Hello lovely readers – wooh! 3 posts in two days! I must be on a roll.
Truthfully, I am making this blog a higher priority in my life. There is no time to wait to pursue our passions- only here and now! There is so much I want to share, and I know it’s up to me to make it happen.
So here I am, sharing it.
Today I wanted to open up about how I cope with my anxiety. If you have been following me for a while then you might know that I have made the personal choice to not take any medication, but instead to use particular strategies and natural remedies to help me cope. This is a personal
- Sleep. I used to be such a no-sleep warrior. I still have guilt sometimes about going to bed early, especially when I don’t feel tired or feel like there is something else I could be doing (what can I say – I like to be busy). Yet I’ve found that being tired is the biggest trigger for my anxiety. I try to get at least 7 hours a night, but 8 is ideal!
- Taking magnesium has been a big one for me. Since I started taking magnesium a few months ago regularly, my mood in general has improved. Anxiety can be a symptom of magnesium deficiency, and I think that I have noticed this to be true with me. If I forget to take it for a day or two, I can definitely feel it. I have been taking it before bed instead of in the morning – often I find I would forget to take it in the morning, but I seem to remember to grab a couple capsules when I am taking my other supplements at night!
- Refined carbs are a no-no for me. They do something to my blood sugar, and the end result is always the same: me feeling anxious and upset. That means no white rice or pasta, no cake, etc. I opt for complex carbs like brown rice and sweet potato, which don’t have the same effect on blood sugar and as a result don’t trigger my anxiety when I eat them!
- I have a great self-care routine that includes regular baths, Netflix chill sessions, time in nature, and exercise at least 4 days a weeks. All of these things keep my stress low and help pump happy endorphins into my body.
- Since last year I kind of made the subconscious decision to be full-disclosure about my anxiety. My family, my friends, my coworkers, and anyone who follows me on social media knows I have anxiety. We are all touched in some way by mental health issues, so why not talk about it? Sharing my experience with anxiety has made me realize not only how common it is, but it has also allowed me to connect with people in a whole new way. I have no shame about my struggles, it has absolutely made me who I am.
As we are all individual and unique in so many ways, I cannot say that what has worked for me will work for you. But I do see the benefit in sharing ideas about what has helped us in particular – if only for the chance that someone else might gain something!
I don’t always use these coping mechanisms perfectly. I am, after all, only human. That being said: I still have panic attacks, although less and less frequently. I still have anxiety. I will always have anxiety. It will never go away. But I’m learning more and more how to deal with it and what works for me.
What helps you guys when you’re feeling anxious?
…………….
EDIT: I have learned so much and come a very long way in learning other techniques in dealing with my anxiety since writing this post – if you are interested please check out my other, more recent posts on anxiety simply by choosing the ‘anxiety’ category on the right side bar!
Standing Strong Wellness 
Leave a comment