Anxiety: What Can Help?

Anxiety, the United States number one mental disorder; takes up 18% of the U.S population. Many people suffer from an anxiety disorder, so it would be safe to say that many people also suffer from anxiety attacks which, basically speaking, is the uncontrollable felling of anxiousness and can often be crippling. Many people who suffer from anxiety dont really know how to cope with it, so I have presented a few examples which have helped me personally. Keep in mind that those who suffer from anxiety are not limited to these coping mechanisms.

Light a Scented Candle:

Candles are something that give off the feeling of good well-being. If a pleasant scent is burning it can be quite relaxing, especially if the scent is specifically enjoyed by the individual. My personal favorite way of coping with my anxiety is lighting a nice smelling one, such as eucalyptus or spearmint, and just lying in my bed and going on as usual. Having your favorite scent surrounding you can be very therapeutic, especially if life is just being lived as usual; watching television, talking to people on the phone, anything part of your daily routine. The scent itself is the relaxing variable.

Mindfulness and DBT Skills:

I have learned many things going through therapy for my anxiety and one thing in particular that has helped me is Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT skills. DBTs main focus is mindfulness which is simply being aware of your surroundings and of your state of mind. This can help in the event of an anxiety attack by taking a step back, acknowledging your state of mind and your surroundings, and realizing that you are safe, because most likely you are, and realizing that can help so much in the moment.

Buy and Use an Anti-Stress Coloring Book:

Anti-stress coloring books are coloring books for adults. They Involve intricate images, such as mandalas or paisleys, that require a lot of focus to color in. These images have a lot of small spaces to color, which can be a little nerve wracking for those with OCD, but it takes your mind off of everything going on because you have to focus on what youre doing, especially if you feel it needs to be symmetrical. I myself use a coloring book for my anxiety and it works wonders.

Journal:

Writing in my journal is my favorite way to get through my anxiety attacks. Writing down and processing through my thoughts really helps the anxiety fade away. Its so simple too, just grab a notebook or a piece of paper and write down every little thought that is running through your head. It really helps to just process and analyze all your thoughts; reading back over them and seeing that it was almost silly to think any of those things. That may not always be the case, but its definitely possible.

Tea:

I myself absolutely LOVE drinking tea and there are teas made for anti-stress and calming. Chamomile is the most common tea to drink when anxious. Im no tea expert so I cant say exaclty what is is that makes people so calm when drinking chamomile, but whatever it is works!

Call someone important to you:

Calling someone is another favorite strategy of mine. I call one of my best friends or my boyfriend or even my parents if theyre not physically where I am. Nothing specific needs to be talked about on this phone call; just chat! Get the person to take your mind off of your worries. You can have them try and talk you through whats going on or just talk about life. Ask them how theyre doing, what they did that day, anything! This strategy is such an open one.

Netflix/On Demand TV:

Watching TV is great to take your mind off of the worries going on in your head in the moment. Go on Netflix and pick a new show to watch or find your favorite show On Demand and re-watch it. Even just watching reruns of old episodes of Friends or even SpongeBob. TV is good to get your mind focused on something else. It may not be ideal but TV is categorized as a distraction half the time, and in this case thats exactly what you need.

Take a bath or shower:

Being clean is a good feeling and in the case of an anxiety attack, good feelings are exactly what you need. I personally like to take a bath because I prefer those for relaxation over showers but you choose your preference; its not my decision to make, this is merely a suggestion. The hot water also feels amazing if youre stressed because the steam is a relaxing factor; must be why people go to saunas to relax.

Meditation:

Meditation is simply clearing your mind and relaxing. Clearing your mind in the moment of an anxiety attack take practice, but it can be achieved. All you need to do is lay down in your bed, or sit up somewhere if thats what you prefer, and work on clearing all of the negative thoughts. Finding your happy place is an example of meditation. Just think of positive things, or nothing at all.

Remember, no harm is being done:

The final strategy I have is very simple: remember that no harm is being done to you because, most likely, nothing is wrong. It may just be a large crowd of people or a test in school thats causing the anxiety, but nothing completely traumatizing is happening. You are safe.

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