SELF HELP TIPS FOR MANAGING ANXIETY

[AGrace]

Hi Everyone,

Here are some ideas for helping you manage symptoms of anxiety. Feel free to add to the list, or let us know what works for you...

Mindfulness – Grounding exercises: noticing your environment, bodily sensations, and breath

Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Creating a Tension and Release effect with all the muscles in the body

Opposite Actions – By listening to calming music, taking a walk, talking, enjoying sunshine

Safe Place Mental Imagery – Visualising a place where you can go in your mind to feel safe

Calming Affirmations – To help recognise that the moment of panic will pass

Exercise – A valuable way to exhaust excess adrenalin built up in the body

[Moderator's note: this thread is for sharing what has worked for you to manage your anxiety. If you need support to manage your anxiety and would like to discuss this with the community, please start a new thread.

See also:

Anxiety management strategies

Worry worry worry

]

[StormCapture]

Some of the ways I help with my anxiety are on the list but this is what I do:

Mindfulness exercises: Mostly I focus on deep breathing, with my eyes closed and visualize I am somewhere peaceful such as in a rain-forest or at the beach. I use an app called Koru which is 4 weeks of mind exercise and you can log your progress, I do recommend mindfulness exercises as they do wonders, they do take some time to get the hang of but with plenty of practice, it'll do wonders.

Tea: I drink one cup of Chamomile tea once a day to help me relax or when I have had an anxiety attack. The flavor may not be to everyone's taste but I sweeten mine with some honey and add a dash of milk to it.

Exercise: I find my inner peace out on the water, owning a Kayak has helped tame my anxiety as you are focused on each paddle you do. It is also great to be outside and enjoy the fresh air. I also do some weight lifting at the gym which also helps tame and rid my anxiety. So exercise is a great natural antidepressant that I have found.

Supplements: I take a multi-vitamin capsule every morning to help my body deal with anxiety as it can drain the body of good nutrients, my Dr and Uni Councillor said the best ones are ones with the B vitamin group, it will take about a month to start noticing the differences, but taking one everyday has helped a lot. If you are not sure what is the best supplement to take, speak to your doctor as they will help you out in what will be best for your situation.

Speak to someone: The wonders of talking to someone, even if they are not experiencing anxiety themselves but are willing to listen and offer some advice is a great way to help you. By talking to someone, your letting it out instead of bottling it up which can be bad as it will explode as it builds up.

Journals: Tracking progress on how you feel and what you do everyday by writing it in a book, (Not Typing) has helped me out. I do not like to type those sort of things out as I find it does not work as well as writing to me, it feels like when you write, my anxiety is leaving by body and being imprinted onto the page. I write how I felt throughout the day and what feelings that are associated with anxiety have paid me an unwelcome visit. Over the past few weeks, I have noticed a better change in myself

[fred4761]

After having a bit of a relapse of my symptoms lately I have started using a checklist of daily self care activities to remind me of what I can be doing each day. It probably sounds a bit crazy but when I am in a downward spiral it can be hard to remember to do basic things that I know help me to stay well and get me out of a funk.

Here is my checklist:

-Try to wake up and get out of bed at a similar time each day

-Shower/Bath/Personal grooming (brush teeth, do hair, get dressed)

-Drink lots of fluids

-Eat proper meals

-Take medication and supplements

-Spend time outside

-Yoga practice

-Walk the dogs

-Relaxation/Meditation time

-Regular bedtime & evening routine

[PamelaR]

Hi Storm Cloud and Fred

Thank you for sharing your strategies that help you both to move on! They are great and I too do many of these things myself.

Awesome stuff!

Kind regards

PamelaR

[demonblaster]

Neuroscientists discovered a song that reduces anxiety by 65%. It's called..

Weightless By Marconi Union which was created in collaboration with music therapists.

It’s designed to slow down heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of stress.

Tests showed that listening to this song resulted in a staggering 65% reduction in the participants’ overall anxiety and a 35% reduction in their usual psychological resting states.

Relaxation helps reduce anxiety

[lotsofpaper]

Hi everyone.

I would like to thank you all for contributing to this forum. It has helped me so much through my struggles.

Regards,

Jessica

[demonblaster]

Welcome to the forums lotsofpaper ☺

Good of you to say and great hearing here's helping you

Fantastic site lovely caring people

All best everyone ⚘

[Ggrand]

Hello everyone,

Was checking out anxiety threads tonight well this morning now and just spotted this one...I think ive posted here before but not really sure....

anyway, I want to thank you Deebi, I just started to watched and listened to the vid you suggested...”Weightless” by Marconi Union...I remember before watching and listening to this a while back and forgot about it....it’s music is so peaceful and the special effects also so relaxing to watch....

Thank you....i will make sure I do not forget it again...I’m going to put it in my list on my notepad....

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩Grandy.

[StaticRose51]

I am now finished at uni and fell off slightly ....anxiety paid me so many visits I had to resort to listening to music like weightless. But at the moment I am listening to the wonderful shannon kaiser she calms me a lot that and gym has helped a lot.

For now I would love to chat more but i have to get back to paperwork and the like. Time to put the coffee on i think. X Love the forums at this time of year. Stay cool everyone.

[DRhealth]

As a Wellness Facilitator/Coach I have learnt that constantly practicing being powerfully present STOPS ANXIETY in it's tracks..What if most of our anxiety and stress comes from worrying about what's coming up or what has happened?? The key is to just observe our thoughts and feelings. They are just reactions to our interpretation of our world. Check in with our selves to see if what we have made them mean is going to serve us well. Unless we practice mastering our mind, we will be a constant slave to it. If in the case it is not obvious what is triggering your distress, get a therapist or coach who can help find it's source in order to let it go... Love DRhealth

[Natalitsa]

Hi i need help