RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THOROUGHLY HATE ANXIETY!

* Raises arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, dog’s paws, etc.*

Trust me, if there’s one thing I know, it’s what it feels like to have an anxiety attack and the suffering that coincides with it on a daily basis. And, while in a perfect world anxiety wouldn’t exist, at the very least for the summer months when the bright shining sun would snatch all your worries away, this certainly isn’t always the case.

For the past few days, I’ve been having serious panic attacks one after another, all day long. I’ve felt as though I was falling, falling back into my old habits, where I allowed anxiety to govern my life. But, something inside reminded me that I am much stronger than that. Anxiety will not govern my life and I certainly don’t want it to govern yours either.

Therefore, as I know I am not alone in this world of 7.5 billion people, I wanted to share my tips and tricks on how to handle your anxiety when the disorder cripples your mind.

NUMBER ONE // ACKNOWLEDGE IT

Though much easier said than done, the very first thing I would suggest to do the very second you feel a panic attack coming on is to acknowledge the fact that you are having one. It may be scary at first and cause even more anxiety, but when you really sit there and analyze the reason for your anxiety, you are better able to logically rationalize that your anxiety is merely a figment of your imagination. To me, that sounds A WHOLE LOT better than your anxious thoughts being reality! Facing your anxiety is the first step to truly overcoming it!

NUMBER TWO // NAP TIME

Now, sometimes we cannot always identify what causes our anxiety, or better yet, we DO NOT WANT to actually face the main cause. Instead, we’d rather suppress it as per usual and hope that soon enough it will go away. It’s true. I do it all the time and usually take a nap (when fitting, of course) to forget all of my worries. However, I do not recommend for anyone to resort to lying in bed and falling asleep when you have anxiety because this is merely “dealing” with it rather than overcoming it. Often, when I have panic attacks I just want to crawl into a ball on my bed and cry myself to sleep, but what are we actually achieving by doing this?? Nothing! If anything, we are giving into the anxiety rather than facing it.

On the other hand, I am including this in the list as it has proven to help my anxiety in that very moment. Therefore, I would only suggest this is if you are very very desperate.

NUMBER THREE // HUG SOMEONE

Sure, the frustration and pain from panic attacks may make us want to punch someone straight in the face or scream at the top of our lungs, however, sometimes, taking a gentler approach works best for me. Because our bodies tense up so much during attacks, our hearts race as fast as our minds and the burning sensation within our chests makes us feel as though we will explode any second, a simple genuine hug can do the trick to calm your nerves. In fact, touch, in the sense of showing love or warmth toward someone is one of the most important things when it comes to mental health. So, next time you’re having an attack hug someone you love really really tight.

NUMBER FOUR // BE WILLING TO TALK

I cannot stress enough the important of talking about your anxiety. For years, I’d hide out in my room all alone while having panic attack after panic attack. I didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, nor did I want to burden anyone with my negativity. So, I “dealt” with it all on my own. However, as I soon learned, this only made things worse, as I’d keep everything bottled up inside which would only continue to build day after day. This obviously made me even more anxious. It wasn’t until I began talking about my anxiety with my family that I finally began to feel as though I was breaking free from it’s chains. PLEASE, TALK TO PEOPLE THAT LOVE, SUPPORT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH AND REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.

NUMBER FIVE // WORK IT OUT

We all know that working out is scientifically proven to ease anxiety, so why don’t we do it?!? Instead of crawling up in a ball just as your anxiety wants you to, get active! Go for a run, do some crunches, jump rope, go swimming. Literally do ANYTHING that works your body and minds, as it will allow you to release chemicals and endorphins and make you feel better all together.

NUMBER SIX // ENTERTAIN YOURSELF

Entertaining/distracting yourself from your panic attack is one of the best ways to calm your mind and body in that very moment. Personally, when I am having major anxiety my productivity level plummets, as it is very difficult for me to perform the simplest of tasks. Therefore, when I do resort to just lying down, I love to put music on or watch a variety of Youtube videos that take my mind onto another track. I especially love to watch videos because they completely take me out of reality and into that video. So, whether they may be videos by Zoella and the rest of her British Youtube gang, Vogue, dance/choreography videos (I suggest watching Matt Steffanina’s channel for these) or even clips from The Late Late Show With James Corden that I just can’t seem to stay up to watch, I highly suggest turning to Youtube for bettering your mental health!

NUMBER SEVEN // DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

Leading off of the last tip, if you ARE one to be rather productive when having spouts of anxiety, be sure to do something that makes you happy. Read a book, play a game, watch a movie, clean, hang out with friends, go for a walk, sing at the top of your lungs or dance as if no one is watching! For me, praying usually does the trick, however, so long as it is best for your mental and physical being, do it for yourself and no one else! Do not hold back!

I truly hope this helps any of you that may experience anxiety and panic attacks! Let me know of any tricks you do to ease your anxiety in the comments below! Also, follow me on social media! xo

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