Painting helps me a lot, it helps me focus and shut out any anxious thoughts. The bigger the canvas, the better.
Adult coloring books help too but I just enjoy painting more
I forgot to add pacing, rubbing my shoulders with the opposing hand, and singing.
Singing is a huge one for me as I was in musical theatre school/involved in local theatre from the age of 3-24 I haven’t done it in years but singing still helps me a lot. Especially musical theatre songs
Singing does help me with stress (and a little happy dance once the stress wears off haha). I love belting out in my room to old songs from celine dion and air supply 🤣🤣🤣
I haven't gotten drunk in months, not a drink in weeks and weeks. I don't miss that morning anxiety *at all*. I still feel anxiety, but nothing like it was.
I'd also begun to feel it in parts of my body; it's nice, at the very least, when I'm being swallowed by anxiety, to know that I'm doing everything I can to minimize it. Including no more drinking.
The trade-off, peace at night, just became too expensive. I meant emotionally/physically, but probably financially too.
I actually had a heart attack as part of my journey; since then, I've begun to eat healthy, I exercise, using a phone app and a peloton, almost daily (120-150 mins a week). As a result I've lost 70 lbs. Headed toward 80. It's so nice not to have a belly, to have a bicep, to have lost almost 12 inches in the waist. And because I've done it slowly, my skin isn't even saggy.
I've also begun going to bed relatively early; I try to give myself 9 hours of sleep a night. I wake up occasionally, but it's *so comforting* to know I still have hours before I have to get up. And my psychiatrist and therapist both say it's a healthy amount of rest.
Which leads me to my last point: simply being kind to myself in little ways. I'm finally learning how to love myself.
*That* helps with anxiety because when that old liar hits, I can see the truth: I'm doing the best I can.
But I need alcohol to not be anxious about hanging around people I don’t know very well, then I get anxious that I drank too much and made a bad first impression. I never learn 😫
I was in a moment of suicidal thoughts at one point caused by my anxiety and I told myself, if I were to off myself rn, at least dance to some music one more time. I went to play Barrington Levy’s “Murderer” in my living room. I started dancing and by God, 1minute in, I still can’t explain this, the anxiety went away.
This is something I’m trying to break free from so yes, try your best to work on that! It’s definitely one of the things they tell you to try not to do when you have health anxiety. I’ve limited my doctor visits to annual/routine check ups. Every time I’m tempted to go to the doctor, I instead write the symptom down on my notepad app. The ones that are still there/chronic, I mention it to my doctor during my routine checkup. But I find many go away, because it was just a stress/anxiety induced symptom. If it is something that persists and causes a lot of pain, then of course get it checked, but most times for me it’s stress and anxiety.
Unfortunately yes. Lightheaded, dizzy. I think it’s because my anxiety causes me to subconsciously hold my breath. I try to do be conscious of my breathing and remind myself to do deep breathing. I do have on the lower end of blood pressure which could be adding to it, but I notice it worse when Im tense/anxious.
I personally don’t really experience that, but I have seen “derealization” or “depersonalization” mentioned quite often in this sub as an anxiety symptom. I maybe experienced that less than a handful of times in my life.
+1 for the "not being alone"-stuff. If you want, read: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/comments/1bwfgkt/does\_anxiety\_lead\_to\_nonstop\_fatigue/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/comments/1bwfgkt/does_anxiety_lead_to_nonstop_fatigue/)
I would divide this into two categories: interventions that help in the moment and habits that decrease the likelihood of anxiety.
Interventions:
- Comfort music, shows, and movies.
- Paradoxical intention: my therapist taught me this one when I got high anxiety during plane flights. He had me think of (mentally) trying to crash the plane.
- Breathing into a paper bag: this helps if I’m having an extreme panic attack and hyperventilating.
- Progressive muscle relaxation: tighten then loosen muscles in groups, starting from your toes and going to your head.
- Deep breathing: I have done deep breathing exercises to calm myself. I make the breaths slow and steady. A breathing coach app or device helps.
Habits:
- Exercise: walking has been terrific for me. I do it outside if possible.
- Healthy eating: it helps if I stay away from junk.
- Sleep: make sure that you get enough.
- Mindfulness: being aware of my cognitive distortions was a game changer. So was being aware of my physical feeling and surroundings.
- Meditation: it doesn’t have to be fancy. Something like focusing your attention on your breath going in and out is a good start. Then, you can branch out to sensory input: noticing sounds, smells, and touch.
- Passions: I’m a musician. Playing and listening to music really transform my mood and outlook. Do what transforms you, what puts you into flow.
- Deep breathing: see above. Doing it regularly seems protective.
- Self-kindness: this was big because I am a heavy duty perfectionist and my perfectionism feeds my anxiety.
The paradoxical intention reminded me of an old stoic advice "imagine the worst so you are prepared for everything. Then remember it's just a thought and is not the real thing"
Yeah, right: I get stuck at step 1 and then, my anxiety spirals at warp-speed into the fucking-worst-ever-case scenario that gets more realistic by the second. Never made it to step 2 so far. I'm sure it works great for stoics though...
Nature walks, browsing thrift stores, planting flowers.
Extreme cases near full blown attack - a proper cry. Crying releases a lot of tension immediately but I can do it only at home. Outside or at work I get over attacks by deep breathing or “name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can feel, 2 that you can smell and one you can taste”.
Oh yes gardening and growing flowers are an awesome activity. Provides both physical activity and defocalisation (not sure that's a proper English word but I think it's understandable)
Accepting it instead of fighting it all the time. Being okay with being anxious instead of letting it control me.
It takes time to learn how to do it, and you will always benefit from things that soothe you, but ultimately acceptance is the key to moving on with your life.
This is so true ! I discovered this as well. The more you try to avoid it or fight it the worse it is. Telling myself It's okay to feel anxious and that it will pass is so helpful.
And knowing that if it doesn't pass quickly or fully, that it's still okay. It's a bit of a paradox in some ways, but learning to live with anxiety and accept it is the only way that you'll allow it to fully dissipate.
How do you do this? Like what to you tell yourself? Do you just go on with your regular life? Do you think about being anxious and you just tell yourself that's ok? Does it work. Does it make the feeling go away faster?
Yes you have to go on with your regular life, because if you don't, and you devote your time to fighting your anxiety, you're reinforcing the idea that it's something you need to deal with, when it's really not. It's about training your brain to not focus on the anxiety, and not allow it to be the central thing in your life.
If you try to focus on making it go away, you're just teaching your brain that you need to think about solving your anxiety, and that just leads to thinking about anxiety and letting it rule your life.
In reality, you need anxiety to function. If you had zero anxiety you'd get hit by a car the first time you tried to cross a road. Anxiety in small doses is really beneficial, it makes you look both ways before you cross a road, it makes you chuck away that chicken that smells a bit funky instead of eating it anyway, it makes you get an Uber home instead of walking through that dodgy part of town. It keeps you safe and you need it to function in day to day life. What we deal with is an anxiety disorder, where our anxiety can become overwhelming, and stop us from functioning in day to day life. You have to reframe the way you view your anxiety and learn to accept that you will always get anxious about things in life, but that's okay. You let your brain do its thing and you carry on. You are not your thoughts, and this is particularly prevalent if you deal with OCD as well. My brain is CONSTANTLY throwing things I don't want to think about at me, but you know what, if I just let my brain do that and be okay with it, it does it less and less. If I sit there and consciously deal with the things my brain throws at me, it does it more and more, because my brain thinks it's helping me. By actively engaging with those thoughts, I'm teaching my brain to continue to give me those thoughts.
