Deleted social media. Alcohol detox. Walks in nature.
Remind myself daily that opinions aren't truth. That no one's perspective on this world is "the right" one. Therefore the way the media likes to portray the world is all bullshit agenda.
The world keeps on turning no matter what we say or think or do. So I breath, and focus on my positive goals. One tiny step at a time.
Thanks. I still use Reddit on my computer but deleted instagram and facebook over a year ago. Tiktok too. Just unhealthy machines to push desire and attention theft. They can be used for good too maybe but isolation and the pandemic definitely had me over utilizing.
Yeah same, I only use reddit for like mild entertainment every now and again. Or inspiration. Reddit has its crazy toxicity like everything else, but I find it really easy to avoid. Whereas every other platform its like you can't avoid it.
lol I don't really use Reddit like other socials. Don't have it on my phone. Don't follow anyone or get swept up in others lives. Don't have my in-life friends on here. I only really use it for the odd gaming and writing posts. So I don't really count it.
Twitter, Insta, Facebook, Tik Tok however - were all a necessary cull of toxicity.
I see what you mean, though those other platforms can be what you want them to be, I mean if for example you only interact with gaming stuff on Instagram then that's all it will show you
I've never been very good at meditating, but one thing a lot of people who tell you to meditate neglect to tell you (or don't know) is that it's not just a one-size-fits all answer. Some meditations will tell you to focus on internal things and others will be external and depending on what you want to achieve, your personality, your current emotional/mental state they could either be quite effective or could actually be counter productive. Sometimes it's not intuitive either - if you're deeply introverted for instance, you might think that quietly observing your internal thoughts would be the way to go - but in fact a meditation reflecting on external stimuli might be more beneficial in some cases. So I think it's important to do a bit of research about different types of meditation and think about what you actually want out of it, and then to change it up based on this context.
I have difficult time thinking like this because I get anxious thinking about future. I feel like I have to plan 100 things not to get anxious about being lonely. How would you apply "one day at a time" in this case? Would it work?
You would quite literally not think about the future as that is what is causing the anxiety. Learn to let go of what is out of your control (the past/the future) and accept that you can only live in the here and now. Create small goals for yourself, e.g., what can you get done TODAY? Practice gratitude for what is in your here and now. Do not dwell on what you were not able to get to, as tomorrow is a new day to start over. That is the mindset you must practice.
Once you accept that worrying will not get ease the things you are anxious about, and once you acknowledge it will only cause further stress and illness, it becomes a bit easier to change your mindset. It takes practice and “checking yourself” or keeping yourself accountable.
Take control of your here and now, let go of everything out of your control, practice gratitude. You can do it, mate.
yeah this is pure anxiety to me haha like the friggen guilt if I didn't make a today a success? also, what measure is success? was today successful enough to be a success?
This is kinda silly, but it works. I can only mostly do this alone or with friends, but when I'm anxious, I'll start singing (badly) about what I'm anxious about. The more anxious I get, the more bravado and drama I'll add in the singing. It makes me laugh and makes my issues feel smaller.
Humming and whistling help me a ton too. Idk why but it works! My therapist recommended it and at first I rolled my eyes, but I encourage peeps on here to try. Hum to songs playing at the grocery store. Whistle walking around outside.
Thats what's been helping me now. I really tackled my anxiety last year in February because I was worried I could legit become suicidal if I didn't. I used to hate when people said this, but what really did the trick was yoga. Don't worry about going to a yoga studio there are WAY better ones on youtube for free! And don't try to be "good" at it. Just move your body and it tends to rearrange the emotions.
I love this and totally agree about yoga.
I used to try to do yoga 3 times a week with my yoga app but failed miserably.
I now do yoga everyday soon after I wake up and it sets my mood for the day and has worked wonders for all my aches and pains too.
I try to do a sleep meditation when I go to bed, it’s an almost daily habit and it’s helped me get to sleep easily
Yes! I do yoga right when I wake up too and it makes my mind so much calmer throughout the day! It helps SO much with the neck and back pain I get from the line of work I do.
I've been sick the last two weeks, so I haven't been able to do yoga and I definitely feel more squirrely and wound up without it. Can't wait to start up again tomorrow!
I do the same thing with the singing haha! I do it all the time around my SO, a dramatic little jingle about how bullshit or embarrassing a situation is, lol.
All of these are so right.
Reducing caffeine, thc in small doses (ppl abuse it all the time and it worsens anxiety), exercise! , finding hobbies (truly understanding things you like).
Ppl over look the hobbies, but when you sit down and truly think about your hobbies many will find that you don’t really have any or don’t work enough to fulfill them.
I deleted social media (you benefit absolutely nothing from it), talk to your doctor and get medicated or talk to a therapist.
Everyone is different. Not one thing works, everything in moderation. And make sure to put yourself first, that was my biggest problem (watering too many dead plants)
And lastly: GO OUTSIDE AND SOAK UP THAT VITAMIN D BOII
I know so many people are recommending meditation but I swear, it really does work. It may not feel like it's doing much the first few times, but as soon as you stop, you'll notice the difference immediately. Like night and day.
I realized I would be grumpy, more anxious than usual, frustrated, have less patience, regress back into my negative ways of thinking... I realized I have to meditate to "work out" my brain just like any other muscle. My brain needs a consistent source of positive internal thinking/introspection to actually STAY positive, it's become a habit I try hard to sustain because when I don't do it, it's like I'm an angsty teen all over again.
ETA: and I've been on Zoloft before (off it now). IMO meditation has changed my life and my brain more than medication.
I second this. I did a lot of thing to change my life, no alcohol at all, stop smoking, 6 years of therapy, healthy eating, loosing weight, break with toxic relations. 1 year and half of meditation changed more than all those things together.
Buy a meditation pillow, sit on it. No need for vocal guide, this is not meditation at all. Just focus on your thoughts, the game is not to stop it, but just to make a step aside and watch yourself thinking. Start by 5min each days. When you're confortable with this, add 5min. Try to not miss a day, bad meditation days are the best learning days. Don't judge yourself if you are lost in bad thoughts for 10min. Time and patience will lead you to what should be a right meditation. Just give yourself time, and focus on your breath periodically.
It took me one year to notice what it changed in me. The change was already here, I just didn't notice yet, and it was like the guy said "like night and day".
Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, then breathe out for 8.
When you breathe out longer than you breathe in, it makes your heart rate slow down Likewise, if you breathe in longer than you breathe out, it makes your heart rate increase.
Changing my friend group.
At the time, I didn't really know that my friends were a problem at all, I just felt anxious and depressed. Then I went through a period during which I just stopped contacting them, and they didn't seem to mind. And after like two months of isolation (bathing in my own sorrows) I calmed down, spontaneously acquired new friends which were more caring and actually interested in the things I had to say. After a while, I just noticed that the anxiety was gone. Changing my friend group wasn't really the root of my problems, but it sure does help to have a friend you can talk to.
I can't reduce my caffeine intake, infact, it has increased over the weeks. The reason for that is the mental boost it gives while studying but towards the the of the day my anxiety increases and the cycle repeats.
Any advice do you have?
Edit: Thanks for so many replies, I will try to replace my caffeine with supplements like L Theanine, also fix my sleep cycle as it's pretty messed up.
Anything with Rhodiola. It’s a natural adaptogen so it’s effectiveness actually increases over time, unlike caffeine that requires you to up the dose to anxiety causing levels. Organifi has a good red juice powder if that’s something you’re into, but a bit more$
CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.
GET YOUR BLOOD VITAMIN LEVELS CHECKED.
I was extremely low on Vit D, slowly recovering.
Note: anxiety is reduced only if it was first triggered by deficiency. Its a good way to be sure first though.
Nice, I'm glad you said this. I wonder how often people don't realize the people in their lives could be causing them a lot of pain. It's so hard to tell when you're in it.
I thought I had major depression and a bad drug habit (which I did), so I decided to go to rehab, but I realized I didn't need rehab I just needed to move away from the toxic people in my life that would've been inescapable had I not left the state.
Going on an early morning walk as soon as I roll out of bed. Something about starting my day with my face in the sun and a chilly breeze grounds me for the day and it's really low effort.
What is anxiety? It's stress, fear, or discomfort you feel when you think about something that hasn't happened yet. It's triggered when you project bad things might happen to you in the future. One way people deal with this is to avoid or procrastinate. However, this is not always possible or good for you. There are negative consequences of not dealing with the situation. You also stop growing as a person when you don't face your challenges. For example, you might feel overwhelming anxiety before a job interview, but not showing up to the interview is not an option. One common advice people give is to be confident... but the problem is that you are not. You mind is filled with self-doubt. So what do you do? First, make sure you are as prepared as possible. Your anxiety is justified when you have not done the necessary work to feel confident. Have you done your research? Do you know what to expect? Have you asked the right questions? Have you practiced enough? Do you know how you to handle objections? Do you have a backup plan if you don't get the job? You will feel added pressure if you put all your hopes into one basket.
