If you are someone who suffers from extreme feelings of anxiousness or even panic attacks, then learning how to deal with them, cope, and even alleviate those feelings can be a massive benefit. These things do not discriminate and they can happen to anyone. Plus, they can come and go at different times in your life, depending on how stressed, depressed, or how generally unwell you are feeling. So having some strategies up your sleeve that work for you is a must, as you may only suffer from anxiety and panic attacks from time to time, but even more relevant if they are a regular occurrence for you.
So with that in mind, here are some of the things that you can be doing to make sure that you can deal with these episodes, so you can carry on living your life.
- Take some time-out. There will be different things that will work for different people. For some, time out to practice yoga can be just what they need. For others, it can be listening to music or meditating. If you can, then how about getting a massage, or reading up about some relaxation techniques that you could learn. If you take a step back from the situation or the people that can trigger this for you, then you can focus and clear your head. Being in the great outdoors is a massive help too, as you have so many other things to focus on, rather than the anxious feelings.
- The old saying goes, you are what you eat. So if that is true, you need to be eating well-balanced meals as often as you can. When you skip meals it can make you feel lethargic and tired, so avoiding skipping meals. If you’re not feeling too hungry, then at least make sure that you have some natural, energy-boosting snacks to hand, rather than reaching for a candy bar or junk food.
- On a similar note, you need to think about other things that you are taking into your body, as they can have an impact on how you feel. Things like alcohol and caffeine can, in fact, aggravate feelings of anxiety and even trigger panic attacks; so that should be reason enough to limit those things in your life. Cigarettes are also a good thing to steer clear of, as they can be an appetite suppressant, as well as being highly-addictive, which can aggravate feelings of anxiousness. If you need help to quit, then choosing vape pens could help, as you wean yourself back, with the goal of quitting eventually. This can help with anxiety too, as you won’t have the cold-turkey element of quitting.
- Getting enough sleep is so vital for great health, and especially when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. Often, when you have these feelings, it is because you are extra stressed or worn out. These are the times when you need good quality sleep, and plenty of it too. Eating well, exercising, and cutting down on things like caffeine can help massively, as well as limiting screen time.
- Exercise, and doing so daily, is something that we all know can help our health. But it can be such a good mood booster too. When you move and exercise, your body gets a flood of happy hormones, and that can lift your mood and alleviate stress. So find ways to make time for exercise, in whatever method you enjoy best. Because, of course, you’re only going to stick to it if you enjoy it.
- There may be situations that you just need to get out of, in order to help how you feel. But that isn’t always going to be possible. So instead, take some deep breaths. When you take the time to Inhale and exhale slowly, it can calm you down, and give you a moment to process what is happening. A simple technique, but it can really work.
- On a similar note, when you can’t just remove yourself from a situation, try something like counting to ten slowly. You can go for longer if needed, but it just gives you some time to process things and make sense of what is happening, while you decide what to do next.
- You might get some of your stressed and anxious feelings from a feeling of insecurity and because of low self-esteem; this is not uncommon. But just learning to do your best, however that looks, can be a good way of coping with things. Don’t aim for perfection, unless in that specific thing, that is achievable for you. Be proud of what you are doing, and how close to perfection you can get.
- It can be hard to let go of some things and not be in control, can’t it? But being able to accept that you cannot control everything is vital to living a healthy and happy life. Putting things into perspective can really help, as you focus on what is really going on.
- Humor can be a coping mechanism for many people; having a good laugh does go a long way. Don’t forget to make this part of your life too.
- Maintaining a positive attitude can be hard, but it can really help. With some humor, it can help you to look on the bright side of things. Replace negative thoughts that you have with happy and positive ones.
- Learning what triggers your anxiety is something that can help you to cope better. So think about what happens or what is going on, when you get those feelings. Is it family, work, travel, pressure, or another thing that you can identify?
- It is good to talk. So look for someone that you feel comfortable enough to talk to about how you are feeling. If you can, and feel able, then tell friends and family that you feel anxious or overwhelmed; they may be able to do things to help. You could also talk to a professional, like a doctor or therapist if you’d rather.
