I've had anxiety ever since I could remember. When I was younger I would get nervous about the most minute things and would avoid any type of socialization if at all possible. Of course, being a 7-10-year-old girl going to Tenniswood Elementary with all the other children, I thought that it was me just being myself.
When I was almost fifteen is when I realized that was not necessarily the case. Right before my birthday was when I found out that I had Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
That was not the best news to hear and I'm sure it is not something anyone else would be too thrilled about. It has been about three years and ten months since my doctor informed me of this and it has been a journey, to say the least. I still deal with it and am still learning how to deal with it healthily, but I feel like it would be nice to share about how I am learning to make sure that this thing does not take over my life.
Aromatherapy Pens
I recently found a company called Corked. This is a company that has everything to do with aromatherapy and it has a different combination of oils for most moods. The one that I have found especially helpful for myself is their diffusable aromatherapy pens called Meditate. It includes such oils such as frankincense, orange, ylang-ylang, vitamin B-12, and many others of the sort. This is something I have found recently and it has helped in particularly minor moments of anxiety.
Another good thing about this is aromatherapy pens typically do not contain artificial chemicals or dangerous substances like nicotine or tobacco. It also is not as strong as a vaping device can be.
No this is not a promotion for this company, but this is a thing that has genuinely helped me when I felt anxiety. It would give me a good sense of relief almost immediately after taking a five-second drag. The initial taste is a bit off-putting since it not necessarily the best-tasting thing in the world, but it was immediately ignored after realizing how calm it made me feel.
Music
I feel like this might be a no-brainer to some, but it has been especially helpful for me in my more unstable moments.
The best course of action with this is to make a playlist of music that might calm you down (That means that your heavy metal music might not necessarily the best idea when trying to get your mind to rest). Some songs that have helped me include the following:
-The Scientist by Coldplay
-Can We Kiss Forever? by Kina
-Sunnyland by Mayday Parade
-Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd
-Wot's...Uh the Deal by Pink Floyd
-Sheltering Sky by John Mackey
-Northern Downpour by Panic! At The Disco
-Piano Man by Billy Joel
-Old Eden by Honeywater
-Forever Endeavor by The Altogether
Of course, these are just songs that have helped me when trying to get through an attack. Everyone is different. If listening to orchestral music such as Sheltering Sky helps, then listen to it. If turning on some light grunge music puts you at ease, then listen to it. The whole point is that music has been a good option for me and it might work for you as well.
Giving Myself Credit Where It's Due
One thing that I have constantly struggled with throughout my whole life was self-confidence. I never told myself that I was doing a great job on something and even told myself that it was just pure luck. What I have learned from that is that is no way to live my life, especially in college.
Lately, I have been giving myself more mental pats on the back for my accomplishments (which surprisingly, there are a lot). For example, I got a B+ on a research paper in a class in which I was failing (hence was. I am no longer). I honestly did not think I did that well on that paper, but then I had to remember something: my professor has graded a multitude of papers, some in which he probably gave them Fs.
In summary, I now try to see the positive in everything I do no matter what it is.
Taking Care of Myself/My Environment
I learned that I take great enjoyment in making my surroundings look spotless. My desk, for the most part, has to be somewhat clean. Along with that, I learned that I am a lot more anxious when I or my environment is not clean.
A very productive way of coping with this little monster in my head is to make myself spotless. I try to wash my face once every day, wash my hair every other day, and wash my body every day. Any time I have deterred from this schedule was when I started getting more uncomfortable, thus making me about forty times more anxious.
If I am already clean and anxious, then I will do something like a face mask or a scrub. It has always been something that has made me feel much better about myself. Knowing that I am making my face smooth for some reason puts me in a better mindset.
Conclusion
Everyone has their own ways of coping with anxiety or panic attacks. For some, it might be music. For others, it might be talking to people. As long as what you are doing is not harmful to yourself or others, then keep on doing it. There were just my ways of dealing with it. Having non-toxic ways to deal with anxiety is going to help you in the long run.
Keep strong, lovelies. You are not your mental illness.