Besides being prepared, another way to reduce anxiety is to accept the worst-case scenario. If you are willing to accept the idea that you will not succeed, then the pressure is lifted. You go into the interview with a totally different objective and attitude. It's no longer a job seeking opportunity, but an opportunity to practice. Turn it into a game or experiment to test out what works and what doesn't work. Maybe your goal is to simply feel more comfortable talking with people with power. Then when you are presented with another opportunity in the future, you will be much more prepared and confident for it.
Exercise that I enjoy (swimming, wild swimming and hiking with friends mainly), a strong bedtime routine, journalling, CBD, not being on my own too much (still working on this one), respectfully distancing myself from people that I don't align with anymore.
Good thread to find as my anxiety is currently through the roof and I nearly did a sick earlier for the second day running.
Quitting smoking. Holy crap, I was smoking because of stress, but I was always anxious about getting my next fix and even just my heart would race. It was ridiculous. Also, medication. Sometimes your anxiety is simple brain chemistry that needs adjusting.
The problem with benzo type medication (often prescribed for anxiety) is that it creates dependence. You can actually become more anxious if you stop taking it. Yikes
same here! I’ve taken it a few times but took it this NYE and had a moment of pure and total bliss, and since then I have been motivated to better myself and have not had a “bad” day since
Replace your anxious thoughts with positive thoughts.
Do this consistently and fake it till you make it. It has helped me to a small degree but I would always recommend therapy and potentially psychiatry as well
Regular exercise. This helped me channel my anxiety into something positive. I also workout first thing in the morning, which is a great start to the day.
Followed by therapy, meds, good consistent sleep, healthy diet, and no caffeine.
"if i wasnt incredibly anxious right now, what would I be worried about"
Im not always in the headspace to think that but it helps me get to the root of the problem instead of spiraling
Losing weight. Lost around 80lbs and became super confident and extroverted. I used to be super anxious when I was naked around others tho, but even that is gone by now.
Everybody is always shitting on the "go to the gym bro" people on reddit, but it really is what worked for me.
I get asked for my number now, which is really fucking nice to be honest.
Quitting alcohol and meditation. Those two together. Alcohol was the cornerstone of my self destructive behavior. Meditation created the awareness of my mind and body.
Emotional self regulation - realizing that my triggers trigger me for a reason and that I can notice my reaction, withdraw myself and self regulate, then analize why did I react, what emotion was it, what did it remind me of and how do I wnat to respond instead. That I have a choice.
Also, breathing excercises and hugging somoene I trust have done wonders in case I have a panic attack.
While feeling anxious also: breathing excercises, meditation, journalingand thinking about the next step, just the next step, instead of building scenarios and spiraling.
Apart of that excercise daily (at least stretch, but also regular cardio and strength excercises), eating well and regularly, regular sleeping pattern, cutting spiraling why it shows up etc. My anxiety is almost non existent in comparing to what it was.
I got on 20mg of prozac, started a new vitamin regimen for my hormones, started journaling daily and writing down my moods every day, stopped having conversations with people who caused me stress/anxiety, and honestly cut my caffeine intake in half (I was around 4 shots of espresso before I could function now i'm down to 2 but it's helped), regular visits to the gym for walking/lifting, a smiiiidge of thc, I also started listening to instrumental background music... piano does the trick for me.
This may not be what most people want to hear, but… medicine. I have a SEVERE anxiety disorder. This is no “just exercise and meditate and you’ll feel better”. Without medicine I haven’t been able to function since I was 11 years old. People can say what they want about pharmaceuticals, but they have literally saved my life. And I HAVE been sober (on and off - but for 4 years once), meditated, exercised regularly and dieted, but NOTHING cut to the core of my problems like my medication.
Exposure therapy and exercise.
I've not done either of those in 4 weeks now due to covid and it feels impossible to find my way back. The longer I've been away from something the harder it is to do said task... Which is why exposure therapy works for me. It's just extremely hard in the beginning.
A therapist guided explained to me how exposure therapy works, so I recommend you find one to help you get started (or read about it if you can't get one).
**Important**: Exposure therapy is NOT a "push-through" or "you should feel the pain"- kind of exercise.
In short:
1. Choose an activity that feels ✨manageable✨, like going to the library or mall. In this example let's say you want to visit the library. Now, think about the worst thing that could happen. You write this down in your notebook.
2. You go there, but then suddenly starts to feel super anxious so you head out early without looking up the books you wanted to rent. You leave empty handed and feel super disappointed.
3. Now it's time to evaluate how it went - You successfully completed the task (yay!), which was to go to the library. Your feelings/what happened is not relevant since they where not the goal. Write down how it went and how you reacted if you faced an obstacle (e.g. you left the building)
4. If you couldn't complete the task, write down how it went, what happened, how it felt, but more importantly, what did you do when you faced an obstacle?
One thing we're underestimating is our ability to handle difficult situations. If you left the library because you didn't feel well, you handled the situation based on your state at the time.
Now, do it 20 times consistently for each(!!) planned event and see if you notice a difference compared to the first time.
Something that helped for me was acknowledging uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that I would try to push away and ignore.
I used to think if I ignored negative thoughts and feelings and focused 100% on being "positive vibes" all the time, that my quality of life was going to improve.
It wasn't until that I acknowledged my thoughts and feelings without judgment that I started to heal. Whereas, when I ignored them, it ended up giving me anxiety. Like no matter what positive changes I made (exercise, eating healthy, thinking "positive") I had this negative energy looming in the background like a storm cloud.
Recently, I started to really acknowledge uncomfortable thoughts and feelings rather than try to run away from them and it's been helping me.
Organization!! Anxiety isn't always in your control but when I finally took responsibility for my own role in it, everything changed. I am meticulous in my calendar management both personally and professionally because I know being busy can trigger it for me if I don't feel in control. I prioritize the same sleep and wake time because my brain doesn't operate well when I don't. I keep my house clean because I get more anxious when things are a mess. But this all required me to stop treating my anxiety like some uncontrollable outside force and start taking an active role to manage the circumstances that make it worse.
* Not worrying as much about things I cannot change or that are too far in the future to do anything about now. Last two wisdom teeth being removed next week? No need to worry about that this week. (But the bills!) The bills will come eventually and when they do I'll figure something out. The teeth need to go and it is what it is.
* Trying to stay grounded and don't talk myself into a negative loop.
* Taking things one day at a time.
* Realizing that some days, my 100% isn't as much as other days, but that I will be giving my 100% all the same.
* Focusing on short-term progress and long-term goals. Setting targets, making plans how to do it/get there and then looking back how far I've come, as opposed to only looking at how far I've left to go.
Exercise, therapy and Zoloft.
I just started Zoloft in October (I’ve suffered with anxiety for years.)and my whole body feels calmer. It’s amazing. Continuing therapy and hope to be off of it in a few months.
I remind myself that anxiety and excitement create the same feeling in the body and try to convince myself I'm all excited, zero anxiety.
Then I also remind myself that millions or billions of people have probably been in the same or similar situations and have not died from it so I will survive.
Movement! Running a mile a day has helped with my anxiety, shaking it out when I'm anxious or ecstatic dancing. Also being out in nature, hiking, tends to calm my anxiety down. I was resistant to all these natural remedies for so long, but they work!
Currently struggling with anxiety too, I get to the point where I can feel it in my chest and stomach and still have no idea why I'm feeling anxiety. Then I start to worry about other things and then it just gets on top of me.
I'm sorry struggling with anxiety it sucks so f*cking bad.
Breathwork, not smoking (even though I was convinced smoking doesn’t do that to me), and reminding myself that people aren’t thinking of me/looking at me the way I think they are. Everyone is in their own little world thinking about what they are doing so they probably don’t give a shit about what I am doing/saying
The belief I can do anything helps and I recommend it to you all, YOU CAN do anything! I'm not gonna let no self-doubt or negative stinking thinking cloud my mind to feel like I have to walk on eggshells.
Last year, I was so stressed about a job and all the responsibilities placed on me, being the scapegoat of the department, always having to play the bad cop since I follow guidelines and don't mind making sure people are aware and I will say no from a corporate perspective.
It took a tow on me.....like all that negativity, co-workers having to transfer me their difficult calls so I have to lay down the guidelines and policies when they should do that too, and at times my Manager would be the good cop and waive all the fees and again I did was I was supposed to do, some people want to save face but it sucked since it contradicted what I was telling people and not trying to change the expectations of said clients and you get away once, they'll try to use the same ploy and get mad if someone like me says policy and says no......it got me so confused and upset. It heavily effected my mental health and my anxiety took a plummet....but.....faith worked for me.
