6 Ways to Deal With Anxiety

We have all had to adjust to our “new normal” over the past few months due to COVID-19, and with many of us being able to leave the house again (thank goodness!) we are now gearing up to adjust to a “new normal” once again.

I am a bit different than most, in that I actually thrive on change. Instead of running away from change, I typically run towards it. Over the past few months we have all experienced massive amounts of change in our personal lives, our work environments, our communities, and globally. For many this type of change can elicit anxiety… even in people like me who typically love change.

Even though I love change and was easily able to adapt my business model during the quarantine, I still experienced bouts of anxiety. I believe it’s normal. Anxiety is our body’s way of communicating with us and letting us know that something is off. It’s a sign for your to stop tuning into all the external distractions, and start tuning into whats going on inside.

Today’s I’m going to share six ways to deal with anxiety. I use these personally and with several of my clients.

1. Breathe. Pause whatever you are doing, close your eyes, put your hands on your heart and simply breathe. Connect with the rise and fall of your chest as breath enters and exits the body. Take 10 deep breaths here.

2. Meditate. Find a comfortable position, I prefer to be seated, but find what works for you. You can lead yourself through a meditation, simply tune into your breath, or listen to a guided meditation of choice. Check out the benefits of meditation here and my four tips for meditation here.

3. Journal. Sit down and write out all your thoughts that are rushing through your head, without judgement, just let it all out. Sometimes purging our emotions through writing and getting it all down on paper can help us to release whatever it is that is causing our anxiety in that moment. It may almost feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

4. Move. For me movement is one of the best ways to keep my anxiety in check. Find a workout you love…running, yoga, pilates… whatever it is, and move every day. Even if it’s only 20 minutes, do something to move your body and change up your mindset.

5. Diet. Nutrition plays a huge role in our emotional state. Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat and drink in a day, then record your emotional state morning, noon, and night. Check in with yourself and notice the connection between what you choose to eat and your emotional state. Every time you eat think about fueling yourself physically and mentally.

6. Tapping. Emotional freedom technique tapping can seriously help anxiety as well as many other mental health conditions. EFT tapping helps to balance out the energy in the body, and alleviate emotional and physical pain. I will be doing a whole blog post about this in a few weeks, but feel free to google EFT tapping if you are interested in learning more!

I hope that you are able to incorporate some of these techniques into your daily routine to help manage anxiety. I am not a doctor and am only offering suggestions based upon my own personal experience. Please always remember that anxiety is a mental health condition and it is important to talk to your doctor about creating a treatment plan that would work best for you.