Do you know the feeling of when your heart beats so fast you feel like it's going to explode out of your chest? Or maybe you are more familiar with the feeling of clammy hands and a red face?
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as panic or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life, and some people experience it more often or experience it more severe than others, and that is perfectly okay.
This chapter is going to be all about how to cope with anxiety, and some tips and tricks to calm yourself down when you feel it coming on.
Everyone has different triggers whether it be a new school, giving a speech to your class or at your job or meeting new people. A great step to learning how to deal with anxiety is to understand what triggers it in the first place.
It can take some time and self-reflection, but there are ways to calm your anxiety down to stop it taking over in uneasy situations.
1. Dismiss negative thoughts
We all have the little voice in the back of our head making situations feel a lot more stressful than they actually are. A simple way that might work for you to get rid of these thoughts is by asking yourself if they are true. You might find some are perfectly reasonable fears, but there might be a few that make no sense whatsoever or are easy to avoid. It might make you feel less overwhelmed if you do this.
2. Controlled breathing
A simple and basic way to control your anxiety attacks is to focus on breathing. There are many different breathing techniques that a simple search will bring up. One recommened one is to breath in for four seconds, and exhale for four seconds. Do this for as long as you need to, but two to five minutes usually works at claming your heart rate.
3. Meditate
Meditating is a very soothing and calming way to make you feel relaxed and stress-free. There are many different mediatating sessions available, such as on YouTube, or a great app called ''Insight Timer'' that I recommend.
4. Write down your thoughts
Writing down what you feel is a very effective way to calm yourself down. It may work for you, or may not, just give it a try. Jot down your thoughts every once in a while.
5. Keeping healthy
Focusing on your body and mind for a while might ease your anxiety. Exercising regularly, eating balanced meals, getting enough sleep, and staying connected to people who care about you are ways to ease your anxiety.
6. Do some yoga
Yoga is very good at calming the body, and stretching out muscles. It might even help with your anxiety. Try doing a ten-minute yoga routine in the mornings or before you go to bed (I recommend the mornings though!) and see if it helps.
7. Just spend an evening relaxing
A simple way to calm your stress down is simply by taking time to relax. Have a bath and light scented candles around for a relaxed atmosphere. Or look after yourself a bit. Put a face mask on, or do your nails.
8. If your anxiety is severe, see a doctor.
If your anxiety seems to be interfering with many things you do daily, or is very severe and impacts your life, see a doctor or a therapist. They will be able to help you a lot more, and perhaps give you some medication to help you and offer ways to control your stress.
Thank you for reading. More updates coming soon. Keep going! I hope these helped you :)
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