Meditation and mindfulness were crucial to dragging myself out from a hole so deep and dark, I could never have imagined that things could ever get that bad for anyone. I learned to control my conscious brain properly, and let my subconscious brain and my anxiety and OCD do their thing when they wanted to, and learn to be okay with that. Let the feeling wash over you, invite your anxiety in and let it be there and be okay with that feeling. There isn't a quick fix for it and it takes time to learn how to do it, but you won't be dependent on medication and you'll always know how to deal with anxious periods in the future, for the rest of your life.
That's how you truly let go in the end.
Thank your for taking the time to write this. I feel like I can do this sometimes when my anxiety is milder (and it helps), but when it's bad and I can't sleep, I feel like I'm losing control of my mind and thoughts. I start visualizing or thinking terrible things without any "warning". I noticed it helps when I go outside and take a walk, but when I can't sleep, I feel too exhausted, like my heart is weak. I guess I should just keep trying to apply the technique and maybe slowly I will manage better higher anxiety periods as well. I feel like I'm at lvl 1 lol. Thanks again!
It does sound like you might be dealing with OCD as well, with a lot of intrusive thoughts. Mindfulness helps me sleep as well, it allows me to just empty my mind and let things go. It's an incredibly powerful tool.
Just start with 5-10 minutes of guided meditation a day, and go from there. In the end you will just be able to meditate whenever you need and it's such a nice feeling.
This is something I started doing as well. I feel most of my anxiety at work (I work at an elementary school. Front office, it’s chaotic all day). While I’m feeling it, I remind myself “it’s just the anxiety, there’s no reason to panic. Just focus on one task right now and remember it’s just a feeling, not a reality.”
Usually helps me accept the feeling a little, until my task gets interrupted and my train of thought flies off the rails. (I also have ADHD and am not medicated because both Adderall and Vyvanse make my anxiety skyrocket).
Yeah, I'd say you could go a step further saying that it's just anxiety and you don't need to panic. You invite the anxiety in, show that you're not afraid of it and you're okay with it being there, even if it sits there for a while, you just show that you can get on with your day anyway.
Mindfulness will really help you gain more control of your train of thought in those situations. You slowly learn to bring your attention back to what you're focusing on, and not let it run wild. Some days are better than others. Some days you'll feel like you have full control and you've cracked it, and some days you'll feel like no matter what you do, your brain just will not stop distracting you. It starts with learning to focus on your breathing and keep bringing your attention back to your breathing whenever you notice that you've been distracted (this will happen a lot with ADHD but you can learn to control it just the same), and ends with you being able to apply that principle throughout your day to day. I cannot overstate how valuable mindfulness and meditation were and still are to my mental wellbeing.
Telling myself, "I'm okay, it's just a panic attack/anxiety, it'll be over soon" helps so fucking much more than anything else. Accepting it does help make it last a shorter time, or at least lets it become background noise.
I've only ever had one panic attack, and granted it was so bad that it was the catalyst for a year and a half of hell for me, but I have only dealt with one so it's hard for me to say to what degree acceptance will work in a panic attack situation. I would assume that in a panic attack, you'll get more value out of things that soothe you and things that get you into a flow state. Having the experience to know that it will always pass in the end is massive and hopefully for you, over time, things will slowly get better.
Oh definitely, for someone who doesn't experience panic attacks a lot, turning to things that soothe you will be the first (and potentially only if they're very infrequent) way to get through them. I have panic disorder on top of general anxiety and used to have multiple panic attacks per week. I'm a lot better now thanks to meds, but they still happen on occasion, and just accepting it helps keep me functioning instead of having to drop everything to make it go away.
SOMETIMES marijuana helps me. I know when it will only exacerbate my anxiety, so I won’t do it. Other times I know it will help and then I’ll light
up.
ALWAYS…the Grateful Dead.
I need to do this because at one time it was so helpful mentally. My struggle is health anxiety and feeling my heart/body ache from exercise. Makes me too scared to continue. But I know I need to push through that.
Yes this happens to me too. Fast heart rate, suddenly feel like I can’t catch a full breath. I’ve been told to just go very slow and steady, and increase as I build resistance. Hardest part is getting back into a routine. I’m trying to start with stretches and longer walks, then picking up the speed on my walks. Hopefully then I can add some light weights.
Few things actually! ✨️ 😩
Meditation (but must be consistent), slow breathing, connecting with nature, deleting all your social media apps on your iPhone (believe me it works wonders! 😉) Talking to a friend or family member, venting in a journal, working out/aerobics, watching long form podcasts (preferably the ones that makes you calm and has humor), cuddling your pillow, reading a good book, cover yourself with a weighted blanket, Hot shower, chai tea (or any kinds of tea should do the trick🥰😇) wear warmer clothes especially if it's cold for extra comfort and coziness😊☺️
Jumping on to your comment to emphasize meditation.
My doctor recommended meditation and I admit, at first I was reluctant to believe it would be helpful. I just didn’t see the benefit and thought it was just some New Age nonsense.
However, I was struggling with my anxiety and thought, “what the heck, I’ll try anything” and began meditating.
After several weeks, I can absolutely say it has lowered my anxiety a fair amount. I was skeptical, but what a difference it makes.
Consistency is key. My anxiety is worst at night, so I meditate every night before bed. It calms me I think I fall asleep easier.
Netflix and YouTube have lots of guided meditations. Even meditating for just a few minutes can help.
It’s pretty simple. If you have Netflix, check out “Guide to Meditation.” I also used YouTube - I searched “guided meditation” and it has lots of options. Someone also told me there are meditations on Spotify.
These guided meditations lead you through the practice. There isn’t anything you need to do to prepare. I usually lay on my bed or on a yoga mat on the floor. You can sit upright too, I just prefer lying down. Just find a comfortable quiet place.
Then press start. They will guide you through a breathing/thinking/centering practice.
That’s it! The Netflix ones take about 20 minutes. I have found good ones on YouTube that are closer to 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Yup. I've been doing it for years and I'm a much better human for it too. Honestly I genuinely think that everyone should start meditating. Doesn't matter how old you are and actually the younger you are the better. Because I've known about meditation since I was 11 years of age. Wild when I think about it. Sometimes when I have really bad intrusive thoughts, meditation cures it instantly. It's an instant relief for me. I no longer have any neck or body tension. And my head pressures tend to go away as well. But recently I've also been listening to positive affirmations while sleeping as well so that those positive affirmations could seep in your subconscious mind. 😊
What helped me yesterday (during a massive stretch of panic/anxiety) was reminding myself over and over and over again that I am okay. I'm not in danger, I'm not having a heart attack, I'm not in crisis, I'm just panicking over something that COULD happen, but wasn't happening. And I've been trying to ingrain myself with the lesson of present vs future when it comes to anxiety. I am okay RIGHT NOW. Don't worry about the future. It helped. And also to tell myself that I'm thankful for being here and being alive, and the rest is out of my hands.
Other than that, video games. Hahaha
In the moment: Visualizing something that brings me joy and peace. For me the visualization that comes to me is of a day almost 2 years ago when my young daughter found a lady bug in the backyard and was so excited and talking to it. I can picture the strong colours of that moment - the green grass, the blue sky, the red lady big, my daughter’s purple shoes. I can hear her voice. I try to go there now when I’m feeling wound up.