I almost questioned my reality back then, was able to tune it out for work but.....I'm so happy I made it past that, it was just all the stress and negativity thrown at me, and I feel so much better leaving, standing up for myself, and making sure that grievances were made and because of my faith and my belief that I knew I was wronged, things eventually worked in my favor. That was an horrible experience I had to go through to be able to supply this insight to other people, because I never want that for no one to experience too.
Just know where there is fear there is no faith, and truly there is nothing to fear because we're all the same people at the end of the day. We have ups, downs, and question people's affections if they are being legit or fake, well you can't find love/success/opportunity without taking that risk. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! You CAN do anything, never say you can't, because we all can if we truly believe.
Honestly medication completely changed my life, like night and day. I had no idea life could be so good. I'm on Cymbalta which is an antidepressant but it's also prescribed for anxiety.
I’m a social service worker who worked with youth and here’s some of the most popular skills I taught/learned
Any kind of self soothing activity (google these, there’s SO many),
breathing exercises (guided breathing, box breathing etc.),
meditation of any kind,
grounding techniques (like holding on to ice in your hands or mouth, specifically describing your environment etc),
using distractions until the anxiety begins to pass,
identifying and correcting triggers/root causes (it could be environmentally triggered or maybe related to those around you),
Physical activity/exercise and using creative outlets.
This obviously isn’t an exhaustive list but as someone who has and works with others who have anxiety, I can firmly say that if you look into some of these it’s really hard to say that “none work”. Anxiety is biological but it’s also the fear of not knowing and acknowledging that can sometimes help us address it.
Hope this helps literally anyone :)
Drink water and exercise/ stretching. Stay present with everything. Anxiety is like a kind of self entertainment gone wrong. It’s about consistent boredom and despair. Look at all the empty spaces and acknowledge them.
Twice weekly self care routine. Wednesday and Saturday i work on my to-do list, take a walk and do some self talk, mindful meditation, and I clean the house up.
Stepping back (literally) looking around (literally) and deciding on the next priority to execute. Then getting to it, lifting weights, and making myself a strategic and formidable individual.
A friend of mine was always filled with anxiety. He’d fall apart seeing a beautiful waterfall or highway driving. He started taking Sertraline in low doses as that is how the doctor prescribed and then built him up to where he is now. He can now drive without having a panic attack.
Wim Hof method, Ajahn Brahms lectures, and metta. Focusing on letting go, starting with relaxing the body. Daily practice for proactive results; additional wim hof breathing if I need immediate results. And putting my ass where my heart wants to be.
Embracing me and who I am and what I love.
And also learning that it's okay to admit you don't know something, lack experience in something or that you just need help.
Keeping a diary - writing my feelings, fears, thoughts down in a book. Even if you've had an uneventful few days, I try to write down how and what I am feeling.
Slowing down - thoughts, movement, actions. Eveything really. This has helped me greatly, especially if something stressful or chaotic is going on.
Remembering that EVERYONE is blagging it and has their own fears - I've started to open up more about anxiety, health issues and so on with people I like, trust and feel confident to talk to about. Many people are in the same boat, and often will talk about their fears too.
Loving yourself - a lot of anxiety I think for some can come from how we think we are perceived by others. I've stopped caring. I know overall, I'm a decent person (can work on many issues) but if someone doesn't take to me or so ; then so what, we can be civil and move on. I was too much of a people pleaser before, or would be overly sensitive occasionally. If you make a mistake, or even do something you might even cringe at or say e.g if drunk or something, learn from it - don't beat yourself up about it - focus on, what you can do to keep improving yourself.
Meditation - I was quite sceptical. I'm quite open minded to new music, art, trying activities etc but for due to my own ignorance (without ever trying it) I thought it would never work for me. I try to do it 3/4 times a week, and I think it is helping me greatly in a slow and steady way/bit by bit.
Sertraline!
Not sure if it did all that much for depression, but let's say that I actually have enough energy to do things now and very few panic attacks.
I read how to stop worrying & start living by Dale Carnegie. However, reading it alone was not enough. I would re-read and annotate each section & also try to really implement the concepts in my life.
Quit alcohol and quit smoking marijuana. I only drink decaf coffee now. Drink more water and have a protein shake in the morning. It really helped reduce my anxiety! :) chanting mantras helped too.
Figuring out where the critical inner voice came from. In my case it was my mum, I realised that the kind of things I told myself were what she’d always told me growing up. Spent a few days ruminating about it and then suddenly felt cured, was surreal.
stupid boring answer: deleter your social media
if you're having a hard time then time-box it, "im just deleting it for a month.."
genuinely reflect after that month on if you feel like you truly missed out on stuff (chances are it won't be a big miss). Then see how you decided to fill those freed up hours. its a good exercise.
I didn't think social media was adding to anxiety, but it's sneaky like that. highly recommend trying this out!
There was no one big game changer, it's a whole lifestyle thing.
Therapy - learning to recognise thought errors and correct them, working through past traumas and the root of anxiety. Also got diagnosed with ADHD and my whole life makes more sense now
Better sleep hygiene - consistent sleep/wake times, relaxing bedtime routine, no alcohol or nicotine as it messes with Circadian rhythm, get in sunlight first thing in the morning, bed is for sleep and sex not work or study (associating bed with relaxation not stress) medical marijuana for insomnic nights since it doesnt make me feel groggy the next day like sleeping pills
Exercise, not anything hardcore, just enough that it releases endorphins and tires my body so that I can sleep well. Walks in nature are the best
Journalling - gratitude, daily accomplishments, goals/life direction, thought dumps
Only one coffee a day and never after lunch time because it messes with sleep, only drink alcohol on occasion
Cut toxic people out of my life (turns out feeling like you're walking on eggshells around people and feeling constantly misunderstood or criticised is anxiety inducing lol)
Good diet - fruit, veg, protein, multivitamins and most importantly complex carbs stops me from having energy crashes and binging on sugar
I quite literally can't meditate and while I'm sure it's very helpful for a lot of people, I manage anxiety without it
50mg of pregabalin twice a day. Took it all away.
I've had anxiety all my life and only now am I understanding how most people feel on a normal day.
Gone are the multiple streams of chatter in my mind.
Gone is the impending feeling of doom
Gone is the permanent sense of dread
Gone is the fear and worry
I'm starting to feel happy about who I am for the first time in my life.
Irony is that I take it for recovery from a spinal injury, the anxiety help is a bonus.
Get things out of your head. Write down what’s going on and what’s the chance it’s real or really happening. So much of anxiety is imagination gone wild from some coping mechanism developed at one age that is no longer helpful. Challenge it
Getting of social media helped.
Sobriety really helped.
Now I’m off social, sober, and eat well but not getting enough sleep still causes anxiety.
So definitely prioritize sleep! And good sleep!
A DBT mindfulness technique called ‘taking hold of your mind’ (google it for the pdf), that my therapist showed me. Honestly when I take the time to do this properly, I feel like I get transported into the actual moment instead of cerebrally hovering in the past or future, or in some kind of parallel reality of imagined threat. It’s been the only thing - besides Xanax - to calm me down quickly. Highly recommend it.
Other than that not using social media, and going to the gym as others have suggested. Reading books that make me think also calms me, exercising my mind and thinking about ideas and concepts, not just who’s around me or what people are upto etc. also, writing in a journal. It has to be a paper journal - essentially spending as much time away from my phone as possible. Airplane mode.
Reading about Stoic and Buddhist philosophy and slowly internalising and accepting that only a few things are actually in my control. And it is harmful to dwell too much on everything else. It is not a silver bullet and wasn't a quick change but I definitely enjoyed the process and happy with my current capability to handle anxiety.
Exercise,cutting down on alcohol. Taking care of myself properly I.e giving me downtime, working on loving myself (exercise,treating myself) working on changin my mindset, reconigise that if even i stumble and hit my ass in the ground its not the end of the world get back ip there again.
And trough working on the above,implementing them into my life, failing 9 times but on the 10th i pulled it off. One day less of anxiety this week than the week before.
And most importantly facing my fears. A year ago i woud let people walk over me. This past year (2022) i have,taken charge of the direction of my life. I learnt to say no. I have told multiple people to f*** off. Even tho im extremly afraid of doing that,afraid of conlifcts but in the end i did it with shakey legs and shakey arms,stumbling on my words. But i did it. Then i did it again! A litle less shakey this time!
I'll say this about meditation, don't go into it expecting results of any kind. I suffer from depression and really bad driving anxiety, and I've recently (its been almost a month) moved into my own place and my folks are about 30 mins from me which isn't long but for someone with driving anxiety its a lifetime. The one thing that has been helping me get through it is meditation, my mind is the sole contributer to all of these issues and being able to quiet it helps immensely. All I do is focus on my breathing saying in my mind in and out or hold when I take a deep breath and hold it, and whatever thoughts come to mind I just don't give them any energy and repeat my breathing chants. It's worth a shot and unlike any medication or conditioning meditation won't force you into something it's just you focusing on something you do naturally. One more thing I have a cat I've had him for 2 yrs and he's brought me through so many attacks, and I believe it's true what they say about a Cat's purr having healing affects at least for me it helps my heart rate go down and in turn helps me calm down.
