Anxiety has played a big part in my life now for the past 4 years. The only thing that I can recall would have set it off was being verbally bullied and cyber bullied in my first year of secondary school. I've managed to keep it under control throughout the rest of my secondary school life, along with many panic attacks along the way. But now, as I'm approaching exam season, my anxiety has seemed to have got a lot worse, and I now have been moved from the main exam hall and do my exams in a separate room due to panics before the exams.
I thought it would be good to share a few of my own personal tips on how I manage my anxiety when I am feeling the most anxious. These tips work for me, but might not necessarily work for others, as everyone has their own calming regimes.
1. Have a breathing exercise fit to you.
There are a lot of breathing exercises you can find on the Internet on Pinterest and Google Images, that give you recommended breathing routines to help you calm and not hyperventilate. I highly recommend having a breathing routine for when you are at your most anxious, as this really helps me. Everyone is their own person, so I recommend searching around to find one that is fit for you.
2. Take your mind off things.
Whether that be to write a blog post about something you love, doing drawings in a colouring book or having a long bubble bath. Distracting yourself from feeling anxious by making yourself busy really helps. I find this definitely works best for me. Because you're distracting yourself, you're thinking about the thing you're doing, rather than the thing that is making you anxious.
3. Talk and vent to someone you trust.
Talking to someone you trust can really help calm yourself down. By telling someone your worries, you can also get reassurance which is helpful for when you're thinking it isn't going to get any better.
4. Go for a walk or run.
Physical exercise can really help clearing your mind from worries and anxious thoughts. Going for a walk or a run in the fresh air gives you time to think things over that you may be worrying about, removing yourself from everyday stress.
5. Keeping a diary.
This is definitely a good idea. Keeping track of when you get anxious, what you get anxious about, and what happens when you get anxious can really help you to spot patterns and spot triggers of these experiences so you can work out how to deal or prevent them.
6. Sticking to a healthy diet.
Cut out caffeine. Not entirely but if you drink a lot of it daily, this could be a cause of feeling anxious. Caffeine can make your heart beat a lot faster that usual. Other stimulants like alcohol and cigarettes are not good for anxiety.
7. Listen to some music.
Popping in your earphones and listening to your favourite songs can really help to relax. It lets you escape from your life stresses and worries for a short period of time, giving you a chance to calm down or think some things through.
I hope these tips helped hopefully a few of you.
If you would like me to do more mental health posts, do let me know as I love writing about them to hopefully help some people and be able to talk to some people about similar things.
I have a board on Pinterest linked HERE with breathing exercises and just general ways to stay calm during anxious times or a panic attack.
Daisy x
