As I revealed in a post yesterday, I’ve been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. It really felt great to hear back from others who’ve experienced the same thing or something similar. It just makes sense to talk about it and share … the real world could stand to be more like the blogging world: compassionate, tolerant, open, kind and sharing.
So … as I mentioned in my last post, I have found some things that help. And while these coping methods are far from fool-proof and won’t work for everyone, here’s what I’ve learned while trying to manage my anxiety:
So … as I mentioned in my last post, I have found some things that help. And while these coping methods are far from fool-proof and won’t work for everyone, here’s what I’ve learned while trying to manage my anxiety:
1) Try and stay positive. It sounds trite, but it does help me sometimes. If I walk out of my building and I feel a tinge of anxiety, I’ll try to look around and focus on the good things: I really love this neighborhood. The sun is shining. That’s a nice cool breeze. That bread baking in the bakery on the corner smells yummy. It’s not exactly a daily affirmation, but focusing on what’s good that morning sometimes pulls me out of the funk.
Enjoy it when it’s a beautiful day!
2) Find your soundtrack. This has been a big thing for me — figuring out which album in my collection has the ability to calm me down. I’ll put it on when I’m on the subway, close my eyes, and just let the music take me away. Sometimes by the 3rd or 4th track I’m much more chill. For me, there are a few albums that have this power right now:
White Ladder by David Gray
Born and Raised by John Mayer
Love is a Four Letter Word by Jason Mraz
Love is a Four Letter Word by Jason Mraz
3) Go natural. I’ve been trying Ginger Root capsules for long car trips and flights, and it’s definitely provided some relief. Apparently they also recommend it to pregnant women and chemotherapy patients.
(Image courtesy of Vitamin Shoppe)
This ginger gum has also helped me on flights.
4) Breathe. From taking yoga classes, I’ve learned cat-cow breathing, and it’s proven to be quite helpful sometimes when I am beginning to feel panicky. In fact, yoga in general has helped a lot with stress reduction.
5) Talk to someone. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve started to see a psychologist. But I’ve also found that talking about it out in the open to friends and family, and being open about the problem in general, has shown me that there’s nothing to be ashamed about.
We’re all a work in progress! And in addition to talking to someone, I’ve started to talk to myself 🙂 No, not in that way. I mean I’ve borrowed some wise words and turned them into my personal mantra … I just recite them to myself whenever I’m feeling anxious.