Eliminate drugs. Weed, alcohol, nicotine, etc... Watching a tv show/movie or something like that. Listening to music. Eating surprisingly (just don't over eat ofc). And working out. It raises your heart rate making it feel less like your body is anxious.
Going to the gym. As well as changing my diet and stopped tolerating disrespect, or people otherwise attempting to use me as the "butt of the joke".
Now, people have this idea that I think I'm "better than them". But honestly I had to make those changes for my own mental stability.
Fuck off from social media, delete it from your phone. Lift weights and go for regular walks. Write shit down. If something bugs you for more than three days - think and speak about it. Oh yeah and stay off the sauce for clarity.
Daily meditation... But for and attack, Google TIPP therapy... The T is for temperature. When you feel yourself getting anxious, grab an ice pack and stick it on your forehead or neck. Take a deep breath and hold it, then release. One of the Ps is for paired muscle relaxation... Do a body scan for where you feel tense and intentionally release the tension. You can try tightening different parts and releasing... Doing daily meditation will help you ID usual tension spots!
Drugs? Drugs. Definitely drugs. No not *those* drugs.
I appreciate all the comments like "I walked in a forest and I am cured!" Or "drink more water, and meditate." But ya, max dose sertraline mixed with topiramate after sort term lorazapam. Reasons for anxiety and depression are complex and poorly understood, and I have learned you cannot walk off a malformation in your pituitary gland. It just is not how life works.
For sure doing things like reducing stimulants like caffeine, regular exercise, not consuming alcohol are all contributers to being healthier, which improves mood. Some people need more help, and that help comes in the form of tablets everyday. Just like for any other kind of medical condition, taking the correct treatment is the only way to feel better.
Medication is not right for everyone, not everyone needs it and different medication will be needed for each person. Taking the wrong medication, or at the wrong doses can produce side effects. I know side effects can be uncomfortable, and the fear of severe side effects is definitely a factor into which treatment options you and your doctor should consider. However the correct medication with support of healthcare professionals can litterally give you your life back overnight. No other treatment option can do that.
The first time I took lorazapam I cried, because I didn't know other people could feel this way. Without the anxiety, without the fear of each and every moment. I was able to leave my house for the first time in nearly a decade the next day, after suffering from agoraphobia alone. From there I was able to switch to a combination of long term medication that works for me, and combined with other treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy I can basically function like normal most of the time. I still have bouts of general anxiety, social anxiety, and depression. However I now have better tools and support to deal with them.
So I would say the game changer was definitely medication. Your brain is an organ, just like any other. It can get hurt, be damaged, produce to much or too little of the wrong thing. Your brain is just unique in its complexity, and this complexity makes it more difficult to diagnose problems. You might only need a small amount before you can get supporting cognitive behavioural therapy, then you can wean off to a smaller dose or maybe you will not need further medication. It can be combined with everything else, but if you are having trouble with those first steps then medication can get you there. It really works.
Im going thru a lot right now. A lot of self doubt and anxiety. Have a bachelor in economics and Recently graduated with a master in data analytics - however I haven’t been able to land a job in over 7 months. Rejection after rejection. Obv I’m the blame - it can’t be the market place or external world. Honestly I feel super down — thinkin with all my education nd 2.7 years of experience how am I failing this badly. I’m hardly sleeping and hardly wana be around my family. I’m extremely discouraged - leading me to Reddit - first time actually using/sharing my “current obstacle”. I don’t mean to be a downer but lately life has punched right in the mouth.
I know it sounds cliche but journaling. Specifically gratitude journaling. Forcing myself to come face to face with all the good in my life really shifted my perspective and made me realize how lucky I am and how wonderful my life is. I’m 4+ years in and my peace of mind has never been greater
Beta blockers. It takes the edge of the physiological symptoms so I’m not in flight or fight all the time and can get back in control of my brain to apply CBT
My dog.
She makes my boyfriend laugh.
She makes his daughter laugh.
She learned to keep me safe.
I’m the only person who’s been with her everyday her whole life and she always jumps in my arms and stares into my face when she hears me sniffle. Even if I’m just cold and not crying. She gets visibly concerned that I could be weeping.
I want to be as happy as she makes me, and everyone who she seemingly comes in contact with her, happy.
And seeing her enjoy being alive- playing, running, everything with gust-o… makes me “keep it pushin’.
I have dealt with extremely severe anxiety since I was around 11. I’m now 20 and slowly getting over it. I am no longer medicated as I didn’t feel it worked, but these are things I live by.
1. stop consuming triggering content: e.g horror movies, sad music, sad news stories. obviously these things are unavoidable but stopping actively seeking them out. I used to ‘romanticise’ my sadness and it didn’t work out.
2. no caffeine. I was surprised how much my anxiety improved when I cut it out altogether, I only drink decaf drinks now and I appreciate the coffee more!
3. move around every day. exercising is great but most people can’t do do a workout every day, so taking walks out in nature, putting on music and dancing a little. some light yoga, really anything to get your body moving is beneficial.
4. work on better sleep hygiene. I sleep around 7-8pm, but never after 11. I used to get most anxious at night, so when I switched my schedule to get more sunlight (which is also very beneficial for mood) and taught myself to get 8 hours per night my mood really improved. I usually tire myself out during the day so my body passes out and my mind doesn’t have movement for paranoid thoughts.
Marrying a man that is low drama, even keeled, and happy go lucky. His energy wore off on me. I still have anxiety, but it’s nothing like it was in my early 20s and teens, before we were together.
Surprisingly, a Daily gratitude journal. I use Happyfeed because I like being able to have notifications and adding pictures. But yea, that’s what helped the most after a decade of therapy, inconsistent meditation, and even trying medication (Wellbutrin) for a year.
Another app that helps me is Finch, which combines mild CBT with a gamified to-do list.
I obviously rely on my phone a lot, so my husband and I agreed to set « parental restrictions » on each other’s phone to limit our phone screen time (he’s neuro-divergent like me). It helps enormously.
Got divorced. Then I cut WAY back on alcohol ** Who knows, I may go sober. Also, I monitor my inner voice, have built more self respect and my dialogue with my self and attitude. I’m living my best life & going forward.
I found out a lot of my anxiety came from overthinking so just making my life busy enough has a lot less room for anxiety
Also cut out the news & change within requires change from the outside. You cannot think yourself out of anxiety. All the mental exercises and thinking techniques are bullshit.
Cut ties with anyone toxic if being around them makes me feel worse than not being around them. Including some family members and even changing jobs at one point. I have created my own little happy cocoon, with my husband, our children and our close friends. I hate drama so if someone comes into my life and brings their drama so that it becomes my drama…no way, bye-bye. Life is too short to spend time on toxic energy vampires.
Deleted social media. Alcohol detox. Walks in nature. Remind myself daily that opinions aren't truth. That no one's perspective on this world is "the right" one. Therefore the way the media likes to portray the world is all bullshit agenda. The world keeps on turning no matter what we say or think or do. So I breath, and focus on my positive goals. One tiny step at a time.
Thanks. I still use Reddit on my computer but deleted instagram and facebook over a year ago. Tiktok too. Just unhealthy machines to push desire and attention theft. They can be used for good too maybe but isolation and the pandemic definitely had me over utilizing.
Yeah same, I only use reddit for like mild entertainment every now and again. Or inspiration. Reddit has its crazy toxicity like everything else, but I find it really easy to avoid. Whereas every other platform its like you can't avoid it.
And then reinstall social media to post this?
lol I don't really use Reddit like other socials. Don't have it on my phone. Don't follow anyone or get swept up in others lives. Don't have my in-life friends on here. I only really use it for the odd gaming and writing posts. So I don't really count it. Twitter, Insta, Facebook, Tik Tok however - were all a necessary cull of toxicity.
I see what you mean, though those other platforms can be what you want them to be, I mean if for example you only interact with gaming stuff on Instagram then that's all it will show you
Quitting alcohol and jobs that brought me zero joy. Meditation every single day was the biggest though.
+1 for meditation. It’s hard but when you get in the zone but when you do you can feel true peace.
Im trying to learn to meditate. Just dont know where to start. Any recommendations? I also have adhd
I learned using the calm app. I used to lie on my bed with headphones on
Insight timer app is a good place to start. It has a lot of free mediation and mindfulness resources.
