If you suffer with anxiety then I can completely relate. It’s only been the last year or so that I have been able to confront my anxiety head on and it’s nothing to be ashamed about. We live in a world where slowly but surely we’re starting to open up more and talk about our feelings, this is something that I have struggled with for years – especially as a teenager. I’m definitely no doctor and my levels of anxiety might not be as high as others but I thought I would share with you my 5 tips that really help me. If you feel that you are struggling, I urge you to book an appointment with your doctor, talk to friends and family or call your nearest charity for advice.
What is anxiety? Anxiety disorders consist of feelings such as worry or fear which can be mild or severe. Everyone will suffer with some form of anxiety during their life and people handle it in different ways. If you have trouble concentrating and sleeping and are feeling restless or worried, you may be suffering with GAD which is Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Like I said earlier, I’m not a doctor so if you are worried in any way, call someone or book in to see your doctor for further advice.
Here are a few tips that I feel help me when I’m struggling:
Don’t Forget To Breathe
If I feel like I’m having a panic attack in any way, I find myself a quiet place and I take deep breaths whilst counting to 10. This was a tip that Gareth actually gave me and it works like a dream. It might be such an obvious tip but if you haven’t tried it yet then give it a go. Normally, I tend to count to 5 and I feel the difference straight away.
Write Down Your Thoughts
Whenever I’m feeling anxious, occasionally I write down my thoughts and that’s one of the reasons why it inspired me to write a blog post today on how I deal with anxiety in the hopes that it would help someone else. Feeling worried? something on your mind? Write it down and address the situation. Once you have written down your thoughts, read it back to yourself, as it may not be as bad as you thought and you will be able to come to the conclusion on how to deal with it.
Talk About It
If I’m feeling anxious or worried about anything in my life, I grab Gareth and we go for a drink so I can talk to him about it. He never makes me feel stupid or that I’m worrying over nothing. It’s so refreshing to have someone that I can speak to and I 100% advise this. If you feel like you don’t have anyone to speak to then call your nearest charity or your doctor. There will always be someone out there that you can speak to and on the Mind website they have a list of useful contacts.
Remove Yourself From A Stressful Situation
If you’re feeling stressed from your job, maybe it’s time to search for another role. Personally, I don’t feel that I have ever felt stressed through work but I have felt anxious with certain situations and sometimes I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why I feel that way, it literally just comes out of the blue. Remove yourself from any stressful situation, life is too short to be anything but happy.
Working Out
Exercise has shown to decrease overall levels of tension and anxiety. Scientists say that a 5 minute workout can help reduce anti-anxiety levels. I can definitely vouch for this! After I have had even just a 30 minute workout at my gym, I feel refreshed, happy and I can think more clearly. Yes it’s a struggle to hit the gym, trust me on that, but it is so worth it. If the gym really isn’t for you, take a 15 minute walk, go for a cycle, join a dance class or even take up yoga.
I would love it if you could comment down below and share with me your tips on how you deal with anxiety.
Fab post as always lovely. Very relatable! My blog was a little escape point too, where I could document my thoughts etc. Lotsa love, Han xx
Author
Thanks so much Hannah and so happy you find it relatable. Thanks for reading as always xxxx
Writing down your thoughts is a very good idea!
Author
I know right Definitely try and see how you get on 🙂 xx
Gratitude! Gratitude journalling has helped me SO much in the last few months. Taking a minute or two each day to focus on the good rather than what’s scary, is slowly changing my mindset!
Author
This is great Holly, such a fab tip. I’m also going to try and do this 🙂