Anxiety, a seemingly innocent word that represents a terrible disorder, wrecks havoc on one’s mind and body. Dealing with it is terrifying. The panic attacks that come with it also come with its own baggage: the possibility of something worse happening ranging from constipation, headaches, and changes in one’s menstrual cycle to stomach ulcers. Sometimes it is not possible to get medication to treat it due to many different reasons — parents don’t believe in mental disorders, inability to access them or just that side effects seem quite scary.
The most important thing to keep in mind when completing the activities mentioned is that consistency is key.
The more often you complete the activities, the more likely they are to help with with your anxiety.
Breathing
Start out by placing yourself in a peaceful place; move to a place that you feel comfortable in. Focus on your breathing, and take a normal breath followed by a slow, deep breath. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. You will feel the deep breath coming through you as your stomach rises along with your chest. Take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete this activity—if you don’t have that much time, even a couple of minutes will help relax and ground you.
Meditation
Meditation allows you to block out your thoughts and feelings and helps you center yourself, focusing solely on your being. By doing so, you can reduce the impact of anxiety on your life. You can find a plethora of videos on YouTube on meditation and guided meditation simply by searching it up. This guided mediation by Dr. Robert E. Dinenberg is one of my personal favorites. I also recommend The 5 Minute Miracle. Find the right video by taking the voice of the guide and duration of the video into consideration.
Taking Care of Yourself
When I’m feeling anxious or trying to calm myself during a panic attack, I try to do things that I find relaxing such as lighting a candle, putting on a face mask, cooking, or organizing. Find something small, like playing your favorite song or drawing a bath, to help ground you in a moment of distress and to take your mind off of whatever triggered the panic attack or the anxious feelings.
Although anxiety is hard to obliterate, learning how to control and ease it might just be the next best thing. Through persistency with these activities, anxiety can quite possibly no longer reign over your life.
