10 things I did when struggling with Anxiety

For many years I was on a roller coaster of anxiety! It made me feel out of control and took over my life in many different ways! 

Anxiety can be very debilitating and impact significantly on all aspects of your life.

Thankfully I'm in a relatively good mind state these days but it was a long road to get to this point! That's why I wanted to share a few things that really helped me during that challenging time in my life!

1. Seek help!  

This is really important, there is no shame in asking for support whether it's from a friend or a medical professional.  

I got help soon after having my first anxiety attack at work! It was scary and whilst I kept myself as contained as possible in the office, knowing that it was creeping into my work place was a big enough push to go get help! 

2. Manage medication well!  

If you get prescribed medication make sure you find a suitable time to take it and dont miss days.  Once your medication has settled into your system missing days here and there can play untold havoc with you mental stability.  

In my experience if I missed a tablet for more then 2 days I would experience horrible side effects and my mood would plummet for a few days until I re established my meds! 

3. Practice self care.  

This is soooooo so important.   Pills only help with the symptoms but self care aids in your recovery and sets up positive habits for the future which can continue to help you feel better inside.  Self care includes all things from diet, exercise to beauty routines and just taking time for you, get outside even if it's to walk round the block once a day or have a bath and do a face mask! 

4. Meditate!  

There are many different forms of meditation however my favourite is guided meditations.  There are plenty of options on YouTube or you can download an app.  https://youtu.be/4EaMJOo1jks

5. Practice breathing techniques.  

Taking deep breaths and really focusing on the process of breathing and it moving through your body (mindfulness) can really help calm your body and refocus your brain.

6. Research. 

Find out as much as you can about anxiety and how it is caused.  There are useful talks on YouTube and plenty of literature out there to help you understand what it is your dealing with. Knowledge is power and can support you in being able to rationalise when your feeling particularly irrational (anxiety had me all kinds of irrational over here!!!)

7. Seek therapy.

 CBT is known to be particularly useful for anxiety disorders.  I personally have had psychodynamic talking therapy and this worked great for me.  It helped with pin pointing what my triggers where. I got support through my work place who were able to offer me 6 free sessions of therapy, I was very fortunate to have access to this resource and thankfully felt comfortable enough to share my struggles with my employers.  If you dont feel comfortable going through your work place or that is not an offer for you, check out https://www.mind.org.uk/ or alternatively you can research local therapists by searching https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/

8. Trace back to your trigger. 

 Understanding what might have triggered you can sometimes help you rationalise how your feeling and assist you with dampening down those physical symptoms.  

9. Practise Self Compassion. 

Be kind to yourself when you can. Be purposeful in approaching your self with kindness and self love.  

10. Be proactive in your recovery.   

Dont give up on yourself getting to a better mind set and recovering from anxiety.  You can get better if you take the time to do the above things as much as possible.  It's okay to not follow through all the time but never give up on yourself. Take the view that you can try again tomorrow if today didn't go so well!

Anxiety impacted on me and my whole family, it tore me up from the inside out and took away so much of who I was. 

But by following the above steps and really wanting to do all I could to get better, I found my light at the end of the tunnel.  I have been medication free for 2 years now and whilst I still experience anxiety, it no longer controls me! 

Take care 

Peace and Love 

** Disclaimer I am not a medical expert  and this post is just based on my own experiences. Take care of yourself and do what works for you. If anxiety is taking over your life make an appointment with your GP and seek support from friends or family.