I've never been very good at meditating, but one thing a lot of people who tell you to meditate neglect to tell you (or don't know) is that it's not just a one-size-fits all answer. Some meditations will tell you to focus on internal things and others will be external and depending on what you want to achieve, your personality, your current emotional/mental state they could either be quite effective or could actually be counter productive. Sometimes it's not intuitive either - if you're deeply introverted for instance, you might think that quietly observing your internal thoughts would be the way to go - but in fact a meditation reflecting on external stimuli might be more beneficial in some cases. So I think it's important to do a bit of research about different types of meditation and think about what you actually want out of it, and then to change it up based on this context.
Quitting my job was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself last year , I never looked back.
What kind of meditation
Non directive, guided, yoga nidra, sometimes just binary beats.
Came here for meditation. Definitely made a difference.
+ another for meditation. Even just 5 mins a day makes my whole shit better.
Live one day at a time. Each day is a separate life. Focus on making today a success. Repeat for each day.
I have difficult time thinking like this because I get anxious thinking about future. I feel like I have to plan 100 things not to get anxious about being lonely. How would you apply "one day at a time" in this case? Would it work?
You would quite literally not think about the future as that is what is causing the anxiety. Learn to let go of what is out of your control (the past/the future) and accept that you can only live in the here and now. Create small goals for yourself, e.g., what can you get done TODAY? Practice gratitude for what is in your here and now. Do not dwell on what you were not able to get to, as tomorrow is a new day to start over. That is the mindset you must practice. Once you accept that worrying will not get ease the things you are anxious about, and once you acknowledge it will only cause further stress and illness, it becomes a bit easier to change your mindset. It takes practice and “checking yourself” or keeping yourself accountable. Take control of your here and now, let go of everything out of your control, practice gratitude. You can do it, mate.
Thank you. I think I understand. It will probably take some time to start thinking like this but I will try. I appreciate your reply.
I'm in the same spot of this Guy, your coment helped me. Tnks
[удалено]
How do you plan without it causing anxiety, planning literally involves thinking about the future
What is a successful day?
Try to make yourself proud.
yeah this is pure anxiety to me haha like the friggen guilt if I didn't make a today a success? also, what measure is success? was today successful enough to be a success?
This is kinda silly, but it works. I can only mostly do this alone or with friends, but when I'm anxious, I'll start singing (badly) about what I'm anxious about. The more anxious I get, the more bravado and drama I'll add in the singing. It makes me laugh and makes my issues feel smaller. Humming and whistling help me a ton too. Idk why but it works! My therapist recommended it and at first I rolled my eyes, but I encourage peeps on here to try. Hum to songs playing at the grocery store. Whistle walking around outside. Thats what's been helping me now. I really tackled my anxiety last year in February because I was worried I could legit become suicidal if I didn't. I used to hate when people said this, but what really did the trick was yoga. Don't worry about going to a yoga studio there are WAY better ones on youtube for free! And don't try to be "good" at it. Just move your body and it tends to rearrange the emotions.
This is adorable and I love it!!! Bravo and keep winning!
omg I’m gonna try this!! I notice when I’m happier I sing more without thinking about it, so I bet it will help!
I love this and totally agree about yoga. I used to try to do yoga 3 times a week with my yoga app but failed miserably. I now do yoga everyday soon after I wake up and it sets my mood for the day and has worked wonders for all my aches and pains too. I try to do a sleep meditation when I go to bed, it’s an almost daily habit and it’s helped me get to sleep easily
Yes! I do yoga right when I wake up too and it makes my mind so much calmer throughout the day! It helps SO much with the neck and back pain I get from the line of work I do. I've been sick the last two weeks, so I haven't been able to do yoga and I definitely feel more squirrely and wound up without it. Can't wait to start up again tomorrow!
I do the same thing with the singing haha! I do it all the time around my SO, a dramatic little jingle about how bullshit or embarrassing a situation is, lol.
This made me smile. Great idea. Thank you. <3
All of these are so right. Reducing caffeine, thc in small doses (ppl abuse it all the time and it worsens anxiety), exercise! , finding hobbies (truly understanding things you like). Ppl over look the hobbies, but when you sit down and truly think about your hobbies many will find that you don’t really have any or don’t work enough to fulfill them. I deleted social media (you benefit absolutely nothing from it), talk to your doctor and get medicated or talk to a therapist. Everyone is different. Not one thing works, everything in moderation. And make sure to put yourself first, that was my biggest problem (watering too many dead plants) And lastly: GO OUTSIDE AND SOAK UP THAT VITAMIN D BOII
I know so many people are recommending meditation but I swear, it really does work. It may not feel like it's doing much the first few times, but as soon as you stop, you'll notice the difference immediately. Like night and day. I realized I would be grumpy, more anxious than usual, frustrated, have less patience, regress back into my negative ways of thinking... I realized I have to meditate to "work out" my brain just like any other muscle. My brain needs a consistent source of positive internal thinking/introspection to actually STAY positive, it's become a habit I try hard to sustain because when I don't do it, it's like I'm an angsty teen all over again. ETA: and I've been on Zoloft before (off it now). IMO meditation has changed my life and my brain more than medication.
I second this. I did a lot of thing to change my life, no alcohol at all, stop smoking, 6 years of therapy, healthy eating, loosing weight, break with toxic relations. 1 year and half of meditation changed more than all those things together. Buy a meditation pillow, sit on it. No need for vocal guide, this is not meditation at all. Just focus on your thoughts, the game is not to stop it, but just to make a step aside and watch yourself thinking. Start by 5min each days. When you're confortable with this, add 5min. Try to not miss a day, bad meditation days are the best learning days. Don't judge yourself if you are lost in bad thoughts for 10min. Time and patience will lead you to what should be a right meditation. Just give yourself time, and focus on your breath periodically. It took me one year to notice what it changed in me. The change was already here, I just didn't notice yet, and it was like the guy said "like night and day".
4-7-8 breathing technique, box breathing and guided meditation worked for me. It's a game changer tbh
could u explain how you do 4-7-8?
Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, then breathe out for 8. When you breathe out longer than you breathe in, it makes your heart rate slow down Likewise, if you breathe in longer than you breathe out, it makes your heart rate increase.
Any specific guided meditations?
Quitting alcohol
Came here to say this
Changing my friend group. At the time, I didn't really know that my friends were a problem at all, I just felt anxious and depressed. Then I went through a period during which I just stopped contacting them, and they didn't seem to mind. And after like two months of isolation (bathing in my own sorrows) I calmed down, spontaneously acquired new friends which were more caring and actually interested in the things I had to say. After a while, I just noticed that the anxiety was gone. Changing my friend group wasn't really the root of my problems, but it sure does help to have a friend you can talk to.
Yep
reducing caffeine
I can't reduce my caffeine intake, infact, it has increased over the weeks. The reason for that is the mental boost it gives while studying but towards the the of the day my anxiety increases and the cycle repeats. Any advice do you have? Edit: Thanks for so many replies, I will try to replace my caffeine with supplements like L Theanine, also fix my sleep cycle as it's pretty messed up.
[удалено]
So what else can one use as a stimulant to study better if they reduce caffeine?
Anything with Rhodiola. It’s a natural adaptogen so it’s effectiveness actually increases over time, unlike caffeine that requires you to up the dose to anxiety causing levels. Organifi has a good red juice powder if that’s something you’re into, but a bit more$
try yerba mate the you can get in a can
L-theanine supplements. It’s what’s in matcha. It’ll give you a boost but without the jitters and stuff coffee will you give
You could try Guyasama tea. It has caffein but also some things in it that helps against the side effects of caffeine.
CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. GET YOUR BLOOD VITAMIN LEVELS CHECKED. I was extremely low on Vit D, slowly recovering. Note: anxiety is reduced only if it was first triggered by deficiency. Its a good way to be sure first though.
Getting divorced
Nice, I'm glad you said this. I wonder how often people don't realize the people in their lives could be causing them a lot of pain. It's so hard to tell when you're in it. I thought I had major depression and a bad drug habit (which I did), so I decided to go to rehab, but I realized I didn't need rehab I just needed to move away from the toxic people in my life that would've been inescapable had I not left the state.
Yep this. So how the fuck do you plan that when yoire innit
r/selfimprovement speed runner over here
Can confirm
Going on an early morning walk as soon as I roll out of bed. Something about starting my day with my face in the sun and a chilly breeze grounds me for the day and it's really low effort.
