Feeling Anxious? Here’s how to stay calm

Anxiety and stress are no fun at all. I’m sure we have all heard the phrase “It’s all in your head, calm down” or “Don’t worry so much” when we tell someone we are feeling anxious or uneasy about something.

Spoiler Alert: This really isn’t helpful for someone who struggles with anxiety.

Soo., what exactly is anxiety?

Anxiety is defined as an intense or excessive fear about everyday situations. This can occur when you have a big presentation for school or work, for example.

Some symptoms of anxiety can include Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, and sweating.

The feeling can come on suddenly and out of nowhere. It can feel very overwhelming and scary.

So, how can we calm our anxious minds?

Here are some tips and coping mechanisms I have learned throughout the years.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert by any means, but I am someone who struggles with this.

1. Take a pause and deep breath– This might sound obvious, but when anxious feelings spike, we can go into panic mode (also known as flight or fight.) We can forget to simply just stop and breathe deeply. You can take about 2-3 deep breaths in and out throughout your nose and mouth.

2. Write it down- One very useful tip I have learned from therapy is the use of journaling. Whenever I am feeling sad, upset, or anxious, writing down the feelings instead of just having it all in my head helps to bring them out onto the paper.

3. Unplug from social media or any other stimulants- Turn off your phone or put it on “do not disturb.” Try to go out for a walk to get some fresh air even or just sitting on your stoop or in your backyard can help. Try to change up your environment and connect with the world around you.

4. Meditation- Meditation has helped me so much (I discovered this during the start of the pandemic while having a lot of extra free time) Taking the time to step outside of yourself helps you to relax and stay in the present moment. it is not easy especially when our thoughts are in overdrive but even just doing a quick 2-5 minute meditation can help. Simply do a YouTube search or you can check out this channel that I love on YouTube(https://www.youtube.com/c/dynastyelectrik)

5. Avoid triggers- Identifying and knowing your triggers is extremely important when dealing with anxiety and stress. If looking at social media triggers anxious feelings or stirs up self-doubt or if sitting still and not moving around makes you feel worse, just get up and try to change what you are doing.

I hope these tips will help and resonated with you warriors. If you have any other tips or suggestions, feel free to comment below and share these with a friend or family member. Thank you always warriors xoxo