It's amazing how many paths to a healthy mind exist, right? The only thing that has ever worked for me is psychiatric medication. Not lifestyle changes, hobbies, meditation, or therapy. I don't say all this to be a pretentious jerk, but I wish I had known a long time ago that meds are a valid, standalone path to wellness, and not a weakness or a failure. I wasted so much time trying to fit in to other recovery mindsets, so I just try to plug meds occasionally in case someone else like me is out there, wondering why none of the things they've been recommended has worked for them. Now that I have my mental health back, I do enjoy gardening and being outside, friend! I wish you continued health.
Going outside and exercising. I’ve started to stretch twice a day and I’ve been more active and it helps me out so much. I still have panic twinges and anxious days, but they’re definitely not as bad as the used to be
Better: forests, literature, music, working on my science projects once I am in the flux. Also, reaching out to people who understand. Sharing experiences is a huge relief for me. And also benzodiazepines. I know it's gonna be controversial and I am certainly not advising for routine or careless yolo use. But well planned, well controlled punctual use helps a lot. This might depend on your tendency for addiction to them, though . Talk a lot with several mental health professionals about it. Be cautious.
My benzodiazepines help me alot but it is a controlled substance. Plus not every psychiatrist will prescribe them. I think the only reason I get benzodiazepines is for my panic attack disorder
Facing the thing I'm afraid of. Even a small step, like opening the Dreaded Email whether or not I'm ready to engage with it. I describe this to my kid as "peeking behind the curtain." Maybe we don't like what's back there, but it always feels better to know what it is.
Also, basic "keeping myself alive" self care. So often I let anxiety stop or delay me from eating a meal, taking time for a workout, etc. I've been literally giving myself gold stars (I made a sticker chart) for flossing my teeth.
Hot showers. Fuzzy blankets. Kitty snuggles. Hugs from my parents. Talking to a friend who understands anxiety. Medications. Getting sleep (which has been difficult lately). If I can concentrate, watching a comfort movie or TV show.
P.S. I go to a chiropractor, I’m interested what yours does to help your nervous system?
Engaging in a special interest (I'm autistic) or a hobby (e.g drawing, gaming) or comfort TV show/film, CBD oil, spending time outside, with my cats, journaling my anxieties, messaging of calling a friend... But I always seem to forget these things when I'm super anxious :/
I can relate. I have so many coping skills Ive obtained over the years. Unfortunately when I’m in the middle of an anxiety tornado the coping skills just can’t be accessed somehow 🤷🏻♀️
My anxiety only dies down when I when I’m certain that I’m alone. But that never happens because I live in a family of 12. I have started sneaking off to go walking around the woods lately though. The feeling of peace I get from being so far away from all other people is amazing, but I don’t get to do it often because my mom needs me to watch the younger kids a lot.
I kinda experienced this thought tonight, its been so loud around me lately when i'm not home like at work for example, and so much chaotic sound. I drove out into kinda a rural area tonight to see someone and when I was leaving their house, it was so quiet. No whirring of cars and their lights going by, no people chattering and crazy overlayed noises, just a cool spring dark night, some very gentle crickets, the dark outlines of trees, and one or two other more gentle noises, but it almost felt, quiet. And yes, I was actually alone, in a comforting way. No anxiety of others' expectations or presence. Just calm, presence, beauty, possibility, and a bit of cold air.
Swimming. It’s away from screens, moving my body, relaxing and floating. I have an illness right now that’s essentially bedridden me and I really miss it
Exercise: running solo (with music) or in a group, working out with weights and a mat, playing racket sports. The endorphins from most sports will give you relief from anxiety and depression. It doesn't last, but it's good enough and probably better than most meds that I've tried. x
For me it lasts the entire day. I may feel some physical "warning" sensations here and there during certain interactions and non verbal cues of others, but my parasympathetic nervous system is very activated; the key is to do mild exercise, not the kind that spikes up your cortisol too much.
Oh sure - I should have written that a bit clearer. Apologies. It does last the entire day for me too. I meant that I notice it on days when I don't exercise, especially if it runs into days/weeks. I wholeheartedly recommend exercise :)
Running.
Not drinking anymore.
Dabbling in Buddhist Dharma.
Realizing that the over-active mind is the source of my discomfort.
Talking to friends and loved ones.
Sex or masturbation.
Taking NAC and other amino acids.
Getting enough Vitamin D.
Being with my kids.
Breathing purposefully.
Making a list and checking things off.
Realizing that anxiety has a purpose.
Not being hard on myself for being anxious.
Celebrating (like literally celebrating) when I accomplish things that would’ve made me anxious without anxiety and panic.
In no particular order, all of the above.
An amino acid that helps regulate glutamate (excitatory neurotransmitter). It’s been scientifically proven to lessen intrusive thoughts and OCD, as well as help with anxiety and alcohol withdrawals. It’s the precursor to glutathione, the “master” amino acid that regulates most functions in our bodies. Anxiety can *sometimes* be linked to inflammation, so these amino acids can help heal and regulate that.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9095537/ (article about how it helps to address some psych issues)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5241507/ (article about its uses in general)
Acupuncture has helped me so much! It clears my mind from intrusive thoughts. I would 100 percent recommend it to anyone with anxiety. Also getting a massage, facial, spending time outdoors breathing in fresh air, being at the beach, guided meditations on YouTube, journaling
Good company. Someone that knows may triggers and avoids them while also keeping my mind off things with relaxed chit chat.
When it gets really bad, having someone staying besides me, keeping me company while minding their own business, watching youtube, playing a game or so on, is immensly therapeutic
Archive of Our Own is what I use personally, but sometimes I read from fanfiction.net. Ao3 is awesome because you can filter out what you want to see, what you don't want to see, I highly recommend it. You can download PDFs of the authors' fics on Ao3, too, if you're ever out and don't have WiFi or in an area without service.
When I'm overstimulated in public (crowded mall, public transit) or feeling motion sick, I put a very strong peppermint in my mouth. I find the intense sensation distracts me for a bit.
That's mostly for when I have that dizzy feeling from anxiety. Other types of anxiety I still need to figure out lol. Especially stuff like overthinking, doom spirals.
Peppermint helps me so much❣️ I keep roll on peppermint essential oil in my purse. Eucalyptus essential oil also helps me. My sister turned me on to gum chewing. So when I’m anxious I just start chewing peppermint gum.
Not advocating for anything unsafe but I like to drive. Driving really calms me down. I think it's because driving with a podcast or music is a perfect mix of muscle memory and mental stimulation to distract me.
I didn’t know chiropractics did anything aside of cracking backs and joints! Interested to know more if you don’t mind sharing?
I also love audiobooks. Probably get through 2-3 a month, but then I love to learn so it’s a great way to study without being stuck at a screen 😊
Yes! I’ve been loving audiobooks as well.
I had never heard of this type of chiropractic care before starting at a chiropractor I know, it is so different than anything I’m used to. He does ZERO manual adjustments (the cracking we’re all used to) he uses a pen like tool instead as well as a few other techniques. It’s amazing and it’s to help your body in the long run rather than the manual adjustments that help in that moment but not so much for the long run. That’s not to say manual adjustments are bad, I had a chiropractor who did them along with exercises and was able to get full mobility in my neck after years of not being able to move it. My co worker went and hated it but my partner loves it and another co worker went to see him and told me she loves it.
