GETTING A HANDLE ON THE BEAST OF ANXIETY

Have you ever been overwhelmed or stressed out by something that should be minimal but it just feels like it’s seconds away from causing you to panic? Had trouble sleeping, even though you constantly feel exhausted or drained of all energy?

I have, and it’s not fun at all.

Whether we know it or not, we have felt some type of anxiety. Maybe it’s sweaty palms before you’re supposed to give a presentation, constantly worrying over nothing  or even a sudden bout of irritation that comes out of nowhere.

Anxiety: It seems like such a small word but that word holds so much tension and meaning behind it. When some people hear it they automatically recoil, as if just the word alone will cause the world to implode. Yes, at times it can feel like, or even be, a scary word but in reality it’s a part of our vocabulary; even if every one of us has not dealt with it, we all know someone who has.

“Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns.” (source: American Psychology Association.)

If you do have anxiety or feel like you might, here are a few tips in order to pull yourself from the brink of either a full-blown attack or causing yourself enough mental stress that you end up with a migraine: 

• Take a deep breath. For me it’s the best way to slowly calm my racing heart and thoughts, especially for those moments when I feel like I’m overwhelmed.

• Listen to music. I always keep my earbuds within arm’s reach because sometimes a deep breath doesn’t work and the beat of the song helps me focus my mind and slowly I can pull back into reality. 

• Drink cold liquids. A cold glass of water can bring you back to reality more than you think it can. It’s almost like a beacon, the chill taking you by surprise and refocusing your brain. 

• Meditate. Now, this is for the moments where it’s not as bad, but that doesn’t mean your anxiety attack is good!. Meditation is a good way to make you focus on something other than the problem, and to relax your muscles and your mind. 

•Take a nap. This isn’t the most extreme way of handling it, but it’s a start in my eyes, for me an attack can often leave me feeling dead on my feet and just mentally drained. So, a nap really helps when I can get one in. A bonus that also helps me is I’ll either push in my earbuds or switch on my speaker and turn on YouTube, then put on heavy thunderstorm sounds as relaxing background noise. It works really well and I definitely recommend it! 

• Share. If all else fails, talking to a trusted friend or adult is always a good option. I’ve learned that sometimes talking about it can help rid myself of the stress, and working together, a solution can be found . 

Anxiety isn’t fun, by any means, and often it can cause people to close in on themselves and exclude them from situations of all kinds. But it does and will get better, with time. It’s not instant improvement, but it does get better.

I hope these tips can do someone good. Even if you don’t have anxiety these tips are still good to follow in order to maintain good mental health for yourselves and those around you. Never let your mind tell you that it’s okay to stress and panic over any situation, because your mental health is just as important as your physical health and you are truly important!