Anxiety disorders are the most common issues in the United States today. Being very debilitating, anxiety affects the everyday life of many many people.
I, myself have struggled with Generalized Anxiety Disorder for most of my life. In the beginning, I remember feeling lost, and out of control.
I felt that these feelings were forever and that I was quite literally either going to die from a heart attack or lose my mind completely.
The thing that a lot of people don’t know is that anxiety is one of the easiest mental illnesses to treat. Here are some of the things that worked for me.
Left Nostril Breathing
I know, what the heck? Left nostril breathing has been known to calm the body and mind.
When I first started having panic attacks I had a therapist tell me to cover my right nostril and deep breathe through my left.
I thought she was nuts!
Well, one day during a class in college (ugh, stress) I started to become riddled with anxiety. Then, I remembered, “your left nostril!” (lol) And so I tried it and guess what? As silly as it sounded to me in the beginning, it really did help calm my anxiety!
Frozen Orange
Do me a favor, go throw some oranges in your freezer right now. The next time you’re anxious or having a panic attack pull one out. Grounding is amazing for anxiety. Grounding involves using the senses.
This is where the frozen orange comes in!
Take it out of the freezer and use your sense of touch to feel the cold. Maybe scratch the peel.
Bring it to your nose and smell it. Open it up and taste it! Make sure you are really paying attention to the orange to help keep you grounded and in the present.
Bracelet Snaps
Sometimes when I’m anxious I need a physical way to snap myself out of it. Snapping a rubber band on your wrist can help shock your brain out of the anxiety where you can then engage in positive self-talk.
I went one step further and used elastic string and 3 beads to make a bracelet. So it’s a little more stylish and not just a plain rubber band.
Yoga
Yoga is a combination of mindfulness, breathing, and stretching.
Mindfulness and breathing are amazing for anxiety.
Also, I like the way stretching feels on my muscles.
There are so many videos on Youtube on yoga for beginners.
I highly recommend it!
Affirmations
Affirmations are positive thoughts that are thought to be helpful for mental health
Things like “you got this!” or “you’re doing amazing today!” might feel silly to say to yourself on a daily basis but you’ll learn to really appreciate them on the harder days.
I like to leave myself sticky notes on places and things I use the most. I have a few in my car, some in my school books, I stick one or two on my mirror for when I’m getting ready for my day.
Anxiety is exhausting. Trust me, I know. But, we can do this!
We can gain more control over our anxiety. We are not alone.
Best Wishes
Amanda.xo