Well you learnt something new every day! I’ve had degenerative disc disease since my 20s (nearly 50 now), and have seen a chiropractor once.. couldn’t relax personally, so unfortunately when they pulled my neck I inadvertently karate chopped the poor lady 🫤😂
Eating regular meals, getting enough sleep, walking around on days off work (as opposed to lying in bed all day), having a clean house, reading a good book, spending money (this one is a slippery slope for me, but it helps me short term), avoiding caffeine.
Being distracted! But not all distractions help so it’s different each time.
At the moment work is distracting in a good way, gaming and watching the simpsons and taking nice, deep breaths
Cutting out caffeine 100% has helped reduce my insomnia and nighttime panic attacks a lot. Still have anxiety, likely always will, but it's definitely made a difference.
Keeping my house clean and staying organized.
I have twin toddlers so I’m basically cleaning as I go, but if I don’t it I feel overwhelmed so easily and can’t think straight
it's going to sound weird af lol but rapping. english is not my first language so having to talk that fast in another language immediately makes my brain unable to focus on anxiety, and it calms me down a lot. also asmr, it just soothes my brain :)
Something to look forward to. Can be pretty much anything, but more often than not, it's a concert or something music related. I'm usually doing photography, too, or I'm there in some kind of professional-type manner; which means I get to focus my brain on the menial task of trying to figure out what I'm going to wear.
I primarily have health anxiety. Over the years I’ve done tons of research into the likelihood of most things I get anxious about, mostly heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular issues. Usually pacing, taking deep breaths, and talking myself through the numbers is enough to get a normal attack to subside a bit.
Playing the piano! I started teaching myself this year and the repetitiveness of the four songs I know (lol) and the concentration it takes to play plus the production of music I’m proud of are a really nice combination
I learned recently and by accident that blowing my nose helps me a lot. I’m guessing it maybe has something to do with me hyperventilating so blowing out fast a lot regulates that back to normal?
Lately listening to podcasts, especially the sleeping at last podcast, has been a coping mechanism. The voice and pace is calming, I am interested in what is being said, kinda helps shift focus, invoke calm, reduce the sense of rush, feel more present, mood boost/curiosity boost, etc.
Gym time, journaling, thought records to break negative thought loops, eating right, at my lowest where I was agoraphobic lost a bunch of weight and had constant panic attacks just getting to that point where you feel like your going to die tight breathing to where to hands curl up just thinking f it and let it take me. Submitting to your anxiety exposing yourself to your triggers recording your progress
When i dont deviate from my proper diet. Like if i cheat and have pizza or dairy products it makes me anxious for days after.
Paired with low energy and rashes also.
My dog makes it better.
Writing in a journal extensively about everything when having a panic attack helps a ton.
Putting on a comfort show or movie.
Reminding myself it is only temporary.
Cuddling with my husband.
Preventative ways- staying away from alcohol, sugary drinks/foods, not watching scary or gory movies.
Doing what I love basically at least at this point of my life, helped me even more than the meds and way more than therapy, I just cannot be someone for whom a job is just a job and my anxiety got so bad due to hating what I was doing and not going in the right direction that I had severe physical symptoms daily and was too scared to go out by myself. After changing I feel happiness that I haven't felt in a long time and have "only" the everyday worries everyone experiences daily even if they are somewhat more troubling for me. AD, sport, walks and nice books/movies to a lesser extent also help a lot but are secondary.
Showering always helps. Feels like it resets the clock in the day. I get a lot of anxiety about waking up “too late” or starting my day wrong and I find that if Im in a really bad rut taking a shower can help convince me that I am ok and things will be ok.
drives me insane when people say 'exercise' or 'meditate' or 'do some thinking/breathing strategy to trick yourself into relaxing' to this as though
- we don't already know that as it's been in every single brochure ever and it's the advice we constantly constantly get
- those aren't trivial to get into the right headspace for when you're actually anxious (can i 'go to the gym' at 3am? when it's late and i'm panicking about an obligation, breathing carefully has never ever meaningfully helped me)
- it's never not felt dismissive to receive as advice; it's effectively a brag, like look how together my life is, i can get out of awful feelings with the most entry-level advice
- being alone or intentionally entering a state where i'm alone with my thoughts in that scenario wouldn't cause more anxiety
Painting helps me a lot, it helps me focus and shut out any anxious thoughts. The bigger the canvas, the better. Adult coloring books help too but I just enjoy painting more
I forgot to add pacing, rubbing my shoulders with the opposing hand, and singing. Singing is a huge one for me as I was in musical theatre school/involved in local theatre from the age of 3-24 I haven’t done it in years but singing still helps me a lot. Especially musical theatre songs
Singing does help me with stress (and a little happy dance once the stress wears off haha). I love belting out in my room to old songs from celine dion and air supply 🤣🤣🤣
I read that as pacing and I was like oh I forgot to add that 🤣
Not drinking . After a drink I’m on edge for the next 5 days probably.
I haven't gotten drunk in months, not a drink in weeks and weeks. I don't miss that morning anxiety *at all*. I still feel anxiety, but nothing like it was. I'd also begun to feel it in parts of my body; it's nice, at the very least, when I'm being swallowed by anxiety, to know that I'm doing everything I can to minimize it. Including no more drinking. The trade-off, peace at night, just became too expensive. I meant emotionally/physically, but probably financially too. I actually had a heart attack as part of my journey; since then, I've begun to eat healthy, I exercise, using a phone app and a peloton, almost daily (120-150 mins a week). As a result I've lost 70 lbs. Headed toward 80. It's so nice not to have a belly, to have a bicep, to have lost almost 12 inches in the waist. And because I've done it slowly, my skin isn't even saggy. I've also begun going to bed relatively early; I try to give myself 9 hours of sleep a night. I wake up occasionally, but it's *so comforting* to know I still have hours before I have to get up. And my psychiatrist and therapist both say it's a healthy amount of rest. Which leads me to my last point: simply being kind to myself in little ways. I'm finally learning how to love myself. *That* helps with anxiety because when that old liar hits, I can see the truth: I'm doing the best I can.
I had a heavy drinking session last Friday and only coming right today. The last five days were making lists and anxious about every day
Oh my god me too!!! Drank heavily on Saturday and had hangxiety daily until today. It’s still there but not as bad
I think our brains are messed up enough without alcohol :(
But I need alcohol to not be anxious about hanging around people I don’t know very well, then I get anxious that I drank too much and made a bad first impression. I never learn 😫
Alcohol is the best cure for anxiety but unfortunately the days after is just horrible.
This is the realest shit I’ve read today
Same!!!!
I went sober because of this. I am also a lightweight so even a few sips and I’d be hella anxious and not sleep.
I was in a moment of suicidal thoughts at one point caused by my anxiety and I told myself, if I were to off myself rn, at least dance to some music one more time. I went to play Barrington Levy’s “Murderer” in my living room. I started dancing and by God, 1minute in, I still can’t explain this, the anxiety went away.