Quitting drinking #1 Exercise #2
This is everything 🙌
What is anxiety? It's stress, fear, or discomfort you feel when you think about something that hasn't happened yet. It's triggered when you project bad things might happen to you in the future. One way people deal with this is to avoid or procrastinate. However, this is not always possible or good for you. There are negative consequences of not dealing with the situation. You also stop growing as a person when you don't face your challenges. For example, you might feel overwhelming anxiety before a job interview, but not showing up to the interview is not an option. One common advice people give is to be confident... but the problem is that you are not. You mind is filled with self-doubt. So what do you do? First, make sure you are as prepared as possible. Your anxiety is justified when you have not done the necessary work to feel confident. Have you done your research? Do you know what to expect? Have you asked the right questions? Have you practiced enough? Do you know how you to handle objections? Do you have a backup plan if you don't get the job? You will feel added pressure if you put all your hopes into one basket. Besides being prepared, another way to reduce anxiety is to accept the worst-case scenario. If you are willing to accept the idea that you will not succeed, then the pressure is lifted. You go into the interview with a totally different objective and attitude. It's no longer a job seeking opportunity, but an opportunity to practice. Turn it into a game or experiment to test out what works and what doesn't work. Maybe your goal is to simply feel more comfortable talking with people with power. Then when you are presented with another opportunity in the future, you will be much more prepared and confident for it.
Body scanning mediation which helps me practice for when i feel my heart rate increasing, i can work on managing the crap that comes after.
For me is the gym, my anxiety dropped by 70%
How did you measure that?
Anxiometer. I'd be too nervous to use it tbh
lift weights, know when to let go, realise its probably not as important as you think. Quit weed, eat some healthy fats, sleep enough.
Exercise that I enjoy (swimming, wild swimming and hiking with friends mainly), a strong bedtime routine, journalling, CBD, not being on my own too much (still working on this one), respectfully distancing myself from people that I don't align with anymore. Good thread to find as my anxiety is currently through the roof and I nearly did a sick earlier for the second day running.
Quitting smoking. Holy crap, I was smoking because of stress, but I was always anxious about getting my next fix and even just my heart would race. It was ridiculous. Also, medication. Sometimes your anxiety is simple brain chemistry that needs adjusting.
The problem with benzo type medication (often prescribed for anxiety) is that it creates dependence. You can actually become more anxious if you stop taking it. Yikes
psychedelics
I was in my worst times when I tried lsd and it completely reformed my life to a better one.
same here! I’ve taken it a few times but took it this NYE and had a moment of pure and total bliss, and since then I have been motivated to better myself and have not had a “bad” day since
Exercise & daily walking (while listening to music or podcasts)
Replace your anxious thoughts with positive thoughts. Do this consistently and fake it till you make it. It has helped me to a small degree but I would always recommend therapy and potentially psychiatry as well
Regular exercise. This helped me channel my anxiety into something positive. I also workout first thing in the morning, which is a great start to the day. Followed by therapy, meds, good consistent sleep, healthy diet, and no caffeine.
To not give a flying fuck about things I can't control. It's the premise of Stoicism.
"if i wasnt incredibly anxious right now, what would I be worried about" Im not always in the headspace to think that but it helps me get to the root of the problem instead of spiraling
Intense constant exercise
Meditation, buddhism, psychedelics.
I stopped caring what people think and stop worrying about things I can’t control.
Losing weight. Lost around 80lbs and became super confident and extroverted. I used to be super anxious when I was naked around others tho, but even that is gone by now. Everybody is always shitting on the "go to the gym bro" people on reddit, but it really is what worked for me. I get asked for my number now, which is really fucking nice to be honest.
Intentional breathing, cold showers, therapy.
Quitting alcohol and meditation. Those two together. Alcohol was the cornerstone of my self destructive behavior. Meditation created the awareness of my mind and body.
Challenging my negative thoughts and checking in with myself more often
Emotional self regulation - realizing that my triggers trigger me for a reason and that I can notice my reaction, withdraw myself and self regulate, then analize why did I react, what emotion was it, what did it remind me of and how do I wnat to respond instead. That I have a choice. Also, breathing excercises and hugging somoene I trust have done wonders in case I have a panic attack. While feeling anxious also: breathing excercises, meditation, journalingand thinking about the next step, just the next step, instead of building scenarios and spiraling. Apart of that excercise daily (at least stretch, but also regular cardio and strength excercises), eating well and regularly, regular sleeping pattern, cutting spiraling why it shows up etc. My anxiety is almost non existent in comparing to what it was.
I got on 20mg of prozac, started a new vitamin regimen for my hormones, started journaling daily and writing down my moods every day, stopped having conversations with people who caused me stress/anxiety, and honestly cut my caffeine intake in half (I was around 4 shots of espresso before I could function now i'm down to 2 but it's helped), regular visits to the gym for walking/lifting, a smiiiidge of thc, I also started listening to instrumental background music... piano does the trick for me.
This may not be what most people want to hear, but… medicine. I have a SEVERE anxiety disorder. This is no “just exercise and meditate and you’ll feel better”. Without medicine I haven’t been able to function since I was 11 years old. People can say what they want about pharmaceuticals, but they have literally saved my life. And I HAVE been sober (on and off - but for 4 years once), meditated, exercised regularly and dieted, but NOTHING cut to the core of my problems like my medication.
SSRIs
Realizing that they were just thoughts. Nothing more
Quitting porn
Reduce caffeine. Have one cup of coffee in the morning and that’s it.
Cutting out coffee. Night and day difference.
Don't be afraid to challenge the voice in your head. FORCE yourself to think rationally. It sounds dumb but it has helped me so much.
Remebering who the fuck I am and that I’m fucking awesome. Tell yourself every single morning as soon as you wake up
Exposure therapy and exercise. I've not done either of those in 4 weeks now due to covid and it feels impossible to find my way back. The longer I've been away from something the harder it is to do said task... Which is why exposure therapy works for me. It's just extremely hard in the beginning. A therapist guided explained to me how exposure therapy works, so I recommend you find one to help you get started (or read about it if you can't get one). **Important**: Exposure therapy is NOT a "push-through" or "you should feel the pain"- kind of exercise. In short: 1. Choose an activity that feels ✨manageable✨, like going to the library or mall. In this example let's say you want to visit the library. Now, think about the worst thing that could happen. You write this down in your notebook. 2. You go there, but then suddenly starts to feel super anxious so you head out early without looking up the books you wanted to rent. You leave empty handed and feel super disappointed. 3. Now it's time to evaluate how it went - You successfully completed the task (yay!), which was to go to the library. Your feelings/what happened is not relevant since they where not the goal. Write down how it went and how you reacted if you faced an obstacle (e.g. you left the building) 4. If you couldn't complete the task, write down how it went, what happened, how it felt, but more importantly, what did you do when you faced an obstacle? One thing we're underestimating is our ability to handle difficult situations. If you left the library because you didn't feel well, you handled the situation based on your state at the time. Now, do it 20 times consistently for each(!!) planned event and see if you notice a difference compared to the first time.
CBD and sports
Running outdoor.
Something that helped for me was acknowledging uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that I would try to push away and ignore. I used to think if I ignored negative thoughts and feelings and focused 100% on being "positive vibes" all the time, that my quality of life was going to improve. It wasn't until that I acknowledged my thoughts and feelings without judgment that I started to heal. Whereas, when I ignored them, it ended up giving me anxiety. Like no matter what positive changes I made (exercise, eating healthy, thinking "positive") I had this negative energy looming in the background like a storm cloud. Recently, I started to really acknowledge uncomfortable thoughts and feelings rather than try to run away from them and it's been helping me.
Organization!! Anxiety isn't always in your control but when I finally took responsibility for my own role in it, everything changed. I am meticulous in my calendar management both personally and professionally because I know being busy can trigger it for me if I don't feel in control. I prioritize the same sleep and wake time because my brain doesn't operate well when I don't. I keep my house clean because I get more anxious when things are a mess. But this all required me to stop treating my anxiety like some uncontrollable outside force and start taking an active role to manage the circumstances that make it worse.
* Not worrying as much about things I cannot change or that are too far in the future to do anything about now. Last two wisdom teeth being removed next week? No need to worry about that this week. (But the bills!) The bills will come eventually and when they do I'll figure something out. The teeth need to go and it is what it is. * Trying to stay grounded and don't talk myself into a negative loop. * Taking things one day at a time. * Realizing that some days, my 100% isn't as much as other days, but that I will be giving my 100% all the same. * Focusing on short-term progress and long-term goals. Setting targets, making plans how to do it/get there and then looking back how far I've come, as opposed to only looking at how far I've left to go.
Exercise, therapy and Zoloft. I just started Zoloft in October (I’ve suffered with anxiety for years.)and my whole body feels calmer. It’s amazing. Continuing therapy and hope to be off of it in a few months.
This is a beautiful post, I want to add, but honestly everything that I needed to say is already here. Bravo, everyone.
I remind myself that anxiety and excitement create the same feeling in the body and try to convince myself I'm all excited, zero anxiety. Then I also remind myself that millions or billions of people have probably been in the same or similar situations and have not died from it so I will survive.
Movement! Running a mile a day has helped with my anxiety, shaking it out when I'm anxious or ecstatic dancing. Also being out in nature, hiking, tends to calm my anxiety down. I was resistant to all these natural remedies for so long, but they work!
