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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[demonblaster]

Hi everyone 👋 Norcam good to see you and thanks for a great first post.

It's such a bonus finding something that can help isn't it. I've heard a lot of positive with yoga. Unsure what the Nidra part is and meditations a great way of getting away from high stress and anxiety which pretty much work together.

Fantastic you were motivated to come here by the podcast. As you'll see it's a great supportive community very well run by bb who work hard at keeping it a good safe place for us.

Anytime if you feel like talking more about the Yoga Nidra meditation feel free. I'd be interested hearing about it and I imagine others might be too.

Thanks 😊 Hope to see you around more.

Anyones welcome to share whats worked or might for others. The more input the more we might be able to manage this. I find encouraging that Anxiety/depression both can be.

Best to all good people out there 🕊

[Katyonthehamsterwheel]

Hello

I'll admit to having only read this page of the thread (sorry!), but wanted to add that today I used a breathing method when I was getting panicky and close to tears before an interview this morning, and it really helped. I googled "square breathing visual". It's basically breathing in for a count of 4, and breathing out for a count of 4, repeated several times. It seemed to help looking at the visual too, though. I'm so stoked it work! I walked in feeling much calmer, and I didn't cry, which normally I would have (release of the built up tension).

Sending kind thoughts to all who are trying their best in difficult circumstances. Katy

[Helpstar]

Hi Katy

I use this method often and find it helps, i'm glad you had the same experience! Before interview or any kind of public speaking I also like to so a 'power pose' (standing like superwoman/men) for 5 mins before hand while doing the breathing and has helped give me confident also. Try googling 'power poses' for heaps of options.

Good luck with the role and thanks for sharing.

Jess

[demonblaster]

Hi everyone ☺ Katy and Helpstar good to see you both. Welcome to the forums Helpstar and thanks for your good input as well.

Yes breathing is a very good tool which helps us physically and mentally. We need the oxygen that gets restricted with tension. It helps with relaxation too.

Anxiety grows with fear increasing which adds to tension.

I find being aware I'm having anxiety helps to talk myself down and refocus on getting out and back to normal.

Whether firm self talk or redirecting focus completely to something around the room or what I want to do or have done helps.

Katy good on you getting yourself back on track. Winning! Best of luck ☺

Helpstar the "power poses" sound like a win too. Good going.

Great hearing of things that help.

We do have it in us to rise above. Anxiety and depression say different which is why it's so important to KNOW we can and believe we're capable which we are!

Don't give up good people we have a right to know peace 🕊

⚘

[Sean_S]

Howdy guys,

Helpstar, you're totally right about power poses. Scrunch up into a ball, slumped, looking at the ground and you feel like a prey animal; anxious, afraid. Strike a posture like a totally secure lion chilling under a tree like a boss not giving two sh**s about anything around them because they are top of the food chain, then you'll feel like that!

Katy, that's awesome. It's so nice when a technique works bc then you can always remind yourself that it's been proven to work for you; there is observable evidence. I'd recommend journaling a page on the event, what you did preceding it, it's effectiveness et cetera; then you can return to it for years to come to remind yourself.

Norcam, I agree with Demonblaster, if you feel like it I'd be thrilled to hear more about Yoga Nidra.

Sean

[Gizmo_2016]

Great ideas, love this, thanks Katy!

[demonblaster]

Hi everyone and Gizmo_2016 welcome and thanks for popping in here ☺ Hey Sean 👋

Was just thinking about many times I've had big very distressing anxiety attacks have been mostly when I've been still.

Wondering if movement could help.

I remember actually very much doubt I'll ever forget there was one time I was in a really bad way. I so badly needed to get out and did walk outside, it was terrible but ended up calming looking at the stars.

I think because I was concentrating where I was going helped tho very severe I do think it did help.

Our focus zooms in on how we're feeling. Distraction does help.

Laters ☺⚘

[Katyonthehamsterwheel]

Thanks everyone, and Sean for the suggestion to journal about it. Great idea! Think I'll have to check out this thread more often.

Interesting thought about whether movement helps, db. I know when I went through a rough period with a lot of SI thoughts I walked and walked. Darkest period of my life, and I'm still here. I also yoga when I can afford it. Sometimes I'm not in the mood and I might even cry silently on the mat at the start of class, but when I get going I always feel better.

Kind thoughts to you all, Katy

[Gypsy_King]

Thanks Katy. Hyperventilating is always a danger for me so good tip 😊

[Leonay]

Hi everyone,

I am new here but I wish I had known about this a year ago. I have suffered from anxiety all my life but didn't understand what was causing until last year (I am now 46). It took me a while.

For me it took an extreme crisis and an extended hospital stay to find out that my anxiety was caused by a very pure form of OCD that only occurred in my head and didn't present outwardly at all. Once we knew that and thanks to an amazing psychologist I am beginning my journey to get on track and to get rid of these horrible thoughts.

For me there are a few things I find work really well;

A weighted blanket for me is incredible if I am seriously anxious and under threat my from thoughts. For me it is like a massive hug. BUT they are not for everyone so perhaps speak to an OT about that one first.

I have found that for me art can help to get my mind off things and focus on something else to stop it spinning. I love drawing and painting and sculpting (I'm not great at it but it keeps me focused on something else).

Exercise every day is so important to me. Walking in the cold helps bring me down from periods of high anxiety as does cold water splashed on my face. Making sure I get enough exercise every day has definitely helped keep me a lot more level than I used to be. I don't go to the gym, just walking with the dog and simple things like that.

I have also been working on something called detached mindfulness and to allow myself to let go of thoughts that are triggering my anxiety. Due to the nature of my anxiety I need to let go of these thoughts and for me, this has worked well.

Support is critical. I struggle some times and I have a very selfish boss who doesn't understand at all. When I returned to work after my "crisis" I was told there was going to be no special treatment and that I had to pick up the slack from when I left. Luckily I have an amazing partner who has helped me so much. I hope everyone can find someone (or through this site or others) who can help them when they are struggling.

I am really struggling at the moment due to work but I am also aware of my struggles and I beginning to take steps to do something about it.

Have a great day everyone and keep smiling.