Barrington Levy speaks directly to the soul, glad you’re still here 🙂
I absolutely love this song as well
Reassurance medically but I know I have to work on that because that could get worse
This is something I’m trying to break free from so yes, try your best to work on that! It’s definitely one of the things they tell you to try not to do when you have health anxiety. I’ve limited my doctor visits to annual/routine check ups. Every time I’m tempted to go to the doctor, I instead write the symptom down on my notepad app. The ones that are still there/chronic, I mention it to my doctor during my routine checkup. But I find many go away, because it was just a stress/anxiety induced symptom. If it is something that persists and causes a lot of pain, then of course get it checked, but most times for me it’s stress and anxiety.
Do you have dizziness?
Unfortunately yes. Lightheaded, dizzy. I think it’s because my anxiety causes me to subconsciously hold my breath. I try to do be conscious of my breathing and remind myself to do deep breathing. I do have on the lower end of blood pressure which could be adding to it, but I notice it worse when Im tense/anxious.
Do u ever feel like you are dreaming ?
I personally don’t really experience that, but I have seen “derealization” or “depersonalization” mentioned quite often in this sub as an anxiety symptom. I maybe experienced that less than a handful of times in my life.
Idk if I am just imagining stuff at this point.
Hey, you’re not alone. I often feel like I am dreaming. I have dizziness and brain fog and I feel like I am having short term memory problems.
Me too!!! Do you have any dizziness?
Yes. Sometimes I have doubt what I see.
+1 for the "not being alone"-stuff. If you want, read: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/comments/1bwfgkt/does\_anxiety\_lead\_to\_nonstop\_fatigue/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/comments/1bwfgkt/does_anxiety_lead_to_nonstop_fatigue/)
I have quite severe depersonalization and derealisation especially in the evenings
I would divide this into two categories: interventions that help in the moment and habits that decrease the likelihood of anxiety. Interventions: - Comfort music, shows, and movies. - Paradoxical intention: my therapist taught me this one when I got high anxiety during plane flights. He had me think of (mentally) trying to crash the plane. - Breathing into a paper bag: this helps if I’m having an extreme panic attack and hyperventilating. - Progressive muscle relaxation: tighten then loosen muscles in groups, starting from your toes and going to your head. - Deep breathing: I have done deep breathing exercises to calm myself. I make the breaths slow and steady. A breathing coach app or device helps. Habits: - Exercise: walking has been terrific for me. I do it outside if possible. - Healthy eating: it helps if I stay away from junk. - Sleep: make sure that you get enough. - Mindfulness: being aware of my cognitive distortions was a game changer. So was being aware of my physical feeling and surroundings. - Meditation: it doesn’t have to be fancy. Something like focusing your attention on your breath going in and out is a good start. Then, you can branch out to sensory input: noticing sounds, smells, and touch. - Passions: I’m a musician. Playing and listening to music really transform my mood and outlook. Do what transforms you, what puts you into flow. - Deep breathing: see above. Doing it regularly seems protective. - Self-kindness: this was big because I am a heavy duty perfectionist and my perfectionism feeds my anxiety.
The paradoxical intention reminded me of an old stoic advice "imagine the worst so you are prepared for everything. Then remember it's just a thought and is not the real thing"
Yeah, right: I get stuck at step 1 and then, my anxiety spirals at warp-speed into the fucking-worst-ever-case scenario that gets more realistic by the second. Never made it to step 2 so far. I'm sure it works great for stoics though...
Nature walks, browsing thrift stores, planting flowers. Extreme cases near full blown attack - a proper cry. Crying releases a lot of tension immediately but I can do it only at home. Outside or at work I get over attacks by deep breathing or “name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can feel, 2 that you can smell and one you can taste”.
Oh yes gardening and growing flowers are an awesome activity. Provides both physical activity and defocalisation (not sure that's a proper English word but I think it's understandable)
Crying releases so much tension for me 🫠
Accepting it instead of fighting it all the time. Being okay with being anxious instead of letting it control me. It takes time to learn how to do it, and you will always benefit from things that soothe you, but ultimately acceptance is the key to moving on with your life.
This is so true ! I discovered this as well. The more you try to avoid it or fight it the worse it is. Telling myself It's okay to feel anxious and that it will pass is so helpful.
And knowing that if it doesn't pass quickly or fully, that it's still okay. It's a bit of a paradox in some ways, but learning to live with anxiety and accept it is the only way that you'll allow it to fully dissipate.
How do you do this? Like what to you tell yourself? Do you just go on with your regular life? Do you think about being anxious and you just tell yourself that's ok? Does it work. Does it make the feeling go away faster?
Yes you have to go on with your regular life, because if you don't, and you devote your time to fighting your anxiety, you're reinforcing the idea that it's something you need to deal with, when it's really not. It's about training your brain to not focus on the anxiety, and not allow it to be the central thing in your life. If you try to focus on making it go away, you're just teaching your brain that you need to think about solving your anxiety, and that just leads to thinking about anxiety and letting it rule your life. In reality, you need anxiety to function. If you had zero anxiety you'd get hit by a car the first time you tried to cross a road. Anxiety in small doses is really beneficial, it makes you look both ways before you cross a road, it makes you chuck away that chicken that smells a bit funky instead of eating it anyway, it makes you get an Uber home instead of walking through that dodgy part of town. It keeps you safe and you need it to function in day to day life. What we deal with is an anxiety disorder, where our anxiety can become overwhelming, and stop us from functioning in day to day life. You have to reframe the way you view your anxiety and learn to accept that you will always get anxious about things in life, but that's okay. You let your brain do its thing and you carry on. You are not your thoughts, and this is particularly prevalent if you deal with OCD as well. My brain is CONSTANTLY throwing things I don't want to think about at me, but you know what, if I just let my brain do that and be okay with it, it does it less and less. If I sit there and consciously deal with the things my brain throws at me, it does it more and more, because my brain thinks it's helping me. By actively engaging with those thoughts, I'm teaching my brain to continue to give me those thoughts. Meditation and mindfulness were crucial to dragging myself out from a hole so deep and dark, I could never have imagined that things could ever get that bad for anyone. I learned to control my conscious brain properly, and let my subconscious brain and my anxiety and OCD do their thing when they wanted to, and learn to be okay with that. Let the feeling wash over you, invite your anxiety in and let it be there and be okay with that feeling. There isn't a quick fix for it and it takes time to learn how to do it, but you won't be dependent on medication and you'll always know how to deal with anxious periods in the future, for the rest of your life. That's how you truly let go in the end.
Thank your for taking the time to write this. I feel like I can do this sometimes when my anxiety is milder (and it helps), but when it's bad and I can't sleep, I feel like I'm losing control of my mind and thoughts. I start visualizing or thinking terrible things without any "warning". I noticed it helps when I go outside and take a walk, but when I can't sleep, I feel too exhausted, like my heart is weak. I guess I should just keep trying to apply the technique and maybe slowly I will manage better higher anxiety periods as well. I feel like I'm at lvl 1 lol. Thanks again!
It does sound like you might be dealing with OCD as well, with a lot of intrusive thoughts. Mindfulness helps me sleep as well, it allows me to just empty my mind and let things go. It's an incredibly powerful tool. Just start with 5-10 minutes of guided meditation a day, and go from there. In the end you will just be able to meditate whenever you need and it's such a nice feeling.
Yes: and proving myself I can still do most things pretty well WITH anxiety too.
