Let’s talk about anxiety and what we can do to better cope with it.
I’ve struggled with mild anxiety on and off for years. But lately, the combination of some life stuff and my health has led to a few severe panic attacks and a lot of anxiety, especially at night.
I definitely don’t have all the answers, but here’s what’s been helping me:
- Therapy – talking about what’s causing my anxiety and working through it has helped me to better cope with it
- Deep breathing – I do this while counting backwards from 100 in threes to help re-focus my thoughts
- This grounding technique I recently learned – While I focus on my breathing, I notice 5 things I can see, 4 things I can touch/feel, 3 things I can hear, 2 things I can smell, and 1 thing I can taste
- Bach Homeopathic Rescue Pastilles – they help to take the edge off a little, and I like that they’re non-habit forming
- The Insight Timer app – it has lots of free soundscapes and guided meditations that have helped me sooooo much, especially when my mind is racing and I can’t sleep
The next thing I’m going to try is a weighted blanket – I’m hoping I can score a good deal on Black Friday!
You can take a screening to find out if you have an anxiety disorder, learn more about it, and find out how to get treated for it from my partner, Mental Health America here.