I feel like I tend to talk about anxiety quite a bit, and honestly I do.
However, when you do find yourself diagnosed with anxiety or any other mental disorder it because something you strive to overcome. I believe it is crucial to find ways of understanding anxiety and also finding ways to cope with it.
Understanding anxiety and having appropriate coping mechanisms that work for you help to manage anxiety and the attacks that come with it.
An idea that individuals tend to adopt in the new year is starting it with a "fresh start".
As the new year approaches and begins people begin living with the idea of taking on a "fresh start". I thought that it would be an extraordinary idea to write about a few ways to cope through anxiety and anxiety attacks.
While some of these I have either adopted already or recently begun, others are goals that I plan to achieve and/or work on as I continue to manage my anxiety.
I do hope that those of you who are also struggling will also benefit; and by the end of the year let's plan to have a grip on our anxiety rather it on us.
1. Start a new hobby.
I have recently had a very high interest in puzzle. I had not thought of the idea of puzzles in a very long time until a friend showed me her incredible puzzle collection. Voila! Just like that I had a spark of interest and did not hesitate to buy two boxes of Thomas Kinkade's four pack of 500 piece Disney Puzzles.
I recently started one and while it's not as easy as I anticipated, I am excited to see the outcome. No matter how long it takes I know that it will be a great distraction when needed.
2. Journal.
I have tried to journal on and off throughout the years. In fact I am really good at starting off strong, but by week two I have slowed my roll. Before I know it a month has gone by with my journal sitting untouched on my nightstand.
I hope that by beginning to journal again this year I can use it to speak light, truth, and the positive into my life and be refreshed in focusing on the good even in the bad.
By the end of the year I believe that having a journal to reflect on can be an encouragement to myself to look back on and know that even in the dark I still saw the light in moments; at least this is my goal.
3. Take more photos.
My incredible and thoughtful husband bought me a very nice camera a few months before Christmas.
His reasons were: 1.) that I deserved it because I got hit by a car and 2.) so that I could actually put into practice what I enjoyed doing.
This was something that I always had the idea of wanting, but it also wasn't anything I was in dire need of. He told me that he bought it for me early after watching me genuinely smile while practicing on some of my friends' and family's cameras. He also knew that I'd need it in advance to be able to capture the birth of my beautiful nephew and it was amazing.
I feel that this will be an incredible outlet to get out into the world and capture the beauty that God has created for us. What catches my eyes does not have to be understood by others and vice versa, but that's what is beautiful about it.
4. Pray.
This is something that I do frequently throughout each day.
However, in the past through an anxiety attack I have found myself focusing on the struggle versus praying through it. It is easier said than done while in a full fledged attack. I know this because I have been there.
But, with some of these attacks I know they can be prevented to a degree.
If there is something beyond my control that starts to eat at me and I give in allowing it to control my mind, I find myself going into an almost depressive state panicking unable to handle anything at the moment. This has only happened a handful of times, but with each of these situations I believe they can be completely avoided and that is through prayer.
A week ago this almost happened, and I knew that the situation was out of my hands.
I took a breath and begin to write out my thoughts and pray that I would give the situation to God. Immediately I felt a sense of relief, knew that Christ had me, and that I would be okay. A week later the situation was resolved because He is faithful and will always have my best interest I just need to give it to Him trust Him.
These are four ways that I choose to use to cope with my anxiety this year. I know that unfortunately I cannot turn my anxieties off nor can I just demand it away. But through these simple coping mechanisms I can learn to better manage my anxiety by using these to my advantage.
Whether these are things that will specifically help you or not, I pray that you will find others that you truly enjoy doing which will be the best distractions to help you cope.