anxietycat:

33rd.

Holla, everyone!

A few weeks ago I asked you guys how you cope with your anxiety, and got some lovely suggestions that I would like to share with you! If you have another method that you find helpful and that isn’t listed below- reblog and add yours so that more people can benefit from it! Additionally, you may like to send it my way and I will continue to compile these lists and post them often as I can.

Anyway- try some out if you need them and see if they help :)

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When feeling anxious, try:

• Writing down exactly how you are feeling. “I’m not allowed to think it’s a stupid or pathetic reason to be freaking out, I have to write it down in the exact honest words, and also any ideas of why it’s freaking me out like that. Sometimes just trying to get it down and being able to read it back as clearcut words really helps clear the fog of anxiety about it.”
• Keep inspiration nearby. ”I keep a note on my phone titled ‘In case of anxiety’ and fill it with things to remember if I’m ever anxious - that people care about me, not to overthink so much, etc. it helps and then, I can access it any time.” You could also try this with other simple things like an inspirational photo as a desktop background, a special bracelet, anything like that that can serve to remind you that everything’s okay when you need it.
• Chew some gum. “Chewing gum distracts me from negative thinking. It helps me concentrate on something else rather than my worries and in a way makes me feel confident.”
• Distract yourself if you can. -“I always buried myself in video games or doodling. No matter where I’m going I bring either a small sketchbook or my DS. They’re like my security blankets. I don’t always use them but I know they’re there if I need to step away.” . -“I memorized the Nato spelling alphabet and when I get overwhelmed I recite it to take myself out of it.” -“When in public & on the verge of an anxiety/panic attack, look at your surroundings & describe everything in great detail (either in your head or even to another person; I find it more helpful when I’m texting a friend & I tell THEM where I am & what everything looks like. I told one person of this technique & now he knows what it is & asks me questions about what I’m doing/where I am.)

Being in crowded places eg: University campus

Start off by sitting in low traffic areas and distract yourself with things like music, food, a book, etc. Once you get comfortable with that, move to a place with ever so slightly more people and work on it there. Work on it like that until you can happily sit in the crowded area without any trouble! 

Being on public transport:

Distract yourself if public transport is an issue for you. I love using sudoku because it’s my favourite type of puzzle! Something that will keep your brain engaged is perfect because then you won’t have the capacity to worry about everything else. Combining this also listening to music pretty much completely solved my own bus phobia. 

“I get very anxious on long rides, be it car, train, or air. Listening to a specific music playlist helps me cope, more than reading or playing games sometimes. Also having something to grab/hold on to, like a friend’s hand. If you have a smartphone with a map app and GPS, tracking your location and how long it will take to get to your destination as you’re traveling helps pass the time, so you don’t feel “stuck”. Playing games and reading is good sometimes but I tend to get carsick so those things tend to make me feel worse. They do help for stationary waiting situations though!”

Mindfulness techniques:

Personally, I love mindfulness techniques and meditation because I owe it so much. Using these were (and still are- when I need them!) immensely helpful with my anxiety. Here’s what you guys had to say about them!

“here’s a super helpful tip my therapist gave me, it’s a breathing thing. (for awhile i was skeptical of all this yoga-y breathing exercises crap that’s out there - like, i know how to breathe - but this really helps!) so what you do is: breathe in through your nose, then blow out your mouth as if you’re breathing out of a straw. you do not need a straw, but you just curve your mouth the way you would around a straw. the change in physiology helps and brings your breathing back to your diaphragm”

”..Something one of my profs mentioned is a mindfulness technique which is helpful, especially for people who self harm. Its a little weird, you hold an ice cube and let it melt in your hand.” 

“saying the rosary — any repetitive prayer, mantra, or saying will do, taking showers — hot water + silence and solitude + the calming effect of your body cooling afterwards, chewing gum, exercise, breathing exercises, singing, regular massage if you can afford it.”

Things to watch:

• Get enough sleep.
• Don’t have tooooooooooo much caffeine.

REMEMBER: YOU ARE LOVED, YOU ARE STRONG, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!

“I know you try so hard every single day, I know you do your best. It’s so difficult sometimes for you to do the simplest every day tasks. I know you want to be normal! I know you must be aching to be able to do this or that just like every one else, confident and at ease. And I am so proud that in the face of all this you push on and do your best. You are so loved- by your friends, family, admirers, and by me.” -The Black Bath

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I hope some of these suggestions are helpful to you guys- and if you have something you’d like to share in the next compilation list please do not hesitate to harass my via my ask!

Love youuuuuuuuuuuu,

~~Anxiety Cat xx