Under The Surface: 10 Ways to Fight Anxiety
Let’s talk about what’s going on underneath the surface. Sometimes it’s hard to be REAL. You’re browsing social media, checking out Instagram and only see what people want you to see; the dream life in a fairytale location, the successful job, the perfect relationship, the end result of years of practice (I see you handstands, you aren’t nearly as simple as those yogi’s make you look!). People make it look so darn amazing, right? Sometimes life is truly great and there are so many things to feel blessed and thankful for…Other times it’s not easy at all.
I’m going to be honest, I’ve had a hard past couple weeks. It’s been a combination of a lot of things but especially it’s the anxiety. The creeping fear of socializing with strangers for the first time, worrying about being liked, about messing up, the crushing feelings of being a failure, of not being good enough. Anxiety can come on anytime, anywhere. Rising up in social situations or from stress over work. It can greatly be influenced by the people around you; if they are toxic and unsupportive. Maybe it’s made worse by certain bad habits and/or lack of good ones, or how well you’re taking care of your health (or a combination of all of the above). People experience varying levels, from slight anxiousness to what feels like crippling, debilitating waves of not being able to breath or even survive. As a health and life coach some may think admitting to my own problems makes me less creditable. To me, we’re all human, we all go through tough times in life. Instead of appearing as if everything is perfect, I’d rather be real and honest, and bring more light to the dark places. I struggle too, I know what it’s like. Some days it feels like you have all your shit together, and than other days it’s like nothing makes sense and you’re completely lost.
So I wanted to share with you some of the things that help me get out of what I call “the dark hole.” As much as my brain is telling me to be alone, to never get out of bed, that binge watching Netflix and playing video games all day is a good idea, very rarely does that ever help. I challenge you to think about the bad habits and things you may be doing that keep you in that hole, and instead find reasons to dig yourself out.
Here are the top ten things I’ve been practicing:
1. Know you are not alone. Reach out to a friend or family. Humans are social creatures and interaction is important (always feel free to send me a message!).
2. Get up with your first alarm. The more I snooze the alarm the more in danger I am of never getting out of bed, or starting my day slowly and feeling like I’m wasting all my time away.
3. Fuel your body. Drink lots of water and eat good food. I know you’ve heard it a million times but keeping your gut happy helps keep your brain happy. Eat a well balanced diet, avoiding highly processed and inflammation-producing foods.
4. Move. Even if you don't feel like it. Do a yoga class at home or just stretch a little, go for a walk or a hike, anything to get your blood flowing and work to improve your mood .
5. Sunshine. Not only will just 10-15 minute in the sun trigger Vitamin D production (which lowers high blood pressure, helps muscles, prevents inflammation, and improves brain function) but it also gives you a great excuse to get outside, be with nature and appreciate the world around you (I've been just going out and napping in a hammock!).
6. Breathe. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, practicing deep breathing and meditation works wonders on stress and anxiety by calming your nervous system.
7. Practice your mindset and gratitude. These things may seem pointless at first, but over time makes a huge impact. Try writing down three things you’re grateful for everyday and practicing rewiring your mindset by whenever you think a negative thought, try and shift your thinking to something more positive. For example, instead of “I suck at changing my mindset” could be “I need to practice changing my mindset more.”
8. Do something different. By shaking it up and changing your routine, like hanging out with someone new, going to a new place, or trying a new experiences, it might open you up to more possibilities and a little more hope.
9. Clear the clutter. Have you ever felt like everything is just weighing you down and causing you more stress? Doing things like clearing out your closet of things you don’t wear, going through the mass that is your email, cleaning out your desk, reorganizing your phone and deleting apps you never open, getting rid of things you don’t need anymore, etc. May feel as if you’re lifting a burden and creating space for something new.
10. Be nice to yourself. The reality is sometimes just doing anything might be hard. There are days you feel like you can’t get out of bed and you don’t ever want to talk to anyone or do anything every again and the most important thing you can do is be sweet to yourself. To acknowledge that you’re human and some days you might just feel that way, and that is okay. Don’t beat yourself up over it. I always tell myself “this too shall pass.”