If you’ve read any of my posts about my first anxiety attack, you’ll know that I’ve been dealing with anxiety for a few years now. Although this is something that I’ve just had to learn to live with, there are ways to prevent and/or combat it. I would like to share tips to help reduce anxiety, so here are four ways that have helped me deal with the anxiety and the depression that usually comes along with it.
Cardio Exercise – The first tip that my doctor gave me when my anxiety was at its peak was to go walking. This is something I never really enjoyed doing, but Jessica talked me into it. From the first walk, I noticed how much it actually helped. I know that when you’re feeling anxious or depressed, getting out of your safe spot is the last thing that you want to do, but even a five to ten minute walk will make a world of difference. You’ll get back home energized and most of the time, you’ll even ask yourself why you got so worked up in the first place.
Hobby – If you don’t yet have one, get a hobby. This should be something that you enjoy doing. Don’t just do something for the sake of doing it. Getting a hobby will help get your mind off of whatever is bothering you. Mine is Taekwondo, and it’s one of the main reasons why I was able to decrease my symptoms so much.
Have Regular Meals – One of the symptoms of anxiety and depression is a decreased appetite. This is one of the hardest things that I had to do, but even if you don’t feel like eating breakfast, lunch, or supper, eat something any ways. I find that when I’m hungry, my depression gets worse. If I skip a meal, it’s really hard for me to get motivated to do anything, but as soon as I have a few bites, my mood completely changes.
Lots and Lots of Hugs – Whenever you feel depressed or anxious, ask for a hug. That feeling of hopelessness that gets stuck in your chest, the one that feels like you really really want to cry, goes away withhugs. I’m a very fact oriented person, so it bugs me that I don’t know why this works, I just know that it does. I think it’s because of the pressure around the chest area, but for whatever reason, it works. All of the stress in my muscles just evaporates with a nice tight hug.
It took me awhile of trial and error to see what worked for me and what didn’t. Since everybody is different, I can’t promise that each of these methods will work for you, but they did for me, so I hope that one of these, at least, can help reduce your anxiety and/or your depression.
I’ve been dealing with anxiety for many years as well. The one thing that has really helped me (other than just doing the thing that I’m scared to do and walking) is finding a mantra. I’m a Christian, so telling myself that “God loves me,” puts me at ease. To know that someone is always there for me, who wants me to be victorious has helped me so much. x!