Hi everyone! So as some of you know I have anxiety and in the current situation it has not been great. I've been trying some different things to combat my anxiety and to feel better and happier and I wanted to let you know some of the things that I have tried in case they may help you too.
1. Plan your time
I recently learned of a CBT technique called behavioural activation. Using this method, I created a list of things that I needed to do and then a list of things that I enjoy and then put these into a daily planner. I've tried a couple of different planners, one with all the hours listed for every day of the week and one with morning, afternoon and evening for every day of the week. I found the last one more helpful.
The idea is that you spend more time doing things that make you feel good, even when you are anxious you get yourself to do what you had planned. The more time that you spend doing nice things the greater the resilience to anxiety that you can build.
2. Distract
I have found this to be the most effective measure of reducing my anxiety. This method follows a lot on from planning. When I start to feel anxious I usually think and think and think and this allows the anxiety to keep going. If the thing I am worrying about is something I can't do anything about then I have started trying to distract myself as soon as I begin to feel anxious in order to stop this cycle. One thing that I have found particularly helpful for distracting myself is journaling. With this you can pick up a nice notebook and some coloured pens and write according to prompts or create your own. You can find a lot of prompts online, particularly if you look for mental health journaling prompts. I also find putting some cheery music on whilst I do other things quite helpful.
3. Aromatherapy
This is something that was recently recommended to me. With this method you can use a diffuser and I chose essential oils that are known for their calming properties. A diffuser is used by placing essential oils and water together and then varying levels of steam are emitted. You can also use a timer so that it stops at a certain time. A diffuser can be used to reduce anxiety and aid sleep. I decided to try different mixes and document the process. I will be making some future posts with my findings and some recommendations. There are a couple of brands that I have found that are approved by the Aromatherapy Trade Council and are more affordable, these are Freshskin and Nikura. Update: I tried 14 different diffuser blends for calming and soothing and wrote about my findings here.
4. Yoga
I recently started doing yoga again and although I haven't been keeping up with it as much as I would like, whenever I did do some yoga I ended up feeling better. I felt lighter, happier and even a bit healthier. I have used some YouTube videos but I would like to in the future start planning my own routines.
5. Herbal remedies
Another thing that can be quite useful is herbal remedies. Things that have been recommended to me are Kalms, Rescue Remedies and teas like Lemon Balm.
I think it really depends on the person as to what may help you but I would recommend trying some of the strategies that I have listed here.
Living with anxiety isn't easy but you can manage it if you find the strategies that work for you. I am still working out the best strategies for myself but these things have definitely helped, especially during this time.
If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health issue and have not already, please contact your doctor.
Liked this post? You may like to check out my post about ideas for self-care.
Planning helps my anxiety loads. I really like the sound of d behavioural activation too. I love essential oils too but I do not use them enough so I definitely need to use them more and see if they help my anxiety. Those Nikura oils that you have linked look super cute, thanks for the recommendations, I do find that they can be quite expensive sometimes. I need to try Rescue Remedies again, I have only tried their spray and only used when travelling. I would like to try their night spray and their Lozenges. I am already on medication for anxiety so I am not sure if there is any point trying Kalms? This was a really helpful post, thank you xx
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I'm glad that some of these things have helped you too! I'm not sure about using Kalms and medication, I would check with your doctor.
ReplyDeleteHi Lucy what a great post! I too am an anxiety sufferer, un medicated. Some great tips here i am going to share it on my Facebook support group Anxiety Mum. I am still learning how to manage mine. Reading is a great distraction for me. x
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad that reading helps you! I think it's definitely a process of trying different things and finding strategies that work
DeleteAromatherapy helps me so much. I generally use Lavender oil to relax myself or help me fall asleep.
ReplyDelete- www.capturesunshine.com
I'm glad it helps you! I love essential oils, I'm going to be making a post about diffuser blends in the near future.
DeleteI love the planning idea - definitely going to try that! Thank you 😍 x
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you found something you'd like to try, I hope it helps!
DeleteI love planning and exersicing!
ReplyDeleteThat's great, I'm trying to exercise more often!
DeleteI'm so with you on planning and journaling to keep anxiety at bay! I also adore my essential oils diffuser - I try different combinations to help energise or relax me, depending on the day. Thanks for sharing - it's comforting to know that I'm not alone in feeling anxious during these crazy times!
ReplyDeleteAnneka @ New Shades of Hippy
www.newshadesofhippy.com
They're all really helpful! I have a diffuser blends post coming up!
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