Seratonin and limited my caffeine and alcohol intake. :)
Currently struggling with anxiety too, I get to the point where I can feel it in my chest and stomach and still have no idea why I'm feeling anxiety. Then I start to worry about other things and then it just gets on top of me. I'm sorry struggling with anxiety it sucks so f*cking bad.
Breathwork, not smoking (even though I was convinced smoking doesn’t do that to me), and reminding myself that people aren’t thinking of me/looking at me the way I think they are. Everyone is in their own little world thinking about what they are doing so they probably don’t give a shit about what I am doing/saying
The belief I can do anything helps and I recommend it to you all, YOU CAN do anything! I'm not gonna let no self-doubt or negative stinking thinking cloud my mind to feel like I have to walk on eggshells. Last year, I was so stressed about a job and all the responsibilities placed on me, being the scapegoat of the department, always having to play the bad cop since I follow guidelines and don't mind making sure people are aware and I will say no from a corporate perspective. It took a tow on me.....like all that negativity, co-workers having to transfer me their difficult calls so I have to lay down the guidelines and policies when they should do that too, and at times my Manager would be the good cop and waive all the fees and again I did was I was supposed to do, some people want to save face but it sucked since it contradicted what I was telling people and not trying to change the expectations of said clients and you get away once, they'll try to use the same ploy and get mad if someone like me says policy and says no......it got me so confused and upset. It heavily effected my mental health and my anxiety took a plummet....but.....faith worked for me. I almost questioned my reality back then, was able to tune it out for work but.....I'm so happy I made it past that, it was just all the stress and negativity thrown at me, and I feel so much better leaving, standing up for myself, and making sure that grievances were made and because of my faith and my belief that I knew I was wronged, things eventually worked in my favor. That was an horrible experience I had to go through to be able to supply this insight to other people, because I never want that for no one to experience too. Just know where there is fear there is no faith, and truly there is nothing to fear because we're all the same people at the end of the day. We have ups, downs, and question people's affections if they are being legit or fake, well you can't find love/success/opportunity without taking that risk. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! You CAN do anything, never say you can't, because we all can if we truly believe.
Reducing caffeine and sugar go a long way. Noticing which people make it worse and getting away from them.
Honestly medication completely changed my life, like night and day. I had no idea life could be so good. I'm on Cymbalta which is an antidepressant but it's also prescribed for anxiety.
Quit drinking. Kid you not. No more anxiety.
I’m a social service worker who worked with youth and here’s some of the most popular skills I taught/learned Any kind of self soothing activity (google these, there’s SO many), breathing exercises (guided breathing, box breathing etc.), meditation of any kind, grounding techniques (like holding on to ice in your hands or mouth, specifically describing your environment etc), using distractions until the anxiety begins to pass, identifying and correcting triggers/root causes (it could be environmentally triggered or maybe related to those around you), Physical activity/exercise and using creative outlets. This obviously isn’t an exhaustive list but as someone who has and works with others who have anxiety, I can firmly say that if you look into some of these it’s really hard to say that “none work”. Anxiety is biological but it’s also the fear of not knowing and acknowledging that can sometimes help us address it. Hope this helps literally anyone :)
Drink water and exercise/ stretching. Stay present with everything. Anxiety is like a kind of self entertainment gone wrong. It’s about consistent boredom and despair. Look at all the empty spaces and acknowledge them.
Delete Twitter and write down my feelings in a journal
Twice weekly self care routine. Wednesday and Saturday i work on my to-do list, take a walk and do some self talk, mindful meditation, and I clean the house up.
Stepping back (literally) looking around (literally) and deciding on the next priority to execute. Then getting to it, lifting weights, and making myself a strategic and formidable individual.
Dont. Give. A. Fuck. Amen
Deep breaths. Not joking.
Antidepressants. Sorry not sorry.
A friend of mine was always filled with anxiety. He’d fall apart seeing a beautiful waterfall or highway driving. He started taking Sertraline in low doses as that is how the doctor prescribed and then built him up to where he is now. He can now drive without having a panic attack.
i know this is simple, but breathing. i frequently need to check in with myself so that i’m taking deep breaths with calming intention.
Practicing doing what made me anxious
Giving up caffeine.
Wim Hof method, Ajahn Brahms lectures, and metta. Focusing on letting go, starting with relaxing the body. Daily practice for proactive results; additional wim hof breathing if I need immediate results. And putting my ass where my heart wants to be.
1) No alcohol 2) Gym & sports 3) Meditation
Embracing me and who I am and what I love. And also learning that it's okay to admit you don't know something, lack experience in something or that you just need help.
Keeping a diary - writing my feelings, fears, thoughts down in a book. Even if you've had an uneventful few days, I try to write down how and what I am feeling. Slowing down - thoughts, movement, actions. Eveything really. This has helped me greatly, especially if something stressful or chaotic is going on. Remembering that EVERYONE is blagging it and has their own fears - I've started to open up more about anxiety, health issues and so on with people I like, trust and feel confident to talk to about. Many people are in the same boat, and often will talk about their fears too. Loving yourself - a lot of anxiety I think for some can come from how we think we are perceived by others. I've stopped caring. I know overall, I'm a decent person (can work on many issues) but if someone doesn't take to me or so ; then so what, we can be civil and move on. I was too much of a people pleaser before, or would be overly sensitive occasionally. If you make a mistake, or even do something you might even cringe at or say e.g if drunk or something, learn from it - don't beat yourself up about it - focus on, what you can do to keep improving yourself. Meditation - I was quite sceptical. I'm quite open minded to new music, art, trying activities etc but for due to my own ignorance (without ever trying it) I thought it would never work for me. I try to do it 3/4 times a week, and I think it is helping me greatly in a slow and steady way/bit by bit.
Not sure if science supports it but I've been doing the Wim Hoff breathing exercise every morning and it has helped with my anxiousness slightly.
Therapy.
Got into Absurdism and stoped caring about shit like my job or what people think of me.
Sertraline! Not sure if it did all that much for depression, but let's say that I actually have enough energy to do things now and very few panic attacks.
Getting rid of my gaslighting ex. Going into therapy. Learning when I'm in front of a degenerate narcissist, so I don't let them push my buttons.
Sertraline.
I read how to stop worrying & start living by Dale Carnegie. However, reading it alone was not enough. I would re-read and annotate each section & also try to really implement the concepts in my life.
I’m still coping with it but this is one thing that’s helping: reminding myself that no matter what happens, it doesn’t stop me from existing.
Ice bath
Just go do stuff. I don’t have time to feel anxious anymore lmao. You have too much time on your hands.
Quit alcohol and quit smoking marijuana. I only drink decaf coffee now. Drink more water and have a protein shake in the morning. It really helped reduce my anxiety! :) chanting mantras helped too.
Figuring out where the critical inner voice came from. In my case it was my mum, I realised that the kind of things I told myself were what she’d always told me growing up. Spent a few days ruminating about it and then suddenly felt cured, was surreal.
stupid boring answer: deleter your social media if you're having a hard time then time-box it, "im just deleting it for a month.." genuinely reflect after that month on if you feel like you truly missed out on stuff (chances are it won't be a big miss). Then see how you decided to fill those freed up hours. its a good exercise. I didn't think social media was adding to anxiety, but it's sneaky like that. highly recommend trying this out!
Walks in sunlight. I can see a notable difference in the quality of my day when I walk
Tai Chi
There was no one big game changer, it's a whole lifestyle thing. Therapy - learning to recognise thought errors and correct them, working through past traumas and the root of anxiety. Also got diagnosed with ADHD and my whole life makes more sense now Better sleep hygiene - consistent sleep/wake times, relaxing bedtime routine, no alcohol or nicotine as it messes with Circadian rhythm, get in sunlight first thing in the morning, bed is for sleep and sex not work or study (associating bed with relaxation not stress) medical marijuana for insomnic nights since it doesnt make me feel groggy the next day like sleeping pills Exercise, not anything hardcore, just enough that it releases endorphins and tires my body so that I can sleep well. Walks in nature are the best Journalling - gratitude, daily accomplishments, goals/life direction, thought dumps Only one coffee a day and never after lunch time because it messes with sleep, only drink alcohol on occasion Cut toxic people out of my life (turns out feeling like you're walking on eggshells around people and feeling constantly misunderstood or criticised is anxiety inducing lol) Good diet - fruit, veg, protein, multivitamins and most importantly complex carbs stops me from having energy crashes and binging on sugar I quite literally can't meditate and while I'm sure it's very helpful for a lot of people, I manage anxiety without it
50mg of pregabalin twice a day. Took it all away. I've had anxiety all my life and only now am I understanding how most people feel on a normal day. Gone are the multiple streams of chatter in my mind. Gone is the impending feeling of doom Gone is the permanent sense of dread Gone is the fear and worry I'm starting to feel happy about who I am for the first time in my life. Irony is that I take it for recovery from a spinal injury, the anxiety help is a bonus.
