ton as well. Just knowing someone else feels what I feel is a comfort in itself. It also gives me one more supporter and one more person to support.
7. catchphrase
This one might seem a little random but trust me it’s not. Having a “catchphrase” is very helpful. Whether it’s a word, a quote, or a song the repetition of your catchphrase is very calming. Think about a crying baby being rocked in the arms of its mom while she sings a lullaby. Kind of the same thing. The catchphrase can help lull the anxious feeling.
8. journal
I have tried this a time or two and though it’s not necessarily my go to it does work. If you are feeling anxious grab your journal or even just a piece of paper and start to write. Write about anything and everything. Write about the emotions you are feeling and why you might be experiencing them. Or write about anything that pops into your head; get it all out on paper. I wish I was better at using this method because I think I could learn a lot about myself when going through this process.
9. workout/occupy your body
This was a trick I accidentally stumbled upon. I had been having a really bad week of depression and anxiety and for my workout on a particular day I was going to run for 15 minutes. I didn’t want to and believe me I almost didn’t, but as I was sobbing I put on my shoes, got on the treadmill, and began to jog. By the end I wasn’t crying anymore (probably because I was gasping for air instead). This has worked in other cases as well like if I was vacuuming the carpet or hoeing weeds. The act of totally occupying your body with something has a way of calming anxiety.
10. wait/endure
The last one and probably the most dreaded one. Wait and endure. I hate this one, I really do, but sometimes it seems like the only option. You can try all of the other 9 tips and maybe they will make your anxiety go away or maybe they will just help to lessen it. The lingering feeling that you can’t get to go away is one of the absolute worst things imaginable and sometimes the only cure is to wait it out. Don’t let it discourage you too much. If there is one thing I know it is that nothing lasts forever. The anxiety will eventually dissipate.
Which one of these 10 tricks are you going to try? Let me know in the comments!
xxxKarlie