Are you dealing with Anxiety Disorder? Join the club, and sadly that “club” is growing as more and more Americans suffer through another dreadful year of this God-awful pandemic and find that their symptoms are going through the roof. Well I can relate. I’m not a doctor, so this is not a post full of medically sound advice. I just have some things I do when my anxiety is through the roof. And let me clarify, I do not take prescription drugs, so please take that in to account as you read this post.
I have things that I do to cope and deal with my anxiety. I call it “riding the wave”, or some could say, I found some alternatives to taking prescription drugs to lessen my symptoms of anxiety. You could try them. I do not advise taking, or not taking prescriptions to deal with anxiety, so if you need advice on this please see a qualified mental health professional. But if you want to try some things that may help you, read on and if it resonates pass them on to someone that may need the information.
Anxiety sucks, so first of all let me welcome you to the club. We need to support each other because only a person with anxiety will understand you best. Well I have been where you are, and will be there again….
It’s like the anxiety comes in waves, and no matter how much you would like to control the feelings they just keep coming. Well some people immediately want to turn to prescription drugs to treat it. And for many that is a option that works, but just in case you may need other options or options to use in conjunction with medication here is another tool to use.
So if you want to join me and ride the wave, here are three things I try when my anxiety is sky high.
- Distract yourself with an activity you can get lost in….
I tend to worry a lot. One thing I have found, I can’t concentrate on things like a jigsaw puzzle and worry about the uncertainty of the economy! That’s the beauty of a puzzle. You spend your time searching for specific pieces, and that means your mind has to focus on something other than your problems, if only for a moment. And if you suffer from anxiety you may find that you worry a lot. And then you worry about how much you worry and your anxiety gets worst.
Right?
Well find an activity you can get lost in. And I don’t mean drinking a half pint of Hennessey. I mean cleaning out the junk drawer we all have in our kitchen and yes, that’s an awesome tip for dealing with a brain that has a tendency to worry. You may find that distracting yourself could also lead to less anxiety by getting you to do tasks you need to do, like cleaning that hall closet, or searching for the paperwork you need to locate for some reason. We all can find something that will at least distract us for a while and we know how much relief it is not to worry even if we pick it back up later.
And if you to start worrying again, you can always find another productive activity to distract you.
- Use meditation to help you calm down your nervous system…….
Sometimes it may seem like your anxiety has you acting like a nervous wreck! Why not use a calming technique like meditation to help you relax? Okay, I get it. Meditation can be hard for some of us to do. I can admit, learning to relax through meditation takes practice, but the benefits are worth it.
My anxiety has me so wound up sometimes; I most definitely had to find something to help calm my frayed nerves. A cool way to start meditation could be through using “guided meditation” as a tool to help you relax.
What is guided meditation? The simple answer is that another voice guides you into a meditated state. This technique can be useful to help you train tour brain to relax through the method of meditation and is great for beginners. You can, and should move on to allowing yourself the safety of moving your conscious mind into a state of relaxation. Here is one you can try……
(Posted on YouTube by Great Meditation)
If you didn’t like that one you can go on YouTube and find plenty more by a variety of creators. The main point is that you can get relief from your nagging sense of worry that comes from having anxiety that is not under control.
- Play some soothing music that changes your mood……..
We all have some music we love. If you are anxious, why not play some relaxing tunes to change your mood? Can’t think of any music that will relax you? Well no worries, I thought of everything, because we need to have each other’s back, right? Check these tunes out……
(Posted on YouTube by Meditation Relax Music)
Or if you want something a little different nd you are a fan of R&B here’s a song that always relaxes me…….
(Posted on YouTube by adinaebonypanther)
So what do you think about my suggestions to help you ride those waves of anxiety when they start to grip you? Feel free to let me know if any of the three were helpful for you if you try any of them. Also, tell me what tips you may have for me that help you with your anxiety.
Remember that you are not alone. You do not have to fight anxiety alone. If you need assistance reach out to a qualified mental health professional for help? There is no shame with using all avenues to protect your mental health.
Good luck! Thanks for the support…. Let’s ride the wave together!
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