We've all had anxiety at one time or another. The futile worry that creeps up on you at the most inconvenient time. Wondering why your boss said "just take the day off," instead of replying to the long paragraph you sent him about what was wrong and why you needed time off.
Or maybe you're overthinking about last week when you weren't there for your best friend at 2:00 in the morning when she texted and asked if you were up. Your phone rang and you didn't hear it, so now you think she's mad at you.
Regardless, neither of these situations matter. Your boss was just bust and your best friend can't wait to see you again.
Most people have unhealthy ways of coping with anxiety, but here are 15 badass ways to manage your anxiety.
1. Get a teddy bear
As silly as this sounds, having something to hold at night does put you at ease. While you're typing on your computer or scrolling through your phone at night, it helps if you are feeling anxious and have something soft and welcoming at your side.
2. Buy a journal
Anxiety = jumbled thoughts. If you have a journal to write these thoughts down in, you'll be able to tear them apart and decipher what's bothering you and how you can fix it. After so long, you get good at writing your thoughts down and organizing them. You can even write to-do lists (or don't do lists), and that can and will bring simplicity to your busy days.
3. Invest in a weighted blanket
Weighted blankets are proven to reduce stress and anxiety! Throughout the night, they help increase serotonin and melatonin levels. Those two things alone help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
4. Be brutally honest with yourself
Sometimes you have to admit that you made a shitty decision, or that you were being a bad person in a certain situation. We're all human, and we make mistakes. If you own up to your mistakes, learn from them and grow, then only positivity can come out of it.
5. Take a bath with epsom salt/essential oils
Taking a warm bath alone can soothe anxiety, but if you throw some Epsom salt or a stress relieving oil into it; it will work wonders!
6. Exercise
Exercise is the best way to relieve stress. It gets you out of the house, gets you motivated and feeling good, and can take your mind off of things if you let it.
7. Eat healthier
So many times, people don't understand what a healthy diet and workout regimen can do for them. Naturally, if you eat healthier, it clears your mind of all the litter that has built up over the years from the bad dieting habits that we have. You won't believe me until you try it, but if you eat healthier and work out for 2-3 weeks, you'll see a whole different world.
8. Find a hobby that you enjoy
Playing basketball, reading, riding dirt bikes, fishing, or doing anything that can expand your mind will help you find peace and relieve stress. If you can find a reasonable amount of activities to be involved in, it leaves less time for overthinking. It will also help build your personality and character, in turn making you mentally stronger.
9. Get a sufficient amount of sleep
Sleep is important. Get enough sleep. Oh yeah, and drink a lot of water. It helps.
10. Limit alcohol intake
Have you ever felt anxious or heavy-headed after a night of drinking? Or maybe when you wake up the morning after, your heart rate is a little faster than usual? I'm not talking about a stomach ache and a hangover. I'm talking about the anxiety that comes from obsessive alcohol intake. Most of us do it, but you need to know that it does cause anxiety. Although it may be a temporary fix, it doesn't help forever.
11. Strive for not only success, but hearty happiness
It's one thing to strive for success, and that is great and all... but doing that 25/8 does cause anxiety and stress. Too often, we're focused on what other people think success is, but the utmost respectful success is personal happiness. So don't forget to strive for happiness, because in the end, that's what is going to matter the most.
12. Come to a realization that perfection is a standard set by society
Perfection is something that everyone longs, whether they like to admit it or not. What you... what WE need to realize is that perfection is only a definition in a book. It's a (typically unrealistic) standard set by society that may not be what is best for us and our mental stability. Perfection isn't going to get you that job, perfection isn't going to make that boy or girl like you, and perfection absolutely is not going to make you love yourself. What you and I need to focus on is being the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be, not based on others' values.
13. Be a better you, everyday
Your biggest competitor is you. The only person that is going to stop you from reaching your goals, is you. If you solely focus on making yourself mentally stronger, you can defeat anything that tries to stop you from pursuing your biggest goals and ambitions.
14. Remember, what other people say DOES NOT MATTER
As much as I hate to admit it, one of my biggest weaknesses and causes of anxiety is focusing on what people say about me. I'm always thinking about why someone said what they said, or why someone looked at me weird. Truth is, it does not matter. What someone else has to say about you is not worth a damn. So if you (we) can learn how to look straight through peoples opinions, it can and will bring nothing but extraordinary intellectual abilities.
Obviously, there are multiple ways to deal with anxiety, but this list can help in more ways than you imagine if you truly apply it to your life. At the end of the day, remember that you are here for a reason and there isn't a single thing in the world that should keep you from living a seriously awesome life.
- Anxiety disorders - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic ›
- All About Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment | Everyday ... ›
- Anxiety and Panic Disorders Center: Panic Attacks, Phobias, and ... ›
- NIMH » Anxiety Disorders ›
- Anxiety disorders: Definition, types, and treatments ›
- Understand the Facts | Anxiety and Depression Association of ... ›
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