10 Things That Calm My Anxiety

A close friend of mine who also battles issues with anxiety, recently had asked me during a conversation we were having, "What do you do before, or during an anxiety attack to make it pass?" which got me thinking that it could be a good idea to share what calms me down with others, in hopes that they can try a few of these solutions, too!

"My anxiety will always be apart of my life, but that doesn't mean I'll simply allow it to control me."

Ever since the publishing of my very first article on the topic of anxiety disorder and mental health back in early December of 2017, I have felt incredibly encouraged by my lovely readers to continue on speaking out about my own story and sharing my experiences in a more positive light. A light that could potentially help others who are dealing with similar situations as I am. 

I very much want to continue on with that, which is what has lead me to create this list of ten things that calm my anxiousness, because I think it's important that we all keep track of what relaxes us, or occupies our minds during those more difficult moments. These are some things that really work for me and have contributed to keeping my sanity intact. I hope you all will enjoy!  

disclaimer: I am most definitely not a professional by any means, nor do I claim to be. I'm just sharing with you a few things that help me feel better when anxiety and panic are trying desperately to make their presence known, and hopefully, you'll see one of these things mentioned as worth a try for yourself.

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1. WATCHING TELEVISION SHOWS

So, I'm a complete and total television junkie. I can't get enough of my favorite shows and with my anxiety issues, they practically mean everything to me. Throughout the majority of my twenty-one years of life, my shows have become one of my greatest, go-to distractions from a troubled mind.

Being an aspiring writer and author myself, there's nothing that makes me happier than the idea of storytelling. Which means that things such as books, comics, movies, television shows, anything that tells a story, and allows me to feel transported to another place entirely, fascinates me. But, overall, a well-written TV series will forever and always, come at first place in my heart.

Sitting down in the living room, relaxing with a drink and a snack while watching an hour-long drama with my dear family, has always done a world of good when it comes to keeping my mind clear of troubling thoughts.

When I'm beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed, following along closely with a good show takes the focus off of anything negative that may be bothering me, and prevents me from dwelling on it any further, allowing myself something much happier that I can turn my full attention to, watching television is something so simple that most definitely helps calm my anxiety and keep things from worsening.

2. JOURNALING MY ANXIOUS THOUGHTS

It's been a blessing to have my own private little escape from the depths of reality. My journal has become a place where I can come forward, release my frustrations and let go of those pesky little things that would normally cast a shadow over my day, without feeling any judgment.

Writing my thoughts down in my journal has not only been a healthy way for me to express my emotions and clear my head, but it's also something I've found to be incredibly relaxing. I love sitting in my room, turning on some fun, uplifting music and writing down my feelings. In fact, the combination of music and journaling is one of my most commonly used cures for anxiousness.

note: I have a separate article you may be interested in, called "Why You Should Keep A Journal In 2018" where I've gone through and made a whole entire list of reasons why I think journaling could be beneficial to you, click here to check it out! 

3. READING DAILY DEVOTIONAL BOOKS 

Throwing myself right into the word of The Lord first thing in the morning and just before I hop into my bed at night is something that has helped prevent my anxiety from coming on in a more severe manner altogether. I've been using a daily devotional called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It's a short and sweet little read which makes it easy to keep up with, but when taken seriously, the lessons inside always seem to have a great impact on my day. 

I've really enjoyed having little devotionals such as the one mentioned, laying around to read when I'm feeling low. But mostly, I've found myself using a devotional more as a preventional step. I've been reading it even when I'm feeling fine to grow closer to God, and in the process what I'm learning about has helped me to prepare and learn how to respond properly when life isn't going my way and I start to feel my anxiety kick in. Since I've started this, I've been making great progress when it comes to figuring out how to handle my emotions, and as a Christian, it's great to have a constant reminder that I'm not alone by any means, I always have God with me. 

4. TALKING TO ONES WHO UNDERSTAND 

It's not always easy, finding people who are willing to listen and understand how you're feeling, but when you do, hang onto them. I have a small group of friends who also know the struggle of dealing with anxiety and when I'm really feeling down and in desperate need of someone to talk to, they're always there for me. 

I tend to gravitate to a select group of people who face those similar issues and challenges that I do because it's hard to explain to those who don't know what it's like, why I'm feeling the way that I am. When I try to describe how I'm feeling to someone who doesn't fully understand anxiety, I can't shake the feeling that I'm being judged throughout the conversation, which makes things even worse. It helps to find others like you, that remind you that you're not the only one in the world who is dealing with these problems.

5. WRITING ARTICLES ON THE TOPIC

Now I'll be honest here, these last couple of days haven't been very kind to me at all, in fact, they've actually kind of been kicking my butt. While I'm thankfully, not dealing with too much anxiety at this particular moment, it has been affecting me throughout the week, so much that I recently posted this tweet; 

What you've read there is a prime example of my love for writing, and more specifically at this time, blogging. When I'm feeling beaten down, I have the urge to help keep others from feeling the same way that I do, which usually results in putting all of my effort into future posts that associate with the challenges that I'm facing, and that's how this article you're reading now, came to be. 