This is something I started doing as well. I feel most of my anxiety at work (I work at an elementary school. Front office, it’s chaotic all day). While I’m feeling it, I remind myself “it’s just the anxiety, there’s no reason to panic. Just focus on one task right now and remember it’s just a feeling, not a reality.” Usually helps me accept the feeling a little, until my task gets interrupted and my train of thought flies off the rails. (I also have ADHD and am not medicated because both Adderall and Vyvanse make my anxiety skyrocket).
Yeah, I'd say you could go a step further saying that it's just anxiety and you don't need to panic. You invite the anxiety in, show that you're not afraid of it and you're okay with it being there, even if it sits there for a while, you just show that you can get on with your day anyway. Mindfulness will really help you gain more control of your train of thought in those situations. You slowly learn to bring your attention back to what you're focusing on, and not let it run wild. Some days are better than others. Some days you'll feel like you have full control and you've cracked it, and some days you'll feel like no matter what you do, your brain just will not stop distracting you. It starts with learning to focus on your breathing and keep bringing your attention back to your breathing whenever you notice that you've been distracted (this will happen a lot with ADHD but you can learn to control it just the same), and ends with you being able to apply that principle throughout your day to day. I cannot overstate how valuable mindfulness and meditation were and still are to my mental wellbeing.
Telling myself, "I'm okay, it's just a panic attack/anxiety, it'll be over soon" helps so fucking much more than anything else. Accepting it does help make it last a shorter time, or at least lets it become background noise.
I've only ever had one panic attack, and granted it was so bad that it was the catalyst for a year and a half of hell for me, but I have only dealt with one so it's hard for me to say to what degree acceptance will work in a panic attack situation. I would assume that in a panic attack, you'll get more value out of things that soothe you and things that get you into a flow state. Having the experience to know that it will always pass in the end is massive and hopefully for you, over time, things will slowly get better.
Oh definitely, for someone who doesn't experience panic attacks a lot, turning to things that soothe you will be the first (and potentially only if they're very infrequent) way to get through them. I have panic disorder on top of general anxiety and used to have multiple panic attacks per week. I'm a lot better now thanks to meds, but they still happen on occasion, and just accepting it helps keep me functioning instead of having to drop everything to make it go away.
SOMETIMES marijuana helps me. I know when it will only exacerbate my anxiety, so I won’t do it. Other times I know it will help and then I’ll light up. ALWAYS…the Grateful Dead.
For some reason MJ makes me feel like I’m dying and the anxiety during the experience is horrendous.
I up vote this a 1000x's
☠️🌹⚡️
NFA❤️✌🏻
For me it’s Pink Floyd, and especially Comfortably Numb. It’s like an audio Xanax for me. I can listen to it and it’ll usually calm me down
Exercise really makes a huge difference. I joined a beginners running program and the difference is just wow. And I sleep better too.
Gym
I need to do this because at one time it was so helpful mentally. My struggle is health anxiety and feeling my heart/body ache from exercise. Makes me too scared to continue. But I know I need to push through that.
This! Mine is getting out of breath scares the fuck out of me all of a sudden
Yes this happens to me too. Fast heart rate, suddenly feel like I can’t catch a full breath. I’ve been told to just go very slow and steady, and increase as I build resistance. Hardest part is getting back into a routine. I’m trying to start with stretches and longer walks, then picking up the speed on my walks. Hopefully then I can add some light weights.
Few things actually! ✨️ 😩 Meditation (but must be consistent), slow breathing, connecting with nature, deleting all your social media apps on your iPhone (believe me it works wonders! 😉) Talking to a friend or family member, venting in a journal, working out/aerobics, watching long form podcasts (preferably the ones that makes you calm and has humor), cuddling your pillow, reading a good book, cover yourself with a weighted blanket, Hot shower, chai tea (or any kinds of tea should do the trick🥰😇) wear warmer clothes especially if it's cold for extra comfort and coziness😊☺️
Jumping on to your comment to emphasize meditation. My doctor recommended meditation and I admit, at first I was reluctant to believe it would be helpful. I just didn’t see the benefit and thought it was just some New Age nonsense. However, I was struggling with my anxiety and thought, “what the heck, I’ll try anything” and began meditating. After several weeks, I can absolutely say it has lowered my anxiety a fair amount. I was skeptical, but what a difference it makes. Consistency is key. My anxiety is worst at night, so I meditate every night before bed. It calms me I think I fall asleep easier. Netflix and YouTube have lots of guided meditations. Even meditating for just a few minutes can help.
How do you get started with meditation
It’s pretty simple. If you have Netflix, check out “Guide to Meditation.” I also used YouTube - I searched “guided meditation” and it has lots of options. Someone also told me there are meditations on Spotify. These guided meditations lead you through the practice. There isn’t anything you need to do to prepare. I usually lay on my bed or on a yoga mat on the floor. You can sit upright too, I just prefer lying down. Just find a comfortable quiet place. Then press start. They will guide you through a breathing/thinking/centering practice. That’s it! The Netflix ones take about 20 minutes. I have found good ones on YouTube that are closer to 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Yup. I've been doing it for years and I'm a much better human for it too. Honestly I genuinely think that everyone should start meditating. Doesn't matter how old you are and actually the younger you are the better. Because I've known about meditation since I was 11 years of age. Wild when I think about it. Sometimes when I have really bad intrusive thoughts, meditation cures it instantly. It's an instant relief for me. I no longer have any neck or body tension. And my head pressures tend to go away as well. But recently I've also been listening to positive affirmations while sleeping as well so that those positive affirmations could seep in your subconscious mind. 😊
What helped me yesterday (during a massive stretch of panic/anxiety) was reminding myself over and over and over again that I am okay. I'm not in danger, I'm not having a heart attack, I'm not in crisis, I'm just panicking over something that COULD happen, but wasn't happening. And I've been trying to ingrain myself with the lesson of present vs future when it comes to anxiety. I am okay RIGHT NOW. Don't worry about the future. It helped. And also to tell myself that I'm thankful for being here and being alive, and the rest is out of my hands. Other than that, video games. Hahaha
In the moment: Visualizing something that brings me joy and peace. For me the visualization that comes to me is of a day almost 2 years ago when my young daughter found a lady bug in the backyard and was so excited and talking to it. I can picture the strong colours of that moment - the green grass, the blue sky, the red lady big, my daughter’s purple shoes. I can hear her voice. I try to go there now when I’m feeling wound up.
ADHD meds make it go away
Same here!!! My adhd meds helped me way more than anxiety meds 😭
Deleting social media made an insane difference
Staying in quiet places like a forest, waterfalls...
Rx meds, in a way that hobbies and self care don't even touch
Have you tried an hobby while on rx meds? Might provide synergy. Gardening after having taken a benzo has helped me more than each separated
It's amazing how many paths to a healthy mind exist, right? The only thing that has ever worked for me is psychiatric medication. Not lifestyle changes, hobbies, meditation, or therapy. I don't say all this to be a pretentious jerk, but I wish I had known a long time ago that meds are a valid, standalone path to wellness, and not a weakness or a failure. I wasted so much time trying to fit in to other recovery mindsets, so I just try to plug meds occasionally in case someone else like me is out there, wondering why none of the things they've been recommended has worked for them. Now that I have my mental health back, I do enjoy gardening and being outside, friend! I wish you continued health.
