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

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[Jill_G]

Hi Bluey

Thanks for your reply. Yes the sense of smell is really strange...does it go away? My nausea has got better but still get abit quirky at times.

[bluehorseshoes]

Yes in my case Jill the strange smell sensitivity does go away when my anxiety levels drop - hooraa.

Sorry to hear nausea is ongoing issue for you. Mine alternates between a sick feeling and a stomachache when I'm anxious. So I bring on the carbs - sometimes helps sometimes not.

Hopefully the nausea will stay away and give you a break for a while,

Bluey

[Jill_G]

Thats good to hear as its annoying and interferes with my taste.l can relate to the stomach issues and l also find carbs do sometimes help.

Can get my head around how the brain controls so much.

Take care

[Guest_294]

Just found this thread and i really like it - some great tips here! For me, when my anxiety is bad i usually will turn in early - have a hot shower, yoga/stretching and read my book as long as i need to fall asleep. I also really like going to the gym and running/walking as far as i can. If im having a panic attack its slightly different. For me the biggest help is finding something to ground me, because often i feel quite out of my body when im panicking like that. There are certain people that know me well enough like my best friend - if he sees me starting to look like im getting to that place he'll grab my hand or wrist and squeeze really tightly. it helps me feel like i am still there and that everything is ok. otherwise i try to slow my breathing and name colours around me. I read once that labeling colours can help you calm down if youre getting emotional and it really seems to help me in that regard - i think its again a grounding thing. Hope some of these ideas might help someone!

[bluehorseshoes]

Interesting ideas - thanks. When you're labelling, do you do this out loud? This would probably help me. I've recently been singing along to songs (at home) because I've found that I can get suck in the whirlwind in my head and can't communicate. It forces me to focus outward instead of inward and your labelling colours technique would work in the same way - good tip!

[IreneM]

HI Quirky

I can relate to that as I was pretty much bed bound in the previous place where we lived, and the sun came right in our window it was nice. But now my main problem is lack of activity to get energy to do things. So forcing myself up is worth it and seems to give me energy for the day.

I.

[IreneM]

I can relate to all of the stomach issues.

My main problem is diarhea at the moment. The reason is a mystery so I am getting a Referral to specialist. Some of you mentioned that Complex Carbs are helpful, me too. The less grains I eat the more runny my poo is and up go my chances of an accident where I poo in my pants anywhere. The Rice and Oats are keeping that in check at the moment. There is such a thing as a BRAT diet for diarhea (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast). I am surprised how much it is assisting temporarily until a cause can be found.

I.

[Jill_G]

Thank you for your suggestions. I still find the mornings a little difficult so l try to stick to a routine every day. My tummy is mostly sensitive in the mornings and also where l sense these weird smells. I hoping that the fear l still get, again in the mornings willl slowly subside...its been a hard road.

[bluehorseshoes]

The BRAT diet, I like that. Makes muck more sense than some of the celebrity diets cayenne pepper/maple syrup etc. And healthy too, thanks Irene

[alone_and_anxious]

i just did something really stupid and ive been having an anxiety attack for a whole hour,, can anyone help remind me that im okay??