This has been a fantastic way for me to cope and in the process, I've also discovered that I really enjoy taking my own experiences, my own thoughts, and feelings and using them to create something that could potentially help others. I'm very passionate about the importance of mental health, and I'd just like to use what I've been through to remind people that they're not alone, and spread the message that there are always possible fixes, solutions, and ways to cope.   

6. ART JOURNALING

I know, another form of journaling, pretty shocking right? This is a fun little hobby of mine that I just recently have taken up. Back in December of last year, my lovely grandmother Beverly (Hi, Grandma! 👋🏼) asked me to send her a list of things I would like for Christmas, and within that list, I sent her a set of watercolors and a pack of three watercolor brush pens, which she generously purchased for me. Ever since I've been keeping a separate journal with art I've been working on. Typically inspirational bible quotes with a little bit of doodling. 

Once again, it's all about having things to focus on that can distract me from the negative vibes I've been feeling. I'm no artist, so I really need to pay attention to what I'm doing in order to not screw everything up. But it's also really relaxing to turn on some music or a podcast and just paint away. 

7. LISTENING TO MUSIC OR PODCASTS

With this one, staying far away from anything that seems to be more on the depressing side is key. Whether it be some fairly sad music or a podcast that's covering a more serious topic, I don't want it. I'm already upset, I'm not looking to feel even worse than I did before. I need something that can lift me right back up onto my feet and give me the boost of energy I need to fight off those negative emotions. 

People are usually pretty surprised to hear me say that my favorite kind of music is rap and hip-hop...Why? I'm not entirely sure, they're so much fun! I can be particular about it though, listening to a lot of the more old-school groups such as Run DMC, Salt N' Pepa, and my personal favorites Beastie Boys and Vanilla Ice. (You can say what you'd like, you know the Ice Man is awesome.) I play their music constantly because it's impossible for me to feel sad or upset while I'm hearing their lyrics. 

As for Podcasts, I'm down for just about anything, but my current favorite is one called "WrestleRamble" which is basically just that, a show where two guys ramble on about wrestling, which I confessed in one of my more recent articles, that I love! I've been obsessed with wrestling since I was a kid, and while it's not always that great, I still really enjoy hearing about it and that has really helped me when times with my anxiety are tough. 

8. PRAYING FOR RELIEF 

Asking God for relief during my anxiety is an absolute must for me. While I totally understand that not all of us are Christians, this works for me personally as I'm someone who strongly believes in God and the power of prayer. There's nothing more relaxing than sitting down in a quiet space and taking a moment out of my day to release all of my frustrations in a place where I'm free and safe from harsh judgment, instead, I'm comforted and encouraged to continue on and be thankful for the good things in life. 

9. HANGING OUT WITH MY FAMILY

Hanging out and spending some much-needed quality time with the family is one of the most simplistic things that can bring oh-so-much joy into my life. It's the little things that make me happy, sitting around together for a quiet meal, going out shopping, or even just staying at home playing one of our favorite board games, it's always those short moments that end up providing us with some of our greatest memories, and there's nothing that can snap me out of a pity party like the love from my family.

10. TAKING CARE OF MY PUPPER

I had the honor of bringing my beautiful little dog, Miss Posey Mae home for the first time back in August of 2015, and ever since then, the two of us have had an incredible bond, and that bond between us had luckily come at a time where I needed it the most. 

In the beginning of that same year, I had been experiencing the worst anxiety of my entire life, I was going through a pretty rough patch, one that seemed to be lasting a lifetime. But, my mom helped me through a road to recovery, and time began to heal my wounds. I was working hard to grow closer to God, change my outlook and progress in becoming a happier person with each day that went by...But I still needed a distraction from negative thoughts and energy in order to continue on successfully, and that's when I had the incredible privilege of meeting a little white dog, known only at the time by the nickname of Mop.  

Both my mother and I tend to describe our now close to three-year-old Posey as a "little ray of sunshine" because she wakes up every morning bursting with energy and happiness, excited just to be alive and living yet another day, which is something we all could do a little more of ourselves. It's been a pleasure to wake up and take care of her every day and when I look at her darling little face, she just makes my heart happy.

She's the sweetest little creature in this entire world and has been one of the absolute biggest blessings in my life. Bringing her home has helped my anxiety improve in so many different ways. I mean, the Lord knows I still have my moments here and there, but between the support from my loving family, and the joy of being Posey's "Dog Mom" I haven't even come remotely close to spiraling out of control like I once did. 

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Those are just a few of the things that help me battle my anxiety disorder and nervousness. Throughout the years I've been trying my hardest to keep track of what helps me and I'll continue to do so. Anxiety will always be apart of my life, but that doesn't mean I'll simply allow it to control me.

I truly do hope that you were able to find at the very least, one of these things that were mentioned here helpful to you, and please remember, if you ever find you need someone to talk with, you can certainly reach out to me on social media because I'm always more than willing to talk or answer any questions you may have.

 With that being said, thank you for reading and have a wonderful start to your week!