For so long, my anxiety made me feel like I was in an infinite dark tunnel that would never reach the light of day. It was haunting and no matter how hard I tried to control or stop it, my anxiety attacks would only worsen and last longer. The simplest tasks in my everyday life became impossible to do.
More than anything I was embarrassed. No one wants people to see them at their weakest point. It was humiliating when my entire body trembled or my mouth contorted in weird ways because I knew people noticed and probably thought in their mind what's wrong with me.
I was tired of playing the puppet to my anxiety's mastery. One day, I swore to practice every technique in the world until I found one that worked for me and helped wane my anxiety. After years and years, the antidote revealed itself to me, but even still sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I've learned that with anxiety, you have to have multiple plans to counteract against your attacks because there's a chance one skill may not work.
1. Eyes Closed, Imagination Open
Misty Rainforest
https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/5-tips-for-great-rainforest-photography/
I was riding the bus one day to school, innocently daydreaming to pass the dream when I started structuring sequences of visuals in my mind. A red Chevrolet inside an empty white room. Spanning around the vehicle through zoomed in sight, The visual fades into a colorful rainforest. Mist showers above the waterfall streaming off the cliff. Birds fly above the tree and their chirps echo in my ears.
It all came together so beautifully. There was a time I was experiencing a bad anxiety attack, so I closed my eyes and laid back while visualizing these scenes. Almost always, my anxiety would calm and my body would stop trembling. I was dumbfounded that it actually worked.
I was scared at first to even do it in front of people until I realized no one pays attention to anyone other than themselves. Practicing this technique and using it in my times of stress has been therapeutic. It's almost like meditation except you're allowing your mind to roam your imagination. Create cities, worlds, universes, or anything that will distract you from your problems in the real world.
After a few months of using my imagination as my weapon against anxiety, I saw a drastic change in the length of my attacks and how many times I actually became anxious. It doesn't even have to be things you magically construct in your mind. Reminisce over the scenes in your favorite movie or think about a picture and magnify them in your mind. Don't restrict yourself. Much of people's anxiety comes from over analyzing things or worrying too much. When your mind is distracted by something visual, you won't be concerned about outside factors or even your own thoughts.
. Not everyone has a great imagination which is why the next technique is for people who need to let their minds breath.
2. Focus
Looking at life through a focused scope
https://www.creativethinkinghub.com/creative-thinking-focus/
When you focus on something long enough, you'll lose yourself in it and everything worrying you will dull to a silence. I can't emphasize enough that if you can't control your anxiety and it's soaring through the roof, distracting your mind will greatly help and potentially stop it.
To focus on something is such a great technique in subduing anxiety because everyone does it every day. Whether it be focusing on what you're eating, writing, doing, or saying. If you put purpose in what you are focusing on, you will only think about that one thing. Like focusing on picking lint off your clothes or focusing on counting the hairs on your arm.
This technique is so easy to do and doesn't require any extra work. Sometimes when I'm really anxious I'll grip my pencil and act like I'm scribbling on something and it works. It gets all the extra energy inside of me channeled into my fingers and out through the pencil. And that's a big thing with anxiety. It builds up inside of you until it explodes, but if you can work to channel that energy into something then you'll never have to worry about having a panic or anxiety attack.
Exercising is a great way to deal with all that extra energy. You're getting rid of it in a beneficial way. I dread working out, but there are other types of exercises that get your heart pumping. Dance to your favorite song, rough-house with your friends, beatbox, compete. Any of these things will get your heartbeat forward and you won't even realize how much you've forgotten about all the troubles that were dawning on your mind.
Figure out what you like doing the most and bring things related to it along with you everywhere you go. And when you're feeling anxious or susceptible to an attack just focus on that one thing.
3. Let It Go
Scream
https://www.sicknotweak.com/2017/02/anxious-screams/
Anxiety affects your emotions. There are times when the anxiety will petrify you into being unfunctional in any state. It's absolutely terrifying to experience and you have to know what to do when that happens. Let it go! And it's completely opposite from what Elsa wants you to do.
You need to rage. Kick a chair, scream, cry, punch things (carefully), fight the air, throw things. Do whatever it takes to release all your anger. People don't often associate anger with anxiety, but I feel like they go hand in hand with each other. Anger is an extremely powerful emotion and when it's internalized rather than unleashed externally, then it can augment your anxiety until you have a panic or anxiety attack.
One day I couldn't take my anxiety anymore so I went to the bathroom and balled. I let myself tremble and be angry, scared, and whatever other emotions I was feeling. After I was done, my anxiety went away. It's like sweating out a cold. If you let it, its purpose is to take the course and speed up the process of your anxiety, it will leave faster and you won't have to worry about to coming back during the day.
I know some people can't do this in public places, but you can be discreet about how you do it. Be creative and figure out ways to get angry or cry without anyone seeing. It's okay to be vulnerable and not know what's going on with your body and mind. Don't fight the way it makes you feel, just let it go.
4. Push Your Boundaries
Boxer
https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-doing-boxing-163403/
Never let anxiety control you. I've had my own fair share of missed opportunities because of my anxiety. Fear is what anxiety capitalizes off of and how it forces you to its command. The only way you're going to gain control back over your life is by being spontaneous.
Stop thinking and do the things that scare you. It's not as easy as it sounds, so start slow. Work on tiny things that give your anxiety and overcome them. As you become less fearful of things in your life, your anxiety will decrease. Now there are some things you will always be anxious about. I will always be anxious in social situations, but I've worked to the point that I'm don't have to worry about my anxiety or over analyzing people and situations.
I can't stress enough that your anxiety isn't going to disappear in the blink of an eye. It takes time and passion. It may take months or years, but when you can finally be yourself and anxious-free you'll authentically start enjoying the luxuries of life. Be your own hero and be your own goals. The only reason you should want to get rid of your anxiety is that it's what you want to do.
Not because you don't want other people to see you anxious or anything that is selfless. This needs to be a selfish desire because if it's done for other's satisfaction, you'll always find something to be anxious over.
You are important. What anyone thinks about you, including yourself, should not deteriorate you from being confident and happy. Believe in yourself and have faith that anxiety isn't a lifelong battle you have to fight. Be brave!
