If you are in crisis please make sure to reach out to your medical health provider, call (1800)273-8255 or visit my mental health resource page for tips on getting the help you need. I have personally struggled with mental health for all of my adult life with everything from anxiety, depression, and ppd. I’ve had mental breakdowns, nervous breakdowns and days where I felt like life just wasn’t manageable. Through each one, I have overcome and have learned through these experiences ways to begin managing anxiety.
5 Ways to Start Managing Anxiety
Managing Anxiety is something that is apart of daily life. I feel like I have a good handle on it and some days are better than others. These are the tips that work for me and hopefully, they help you as well. Anxiety can be tricky and very different to each person so I’d advise doing what works for you, but it’s my goal that these are simple and easy enough to get you into a good place.
Get Moving
Exercise is a natural way to release those happy hormones in your brain. One of the ways the ways I like to get moving is running , but you don’t have to run to get moving. Start by walking, visiting a store, going for-a swim or any type of movement activity to clear your mind. When I am exercising I am using it not only to keep a healthy body but it’s also an escape for me.
Make a personal commitment to yourself for movement each day, you can use this time to reflect on your worries or to just escape your thoughts altogether.
Journal
Journaling is a great way to write down you days challenges and triumphs, this is a strategy that you can use every single day. I suggest when you do write down your thoughts of the day that you save space for writing down the positive things as well as whatever is on your mind. Spending some time focusing on the positives can be the catalyst for corrective mindset reset and recharge. Even if you spend five minutes doing this, it can certainly be a level set for your anxious day.
Affirmations
Affirmations are sentences aimed to effect the conscious and the subconscious mind. Repeating affirmations daily to yourself is a great way to open up the mind and thoughts on self-awareness. Affirmations have helped me shift my thoughts into a positive mindset.
Find a few affirmations that resonate with what you are experiencing and say them out loud, write them in a journal or say them silently to yourself. When I am in a bad space with managing anxiety I have these affirmations handy, you can see a full list of my affirmations for women here.
- Today I will not stress over the things I cannot control
- My discomfort won’t last forever.
- I am resilient.
- I am okay where I am right now.
- I love myself and I don’t want to be anyone else.
Self-Care
An anxious mind has you worried about your next move? Is anxiety weighing you down? Self-care is always the first step in taking care of you. You must find time in your day to do something that is solely for the mental health benefit of you. Self-Care isn’t selfish so if there is a guilt there, it’s time to let it go.
Self-care isn’t just a manicure once a Month, but it’s the time you spend with yourself in an effort to restore and strengthen your mind, body, and soul. You can spend 10 minutes a day on self-care, doing so focuses that nervous and anxious energy and replaces it with time spent on the healing.
Related: Ten 30 Minute Self-Care Strategies
Therapy
Therapy shouldn’t be the last option ever, so seeking professional help when needed is to-be applauded and not shamed. Managing anxiety can prove to-be difficult when you’re at it alone, use the Psychology Today therapist finder from anywhere in the U.S to find the support you need. Having someone to speak to openly about my mental health problems has been key in my healing.
It’s very different than speaking to a family member or friend because the doctor will provide unbiased advice, be an active listener and if needed provide necessary medications. If you find yourself needing help in managing anxiety daily and needed that support right away rather than speaking with someone in person, there are online and text options available to you as well.
We should all individually find a way to help ourselves through anxiety or depression. While leaning on others is a great feeling, and getting professional help is often a necessity, it’s what we do with the tools we are given that can help shape the change in our lives that we want to see.
Do you suffer also with mental health? And Looking for Daily Inspiration, I would love to connect with you on my social channels on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook