Quick Tips for Managing Anxiety
I’m not sure if my anxiety got worse during the end of the pandemic, or if it’s just that I finally have less on my plate – and therefore- less to distract me, or if it’s that I’ve finally got a supportive partner to talk about it with BUT I’m realizing just how much anxiety is in my life.
Anxiety has been complicated for me to manage, sometimes just anticipating a panic attack can bring it on, sometimes it comes from nowhere. But I have found a few things that have really helped me tackle this issue. I should note: I’m not a doctor, this is not meant to be medical advise, this is just me sharing what works for me. And I should also say…. sometimes these things DON’T work, but for the most part they do.
1- Gardening. Gardening is one of those activities that helps me get outside, in the fresh air and sunshine, and focusing on something other than my cluttered house or the bickering of my children. There’s also a satisfaction in watching items grow, and it’ll make you be patient because items like tomatoes or peppers have to be replanted each year. Then there’s also items that come back, strawberries, blueberries, roses, and there’s also a satisfaction in watching them come back.
2- Good sleep. Ok, this is one place where anxiety can be cruel. You KNOW that plenty of sleep helps, but sometimes anxiety creeps in at night and you can’t sleep. Or you’re so busy during the day that this is the ONLY time you have to yourself and you just don’t want it to go away. For me, I can’t sleep in silence. My mind is too busy racing with various thoughts. So I put on Gilmore Girls, or some other show I’m super familiar with, and put my Kindle face down (to block out the light) and that helps me. I also take melatonin to kick start my sleep cycle, but I will say I have to be careful and take a break from it because my body will get used to it.
3- Supplements. About melatonin, I also take GABA. This was recommended by my therapist- it works for some and not for others but it’s a supplement that can help SOME with anxiety. Here’s a WebMD article on it, so be sure to do your own research. However, for me it really really helps and I can tell a difference in my mood. I take it before bed.
4- Exercise. Yep, thing is with anxiety sometimes it’s just hard to do this. Sometimes with a busy schedule you just can’t fit it in. Or you’re a single mom and doing this with kids is HARD. I make my kiddos a deal: they go with me to the gym, and they can be on their devises. I try to limit devise time at home, but at the gym I allow it. It lets me have my time to exercise, which is also like a meditation time for me and I make my lists for the week while on the elliptical, and it lets them have time to be on their devises without my limiting their time (although it’s limited by default when we leave). Even just 10 minutes of walking or yoga at home can help! If you are local to my area, you can also come practice yoga with me at the Mental Health Pop Up events- I work on making this very family friendly so your kids can join in (or not) and making it very entry level friendly. Learn more about these events and Macon Headspace here! There’s so much more than just yoga, you can also talk with a therapist and more.
5- Rest. This isn’t just sleep. It’s actual, active resting. Meditation, prayer, whatever you want to call it. I actively practice both, although not as much as I should! Prayer for me is listening to Bishop Rob Wright’s podcast, or even praying with certain Saints. I’m not Catholic but I am Episcopalian and so a lot of our practices are similar. I’m a big fan of St. Anthony of Padua- there have been moments when I think someone is mad at me, and that triggers tremendous anxiety, and so I’ll pray to him. Praying with saints is not like praying TO God or Jesus, it’s just asking someone to help you out on a specific topic. I see it as no different than asking a friend to pray for you, but the Saints have certain focuses. I also like St. Expedite when in urgent need, like when I needed a client to land, or a friend needed a financial win- I experienced St. Expedite coming through just after finishing the prayer. Here’s links to specific prayers with St. Anthony of Padua and St. Expedite. When I meditate, I use the Breathe app on my Apple Watch as a good starting point. Clearing my mind and just breathing in a pattern for a minute. Or, I also like Alternate Nostril Breathing because it forces you to really focus on a particular breathing style, which can take away thinking about other things. Not to mention that just breathing is so key to everything in our bodies.
6- Make your bed. It might sound silly but for me just making my bed can help my mood and anxiety tremendously! Having two young kids, there’s always clutter in my house. But making the bed makes me feel like there’s just at least a little bit less of it. Also spraying a linen spray makes it a little nicer to get in at night.
These are just a few things I like to do when I’m feeling anxious- I hope these can help you out! And if you’ve got some things you like, send them my way, I love to hear what others are doing.
Love,
Molly Kate