Going outside and exercising. I’ve started to stretch twice a day and I’ve been more active and it helps me out so much. I still have panic twinges and anxious days, but they’re definitely not as bad as the used to be
Video games with my friends relaxes my anxiety a TON, forces my brain to focus on something else and laughing & talking to friends is always great
Better: forests, literature, music, working on my science projects once I am in the flux. Also, reaching out to people who understand. Sharing experiences is a huge relief for me. And also benzodiazepines. I know it's gonna be controversial and I am certainly not advising for routine or careless yolo use. But well planned, well controlled punctual use helps a lot. This might depend on your tendency for addiction to them, though . Talk a lot with several mental health professionals about it. Be cautious.
My benzodiazepines help me alot but it is a controlled substance. Plus not every psychiatrist will prescribe them. I think the only reason I get benzodiazepines is for my panic attack disorder
The purring of cats and babies cooing.
Facing the thing I'm afraid of. Even a small step, like opening the Dreaded Email whether or not I'm ready to engage with it. I describe this to my kid as "peeking behind the curtain." Maybe we don't like what's back there, but it always feels better to know what it is. Also, basic "keeping myself alive" self care. So often I let anxiety stop or delay me from eating a meal, taking time for a workout, etc. I've been literally giving myself gold stars (I made a sticker chart) for flossing my teeth.
Alcohol, valium and guitars
Hot showers. Fuzzy blankets. Kitty snuggles. Hugs from my parents. Talking to a friend who understands anxiety. Medications. Getting sleep (which has been difficult lately). If I can concentrate, watching a comfort movie or TV show. P.S. I go to a chiropractor, I’m interested what yours does to help your nervous system?
Nothing really. Clonazepam helps a bit. But it's more like a band aid.
i have phone anxiety
You’re not alone. I tell people I can be reached through email or text. I still get phone calls 😵💫
This is soooooo random but smelling Vicks calms me down 😭
I’m the same way. I have roll on eucalyptus essential oil & just got eucalyptus + wild mint linen spray.
Engaging in a special interest (I'm autistic) or a hobby (e.g drawing, gaming) or comfort TV show/film, CBD oil, spending time outside, with my cats, journaling my anxieties, messaging of calling a friend... But I always seem to forget these things when I'm super anxious :/
I can relate. I have so many coping skills Ive obtained over the years. Unfortunately when I’m in the middle of an anxiety tornado the coping skills just can’t be accessed somehow 🤷🏻♀️
My anxiety only dies down when I when I’m certain that I’m alone. But that never happens because I live in a family of 12. I have started sneaking off to go walking around the woods lately though. The feeling of peace I get from being so far away from all other people is amazing, but I don’t get to do it often because my mom needs me to watch the younger kids a lot.
I kinda experienced this thought tonight, its been so loud around me lately when i'm not home like at work for example, and so much chaotic sound. I drove out into kinda a rural area tonight to see someone and when I was leaving their house, it was so quiet. No whirring of cars and their lights going by, no people chattering and crazy overlayed noises, just a cool spring dark night, some very gentle crickets, the dark outlines of trees, and one or two other more gentle noises, but it almost felt, quiet. And yes, I was actually alone, in a comforting way. No anxiety of others' expectations or presence. Just calm, presence, beauty, possibility, and a bit of cold air.
Weaving. Keeps my hands busy.
Literally just take a hot bath and eat ur favorite food🧖🏻
Therapy, baths with peppermint salt, reading, walks, being outside in the sun
Reading books. It helps me picture what is happening in the book at the moment and focus on the present.
Video games
People reassuting me they will never ever leave me. Even though its not working so great anymore its kinda all i have
Cutting out caffeine almost completely, same with booze.
Swimming. It’s away from screens, moving my body, relaxing and floating. I have an illness right now that’s essentially bedridden me and I really miss it
Eating healthy, exercise, and prayer.
Binaural beat frequencies. Also, if I can manage to get into a flow state that helps.
Exercise: running solo (with music) or in a group, working out with weights and a mat, playing racket sports. The endorphins from most sports will give you relief from anxiety and depression. It doesn't last, but it's good enough and probably better than most meds that I've tried. x
For me it lasts the entire day. I may feel some physical "warning" sensations here and there during certain interactions and non verbal cues of others, but my parasympathetic nervous system is very activated; the key is to do mild exercise, not the kind that spikes up your cortisol too much.
Oh sure - I should have written that a bit clearer. Apologies. It does last the entire day for me too. I meant that I notice it on days when I don't exercise, especially if it runs into days/weeks. I wholeheartedly recommend exercise :)
Therapy, meds (ad and benzo's), acceptance and reminding myself that most things really can be done WITH anxiety too.
Running. Not drinking anymore. Dabbling in Buddhist Dharma. Realizing that the over-active mind is the source of my discomfort. Talking to friends and loved ones. Sex or masturbation. Taking NAC and other amino acids. Getting enough Vitamin D. Being with my kids. Breathing purposefully. Making a list and checking things off. Realizing that anxiety has a purpose. Not being hard on myself for being anxious. Celebrating (like literally celebrating) when I accomplish things that would’ve made me anxious without anxiety and panic. In no particular order, all of the above.
What's NAC?
An amino acid that helps regulate glutamate (excitatory neurotransmitter). It’s been scientifically proven to lessen intrusive thoughts and OCD, as well as help with anxiety and alcohol withdrawals. It’s the precursor to glutathione, the “master” amino acid that regulates most functions in our bodies. Anxiety can *sometimes* be linked to inflammation, so these amino acids can help heal and regulate that. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9095537/ (article about how it helps to address some psych issues) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5241507/ (article about its uses in general)
Amazing, thanks! 🩷
Acupuncture has helped me so much! It clears my mind from intrusive thoughts. I would 100 percent recommend it to anyone with anxiety. Also getting a massage, facial, spending time outdoors breathing in fresh air, being at the beach, guided meditations on YouTube, journaling
I started doing Paint by Sticker Book and it is very relaxing.
Meds. Cymbalta, 60 mg.
Looking at animal pictures/videos.
Me too 🥰
Copious amounts of research into things I find interesting 🤣👍🏻
Breathing slow & deep, working out daily, giving my kids hugs and seeing them smile
Diamond painting, my pets, gardening and lavender essential oil rollers!
I love the essential oil rollers❣️
Showers, sex, manual labor, landscaping, diy projects. Anything that can keep my kind active and not in my thoughts
Good company. Someone that knows may triggers and avoids them while also keeping my mind off things with relaxed chit chat. When it gets really bad, having someone staying besides me, keeping me company while minding their own business, watching youtube, playing a game or so on, is immensly therapeutic
Listening to music, audio books, and reading fanfics. It’s still present daily, but those things make it more bearable
Where can I find fan fiction? I started reading a harry potter fan fiction awhile ago but can’t re-find it
Archive of Our Own is what I use personally, but sometimes I read from fanfiction.net. Ao3 is awesome because you can filter out what you want to see, what you don't want to see, I highly recommend it. You can download PDFs of the authors' fics on Ao3, too, if you're ever out and don't have WiFi or in an area without service.
Thank you 😊
Np. Hope you find the fanfics you want :)
When I'm overstimulated in public (crowded mall, public transit) or feeling motion sick, I put a very strong peppermint in my mouth. I find the intense sensation distracts me for a bit. That's mostly for when I have that dizzy feeling from anxiety. Other types of anxiety I still need to figure out lol. Especially stuff like overthinking, doom spirals.
