I’ve struggled with anxiety my entire life – I can even remember being kept awake at night as a young child, thinking about worst-case scenarios that were out of control. It only started really getting to me in recent years, though. Stress, life changes, and lack of sleep had turned a once-manageable condition into panic attacks and anxiety so strong it would prevent me from doing simple things like driving at night or going out with friends to a new place.
I had to find ways to manage my anxious moments, and while some of these tips might be the sort you see anywhere, some of them I’ve had to modify so they worked for me. Here are 12 things that I do when I’m feeling anxious or panicky, and I hope they work for you too ♥
1. Break the thought cycle by getting wrapped up in a book/movie/TV show.
Part of the reason my anxiety is so out of control is that once I start having anxious thoughts, it’s hard to stop myself! Getting lost in something entertainment is enough to give my brain a break, and I can come back to thinking about whatever I was worried about later with a clearer head.
2. Play a distracting game on your phone.
I’ve heard Neko Atsume is great for calming down, but the one I love is called 1010 – it’s like Tetris except the pieces don’t fall from the sky, you have to fit them together like a puzzle! I didn’t explain that super well, but just check it out – it’s free in the iTunes app store. I love it for taking my mind off of things.
3. Take a relaxing bath.
I love taking a bath and doing something pampering like a face mask or a manicure to calm myself down! Unfortunately, sometimes being alone in the bath with my thoughts is NOT helpful, so I usually combine this with #1 above and read or watch Netflix while I soak 🙂 Sometimes a glass of wine helps, too… but I definitely don’t encourage drinking your anxiety away – it’ll just be worse when you sober up!
4. Practice some breathing exercises.
I’ve read that if you inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven, and then exhale through your mouth for eight, and then repeat that a few times, it’s supposed to calm your body down. I think that you can sort of also do this by just taking deep breaths and really focusing on your breath, not the thoughts!
5. Meditation/Mindfulness
Similar to the breathing, meditation can do wonders for calming some of the physical symptoms of anxiety and panic disorder! I sometimes find it even harder than usual to meditate when my mind is whirling with anxious thoughts, but I know it works for a lot of people so I had to mention it. I have the Calm app on my phone and it’s nice for guided meditations. You could also try one of those mindfulness coloring books – I personally have this one (that’s an affiliate link, by the way) and it really does put you in sort of a calm, brain-turned-off state of mind!
6. Go for a walk outside.
Fresh air really can be a miracle worker sometimes! Not much else to say about this one 🙂
7. Take a nap.
This might not make your worries go away, but sometimes for me it serves as a reset and when I wake up I can come back to whatever I was worried about with a clear look.
8. Use some essential oils.
Whether you put some in your bath, rub them on your skin (be sure you’re using the kind that’s safe for that and you’re not allergic!) or put them in an oil burner/diffuser, there are some essential oils that are great for soothing anxiety. Lavender is of course the most well-known one, but some others are frankincense, chamomile, and ylang ylang.
9. Tidy your space.
A cluttered space can sometimes make you feel even more anxious! Tidying up always helps me relax – I can think more clearly in an organized space and the mess isn’t stressing me out.
10. Talk to a friend.
Even if I’m freaking out about nothing and I know my concerns sound silly, sometimes just talking it through with a friend is enough to calm me down! It’s like “ahh, okay, someone else knows that I’m worried about this.” It feels like you’re sharing the burden a little, and sometimes your friend can help you realize that your concerns are just your anxiety blowing things out of proportion.
11. Write it all down.
Make a list of everything you’re thinking about. This could be in journal form or bullet points, but writing down all of the worries you have helps me relax a little – it’s like I don’t have to keep those things whirling around in my brain because they’re all on paper where I can see it.
12. Make a plan.
So much of my anxiety comes from situations that feel like they’re out of my control, but what helps me a lot of the time is planning out what I would do if my worst-case scenario actually DOES happen. Finding little things I can do to eliminate risks or make things go more smoothly makes me feel less scared, and sometimes thinking “okay, so what would I do if this DOES happen?” helps me realize that really, even my worst-case scenario isn’t the end of the world!
P.S. I’m running a giveaway for a snail-mail tarot reading over on Instagram – check it out!
How do you deal with anxiety or anxious feelings?
