It is taking me a lot of courage to write this post, but when I first started this blog I promised myself I would be as open and honest as possible. Anxiety has been something I’ve been dealing with for a while now. It’s a roller coaster. Some months are good. Some months are bad. Sometimes one day that I’m fine and the next is completely different and I’m not leaving my house. Over the past few years I’ve figured out some ways to tackle my anxiety and just get out of my own head for a while. After having a pretty rough few weeks, I felt that now is the best time to write this post. I’m not a therapist and I’m not telling you that these things will work for you, but if this blog post reaches one person and makes a difference, I’m happy.
1. Listen to music. I love music. I actually remember specific memories based on songs that were playing. For instance, one of my favorite memories of all time was running on the beach in San Diego in 2008. I was listening to The Afters’ album “Never Going Back to Ok”. Being a dancer for the majority of my life, I used music and movement as a way to express myself. Whenever I’m feeling nervous or anxious, I turn on some tunes and try to calm myself down. Right now, I’m loving the music on my Spotify playlist (click the link to listen!). I’m warning you… some of the music is pretty random.
2. Get moving. Whenever I’m feeling anxious, I usually want to get under the covers and watch Youtube videos or nap. However, I know that’s not always the best thing for me. Whenever I get moving my mood tends to get better. My favorite way to stay active is by following along to at-home yoga videos. I have a membership to Reflexion Yoga and I use it pretty frequently. If you’re interested in trying it out, I have a coupon code for my readers to get a full year’s worth of unlimited yoga videos for only $69. Click here to learn more. Reflexion Yoga adds new videos all the time so you’ll never get bored. I’d also love to start Pure Barre classes, but they are expensive! Maybe one day I’ll take the plunge and buy a month’s worth of classes.
3. Spend time with a pet or friends. Hehe, isn’t he the cutest?! Whenever I’m feeling a bit off, I take one look at Pete and can’t help but smile. I love taking him for long walks on the weekends and teaching him new tricks. He’s my little sausage baby. Anytime I spend time with Pete, anything that seemed to be bothering me somehow feels not as important. Pete’s my little ball of love.
4. Do something you enjoy. For me, I love organizing and cleaning my apartment. This would make some people more anxious I’m sure, but for me it’s my happy place. Whenever I’m feeling anxious, I love spending time by myself and organizing and something reorganizing spaces in our home. Some people like to be around others, while some would rather spend time doing something alone.
5. Take a breath and share your feelings with a loved one. This one can be the most difficult way to tackle anxiety. Lucky for me, I have an amazing husband who listens to me cry and complain whenever I need him. Bryan’s my rock. He puts things into perspective for me and reminds me to breathe. It’s important to find that “rock” in your life and make sure to share your emotions and feelings with him/her.
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Great post!! I find that yoga ALWAYS helps me tackle anxiety. And hugs! I’m a firm believer in HUGS!
What great tips! Anxiety is not fun, but Josh and Punkin definitely help me when I’m feeling stressed!
Bridgett says
I’ve struggled with anxiety at times too, mostly when I have to go out of my comfort zone. Job interviews are particularly brutal to try and get through, I always wanted to just cancel at the last minute. What helped me was to keep asking myself “what’s the worst that can happen? Just go and do it!” It was like a mantra to get through it.