Last week, I wrote about Ten Things To Do For a Panic Attack. Here is a list of things you can do for yourself to help with your anxiety overall.
1. Write a list of your skills and knowledge. Write down things that you know logically that counter what the anxiety is telling you is truth. For example, “Statistically very few planes crash.” or “I can handle going in the store. I have done it before.” Or, for a child, “I know that my mother won’t forget to pick me up.” etc.
2. Read it 2-3 times a day for as long as the anxiety lasts. Then, when the anxiety comes you will be less afraid of it. Anxiety makes us forget what we know, making us vulnerable to believing its lies. Having read the list repeatedly, our knowledge and trust in ourselves will not falter. The information will be up front in our brain and assuage the anxiety.
3. Do some yoga and meditation. Even if your anxiety is from trauma, spending some time in your body rather than in your head is the best thing you can do to recover.
4. Exercise increases your endorphins. Walking is a win-win. Hormones are released from the bottom of your feet as you walk. Plus following through on a commitment to walk will build confidence, countering anxiety. Even better: walk with a friend. Connection counters anxiety.
5. Pinpoint contexts of stress in your life and figure out how to change them. This could seem impossible but we always have control over our response to problems. A counselor or a good friend might be helpful for this.
6. Try an alternative healing practitioner. For example, Ayurveda, acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, aroma therapy, shamanism, and massage therapy all have something to offer people with anxiety. It is also an action to care for ourselves by doing something new. Just the action empowers us, gives us confidence that we can do something and this alone helps.
7. Spend time with people. Chatting and laughing with others will help you feel more “normal.” You can see that fears are common and not feel so bad about yourself. Also, when many people are gathered there is often fun and laughter. You cannot laugh too much!
8. Have a routine. This is one of the best things you can do. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. Eat and exercise at the same time. Meditate at the same time everyday. This helps steady your mind, but also give confidence to your emotions. In other words you feel in control.
9. Never avoid doing things. Anxiety will build if it is winning. Contributing to others often takes us out of ourselves. Do something for someone else.
10. Practice affirmations. Often Anxiety puts pictures in our mind about how we are going to freak out in a certain situation. Change the picture. See it differently. See yourself calm and happy. Do this on purpose 2-3 times a day, especially when you are calm. Don’t wait until you are panicked to do this! You are retraining your mind to have new associations. Literally changing the cells in our brain, the way they accept peptides. Be patient. Keep it up. After a while you will notice a big difference.
(11. Medication. Stay tuned next week, I will discuss medication for anxiety! Come back next Wednesday!)
There is unlimited ways you can help get over anxiety, which ways have you used?
By Jodi Lobozzo Aman
I blog here: Heal Now and Forever Be In Peace
and here: Anxiety-Schmanxiety Blog,
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Very interesting points! I do apply some of them, others I never do (exercise).
My favorite points that work best with me, is helping someone, talking to people, the routine. A routine is not necessarily something difficult. It is as simple as a text message saying good night right before bed time. It works better than tranquilizers!
Connecting to people is better than any medicine! Love and attention, validation is the best source of healing.
For me, like Nikky, in your article, the routine is really important. It is too easy sometimes when we experienced prolonged anxiety to begin to lose track of our daily routine. In depression the routine is more or less removed from the individual. Such as getting ready in the morning, having a shower, shaving if male or applying makeup if female… and sometimes visa versa
Just crawling out of bed and throwing same old clothes on shows that you are starting to care less about yourself.
Affirmations can be really powerful over time but I find that if the individual doesn’t believe in them then they can be rejected in the mind. Best time for them I believe, is just before falling asleep or just after the moment you wake up when the mind is highly suggestible.
I agree about affirmations, they have to be what someone knows, rather than being general and unfelt. This can be tricky to come up with the right affirmation that works and is believed. A therapist or or hypnotist can help!
Exercise and Clonazepam are the only things that work for me.
Janet, I am glad you found what can help. Have you found what recruited anxiety into your life in the first place?
Jodi, Really great suggestions. I am finding that a routine is very important to me.
I like your point that when we’re feeling anxious, we’re not trusting ourselves. For the first time, I’ve been thinking about how I don’t trust myself. Following at least some of your suggestions will help me begin to trust, I hope.
Oh yes, Tina. It is all about trust! Work on it and let me know!
I have found that a family member triggers anxiety for me. Their problems are so overwhelming I can’t imagine living like that, and just thinking about their problem clouds my thought process until I can’t think straight. It takes days to overcome a phone call from them. I do my best to avoid, because I don’t want to hurt them.
Sometime someone else’s anxious energy effects us. Avoiding may work, but you can also attempt to calm yourself in their presence to disassociate them with feeling anxious, or you can meditate giving yourself some energetic protective barriers (like a shield of light around you.) Try it!
you hit nail on head carol. I’m afraid to hurt them or let them down, so avoid them instead. takes time to recover from any request our commitment they want from me!
Anxiety as common and unpleasant emotional experience tight everyone, but not in the same way and strength. When it destroys our daily activities, then it should take any action, in order to avoid its numerous damage consequences for our general well-being. Among them certainly, are Your ten recommendation activities. As You noted, there are unlimited activities that help us to overcome this unkind feeling. In this way, I would to stress the necessity of active dealing with anxiety in order to soften the psycho-somatic suffering. Otherwise, we would to face with many bad personal, professional and social repercussion.
Thank you, Dr. I agree!
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Get moving…Instead of sitting around thinking about how I feel, I just get moving. The effects are fantastic. During my walks I practice “no thought”.
When You realize you are no longer present ( in though) you automatically become present.It helps stop anxiety momentum.
Cheers
Frank Foster
Queensland, Australia
Well said!