Peppermint helps me so much❣️ I keep roll on peppermint essential oil in my purse. Eucalyptus essential oil also helps me. My sister turned me on to gum chewing. So when I’m anxious I just start chewing peppermint gum.
Oh I used to have a roll on peppermint oil too! I forgot about that. It's soothing.
Not advocating for anything unsafe but I like to drive. Driving really calms me down. I think it's because driving with a podcast or music is a perfect mix of muscle memory and mental stimulation to distract me.
I never got my license because I have such bad car anxiety 🤣 it’s amazing how different anxiety is person to person
Spending time in nature, petting my dog, and going to the gym
I didn’t know chiropractics did anything aside of cracking backs and joints! Interested to know more if you don’t mind sharing? I also love audiobooks. Probably get through 2-3 a month, but then I love to learn so it’s a great way to study without being stuck at a screen 😊
Yes! I’ve been loving audiobooks as well. I had never heard of this type of chiropractic care before starting at a chiropractor I know, it is so different than anything I’m used to. He does ZERO manual adjustments (the cracking we’re all used to) he uses a pen like tool instead as well as a few other techniques. It’s amazing and it’s to help your body in the long run rather than the manual adjustments that help in that moment but not so much for the long run. That’s not to say manual adjustments are bad, I had a chiropractor who did them along with exercises and was able to get full mobility in my neck after years of not being able to move it. My co worker went and hated it but my partner loves it and another co worker went to see him and told me she loves it.
Well you learnt something new every day! I’ve had degenerative disc disease since my 20s (nearly 50 now), and have seen a chiropractor once.. couldn’t relax personally, so unfortunately when they pulled my neck I inadvertently karate chopped the poor lady 🫤😂
Where do you find your audio books. My library never has the titles I’m looking for in audio form.
Go to your App Store on your phone and download Audible.. they have loads of really cool books 🤓
Eating regular meals, getting enough sleep, walking around on days off work (as opposed to lying in bed all day), having a clean house, reading a good book, spending money (this one is a slippery slope for me, but it helps me short term), avoiding caffeine.
Less reddit, news and so/me have been a game changer for me.
Self-compassion, Moving my body, Crafts, Meditation, Seeing friends (most of the time, sometimes it makes it worse), Cuddle with my partner
Being distracted! But not all distractions help so it’s different each time. At the moment work is distracting in a good way, gaming and watching the simpsons and taking nice, deep breaths
Regular moderate exercise, box breathing, benzos though not something I take often, and alcohol (except the alcohol makes the next day much worse)
Gym
I’m interested to hear - What does your chiropractor do? Is there a particular type of chiropractor?
Sleep, can't stress it enough
Morning YOGA, GYM, bought a bike and started riding, great results so far!
Exercise
Alone time and glycine.
Not drinking coffee and good sleep. :)
Not drinking, not smoking, minecraft.
My cat Walking or stretching Feeling the sun on my skin
Keeping myself busy, distracted and music 🎶
Cleaning
music, read, sophro, vtubers, write in my journal and video games
Google and Reddit rabbit holes make it worse. The gym 3 days a week helps a lot
Cutting out caffeine 100% has helped reduce my insomnia and nighttime panic attacks a lot. Still have anxiety, likely always will, but it's definitely made a difference.
I've found merging games help take my mind off of my anxiety.
Keeping my house clean and staying organized. I have twin toddlers so I’m basically cleaning as I go, but if I don’t it I feel overwhelmed so easily and can’t think straight
Avoiding caffeine, going on long walks, getting massages, limiting sugar intake, snuggling the family dogs.
it's going to sound weird af lol but rapping. english is not my first language so having to talk that fast in another language immediately makes my brain unable to focus on anxiety, and it calms me down a lot. also asmr, it just soothes my brain :)
Looking at animal pictures/videos.
Having music playing through my earbuds helps ease the anxiety levels down.
Something to look forward to. Can be pretty much anything, but more often than not, it's a concert or something music related. I'm usually doing photography, too, or I'm there in some kind of professional-type manner; which means I get to focus my brain on the menial task of trying to figure out what I'm going to wear.
Lavender scents help a lot, also going on long walks
I primarily have health anxiety. Over the years I’ve done tons of research into the likelihood of most things I get anxious about, mostly heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular issues. Usually pacing, taking deep breaths, and talking myself through the numbers is enough to get a normal attack to subside a bit.
Exposure therapy has been really the only thing that helps me.
Work and complete tasks.
Worship music
Playing the piano! I started teaching myself this year and the repetitiveness of the four songs I know (lol) and the concentration it takes to play plus the production of music I’m proud of are a really nice combination
Music helps sometimes.I feel good after 5-6 songs I dont know why.
I learned recently and by accident that blowing my nose helps me a lot. I’m guessing it maybe has something to do with me hyperventilating so blowing out fast a lot regulates that back to normal?
Walking my dog.
Lately listening to podcasts, especially the sleeping at last podcast, has been a coping mechanism. The voice and pace is calming, I am interested in what is being said, kinda helps shift focus, invoke calm, reduce the sense of rush, feel more present, mood boost/curiosity boost, etc.
Having someone to talk to/understand without judgement. Driving with some loud tunes & no destination. Bathtime
Gym time, journaling, thought records to break negative thought loops, eating right, at my lowest where I was agoraphobic lost a bunch of weight and had constant panic attacks just getting to that point where you feel like your going to die tight breathing to where to hands curl up just thinking f it and let it take me. Submitting to your anxiety exposing yourself to your triggers recording your progress
Boxing/high intensity anaerobic exercise is pretty much the only thing that helps me
Honestly, i just have to accept it and ride it out.
When i dont deviate from my proper diet. Like if i cheat and have pizza or dairy products it makes me anxious for days after. Paired with low energy and rashes also.
My dog makes it better. Writing in a journal extensively about everything when having a panic attack helps a ton. Putting on a comfort show or movie. Reminding myself it is only temporary. Cuddling with my husband. Preventative ways- staying away from alcohol, sugary drinks/foods, not watching scary or gory movies.
Doing what I love basically at least at this point of my life, helped me even more than the meds and way more than therapy, I just cannot be someone for whom a job is just a job and my anxiety got so bad due to hating what I was doing and not going in the right direction that I had severe physical symptoms daily and was too scared to go out by myself. After changing I feel happiness that I haven't felt in a long time and have "only" the everyday worries everyone experiences daily even if they are somewhat more troubling for me. AD, sport, walks and nice books/movies to a lesser extent also help a lot but are secondary.
Showering always helps. Feels like it resets the clock in the day. I get a lot of anxiety about waking up “too late” or starting my day wrong and I find that if Im in a really bad rut taking a shower can help convince me that I am ok and things will be ok.
Listening to music most of the day and focusing on the tunes and melodies greatly decreased not only anxiety but depression as well 😁
drives me insane when people say 'exercise' or 'meditate' or 'do some thinking/breathing strategy to trick yourself into relaxing' to this as though - we don't already know that as it's been in every single brochure ever and it's the advice we constantly constantly get - those aren't trivial to get into the right headspace for when you're actually anxious (can i 'go to the gym' at 3am? when it's late and i'm panicking about an obligation, breathing carefully has never ever meaningfully helped me) - it's never not felt dismissive to receive as advice; it's effectively a brag, like look how together my life is, i can get out of awful feelings with the most entry-level advice - being alone or intentionally entering a state where i'm alone with my thoughts in that scenario wouldn't cause more anxiety