Over the break, I went out for lunch with one of my best friends, and we started talking about Anxiety. She mentioned that she loved reading my experiences but couldn’t relate to most of it since she doesn’t experience it as often as me. My immediate thought was LUCKY but, it’s unfair of me to think so. Anxiety can creep on us at any moment, can be big/small and have a significant impact on us and others.
When she asked what alleviates my anxiety, I immediately thought of my side passions: Writing, Reading & Music. Determining what you love and taking action is a big part of reducing stress and anxiety.
I like getting lost in music and stories, keeping my mind occupied undoubtedly keeps me away from my worries. Writing in itself is cathartic, and sometimes when my mind is jumbled, it’s great to get these thoughts out.
Do you need help or lack motivation? One of my enormous hurdles over the past couple of years was acceptance. Anxiety doesn’t go away – it will never disappear. Once I accepted this, it oddly reduced my anxiety.
Here are five ways to help reduce Anxiety:
- Meditation: This will take a little bit of practice, but once you get the hang of meditating you’ll start to notice the calming effect it has on you. I use the app CALM for this purpose but start gradually. Don’t beat yourself up if you cannot do a full session right away.
- Get Healthy: Physical health is so incredibly vital to anyone’s mental health. Once I started to eat healthier, I noticed a huge difference in my energy and sleep patterns. Working out a few days a week is also very useful at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and at enhancing your cognitive function
- Follow a Routine: Creating a daily ritual for yourself can reduce your anxiety by its predictability. Bring your passions into play! I like to write out my ideas for this blog or my novel, read a book by one of my favorite authors Linwood Barclay or just getting lost for the 1092846th time in Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon
- Stretch your comfort zone: One of my prominent accomplishments was doing something once a week that took me out of my comfort zone. Don’t forget to take SMALL STEPS though – beating your anxiety takes time so don’t jump into something too drastic right away
- Laughing: Remember to smile and laugh at yourself. Laughter is one of the best medicines, and the positivity is always best
The Gray Space 