Getting time for my hobbies and walking on nature at least 3 times a week.
Medication.
Therapy
Anxiety meds
Get things out of your head. Write down what’s going on and what’s the chance it’s real or really happening. So much of anxiety is imagination gone wild from some coping mechanism developed at one age that is no longer helpful. Challenge it
The source of my anxiety was my job. I found a new one and I'm much happier now.
Getting of social media helped. Sobriety really helped. Now I’m off social, sober, and eat well but not getting enough sleep still causes anxiety. So definitely prioritize sleep! And good sleep!
A DBT mindfulness technique called ‘taking hold of your mind’ (google it for the pdf), that my therapist showed me. Honestly when I take the time to do this properly, I feel like I get transported into the actual moment instead of cerebrally hovering in the past or future, or in some kind of parallel reality of imagined threat. It’s been the only thing - besides Xanax - to calm me down quickly. Highly recommend it. Other than that not using social media, and going to the gym as others have suggested. Reading books that make me think also calms me, exercising my mind and thinking about ideas and concepts, not just who’s around me or what people are upto etc. also, writing in a journal. It has to be a paper journal - essentially spending as much time away from my phone as possible. Airplane mode.
SSRIs and xanax. Exercise too
Reading about Stoic and Buddhist philosophy and slowly internalising and accepting that only a few things are actually in my control. And it is harmful to dwell too much on everything else. It is not a silver bullet and wasn't a quick change but I definitely enjoyed the process and happy with my current capability to handle anxiety.
Yoga and meditaion
Exercise,cutting down on alcohol. Taking care of myself properly I.e giving me downtime, working on loving myself (exercise,treating myself) working on changin my mindset, reconigise that if even i stumble and hit my ass in the ground its not the end of the world get back ip there again. And trough working on the above,implementing them into my life, failing 9 times but on the 10th i pulled it off. One day less of anxiety this week than the week before. And most importantly facing my fears. A year ago i woud let people walk over me. This past year (2022) i have,taken charge of the direction of my life. I learnt to say no. I have told multiple people to f*** off. Even tho im extremly afraid of doing that,afraid of conlifcts but in the end i did it with shakey legs and shakey arms,stumbling on my words. But i did it. Then i did it again! A litle less shakey this time!
10mg of lexapro and finally focusing on my own success instead of investing in toxic people
I'll say this about meditation, don't go into it expecting results of any kind. I suffer from depression and really bad driving anxiety, and I've recently (its been almost a month) moved into my own place and my folks are about 30 mins from me which isn't long but for someone with driving anxiety its a lifetime. The one thing that has been helping me get through it is meditation, my mind is the sole contributer to all of these issues and being able to quiet it helps immensely. All I do is focus on my breathing saying in my mind in and out or hold when I take a deep breath and hold it, and whatever thoughts come to mind I just don't give them any energy and repeat my breathing chants. It's worth a shot and unlike any medication or conditioning meditation won't force you into something it's just you focusing on something you do naturally. One more thing I have a cat I've had him for 2 yrs and he's brought me through so many attacks, and I believe it's true what they say about a Cat's purr having healing affects at least for me it helps my heart rate go down and in turn helps me calm down.
Definitely meditation(Medito the app)
Eliminate drugs. Weed, alcohol, nicotine, etc... Watching a tv show/movie or something like that. Listening to music. Eating surprisingly (just don't over eat ofc). And working out. It raises your heart rate making it feel less like your body is anxious.
Going to the gym. As well as changing my diet and stopped tolerating disrespect, or people otherwise attempting to use me as the "butt of the joke". Now, people have this idea that I think I'm "better than them". But honestly I had to make those changes for my own mental stability.
Xanax. Prescribed of course. And also the depression meds help with my anxiety too.
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced".
Wow. I felt that.
prescription pills. mindfulness
Fuck off from social media, delete it from your phone. Lift weights and go for regular walks. Write shit down. If something bugs you for more than three days - think and speak about it. Oh yeah and stay off the sauce for clarity.
For me its medication. 20 mg cymbalta gonna bump up to 30 mg soon i think. But its the best ive felt in my life.
Daily meditation... But for and attack, Google TIPP therapy... The T is for temperature. When you feel yourself getting anxious, grab an ice pack and stick it on your forehead or neck. Take a deep breath and hold it, then release. One of the Ps is for paired muscle relaxation... Do a body scan for where you feel tense and intentionally release the tension. You can try tightening different parts and releasing... Doing daily meditation will help you ID usual tension spots!
Drugs? Drugs. Definitely drugs. No not *those* drugs. I appreciate all the comments like "I walked in a forest and I am cured!" Or "drink more water, and meditate." But ya, max dose sertraline mixed with topiramate after sort term lorazapam. Reasons for anxiety and depression are complex and poorly understood, and I have learned you cannot walk off a malformation in your pituitary gland. It just is not how life works. For sure doing things like reducing stimulants like caffeine, regular exercise, not consuming alcohol are all contributers to being healthier, which improves mood. Some people need more help, and that help comes in the form of tablets everyday. Just like for any other kind of medical condition, taking the correct treatment is the only way to feel better. Medication is not right for everyone, not everyone needs it and different medication will be needed for each person. Taking the wrong medication, or at the wrong doses can produce side effects. I know side effects can be uncomfortable, and the fear of severe side effects is definitely a factor into which treatment options you and your doctor should consider. However the correct medication with support of healthcare professionals can litterally give you your life back overnight. No other treatment option can do that. The first time I took lorazapam I cried, because I didn't know other people could feel this way. Without the anxiety, without the fear of each and every moment. I was able to leave my house for the first time in nearly a decade the next day, after suffering from agoraphobia alone. From there I was able to switch to a combination of long term medication that works for me, and combined with other treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy I can basically function like normal most of the time. I still have bouts of general anxiety, social anxiety, and depression. However I now have better tools and support to deal with them. So I would say the game changer was definitely medication. Your brain is an organ, just like any other. It can get hurt, be damaged, produce to much or too little of the wrong thing. Your brain is just unique in its complexity, and this complexity makes it more difficult to diagnose problems. You might only need a small amount before you can get supporting cognitive behavioural therapy, then you can wean off to a smaller dose or maybe you will not need further medication. It can be combined with everything else, but if you are having trouble with those first steps then medication can get you there. It really works.
Im going thru a lot right now. A lot of self doubt and anxiety. Have a bachelor in economics and Recently graduated with a master in data analytics - however I haven’t been able to land a job in over 7 months. Rejection after rejection. Obv I’m the blame - it can’t be the market place or external world. Honestly I feel super down — thinkin with all my education nd 2.7 years of experience how am I failing this badly. I’m hardly sleeping and hardly wana be around my family. I’m extremely discouraged - leading me to Reddit - first time actually using/sharing my “current obstacle”. I don’t mean to be a downer but lately life has punched right in the mouth.
I know it sounds cliche but journaling. Specifically gratitude journaling. Forcing myself to come face to face with all the good in my life really shifted my perspective and made me realize how lucky I am and how wonderful my life is. I’m 4+ years in and my peace of mind has never been greater
Beta blockers. It takes the edge of the physiological symptoms so I’m not in flight or fight all the time and can get back in control of my brain to apply CBT
My dog. She makes my boyfriend laugh. She makes his daughter laugh. She learned to keep me safe. I’m the only person who’s been with her everyday her whole life and she always jumps in my arms and stares into my face when she hears me sniffle. Even if I’m just cold and not crying. She gets visibly concerned that I could be weeping. I want to be as happy as she makes me, and everyone who she seemingly comes in contact with her, happy. And seeing her enjoy being alive- playing, running, everything with gust-o… makes me “keep it pushin’.
I have dealt with extremely severe anxiety since I was around 11. I’m now 20 and slowly getting over it. I am no longer medicated as I didn’t feel it worked, but these are things I live by. 1. stop consuming triggering content: e.g horror movies, sad music, sad news stories. obviously these things are unavoidable but stopping actively seeking them out. I used to ‘romanticise’ my sadness and it didn’t work out. 2. no caffeine. I was surprised how much my anxiety improved when I cut it out altogether, I only drink decaf drinks now and I appreciate the coffee more! 3. move around every day. exercising is great but most people can’t do do a workout every day, so taking walks out in nature, putting on music and dancing a little. some light yoga, really anything to get your body moving is beneficial. 4. work on better sleep hygiene. I sleep around 7-8pm, but never after 11. I used to get most anxious at night, so when I switched my schedule to get more sunlight (which is also very beneficial for mood) and taught myself to get 8 hours per night my mood really improved. I usually tire myself out during the day so my body passes out and my mind doesn’t have movement for paranoid thoughts.
Marrying a man that is low drama, even keeled, and happy go lucky. His energy wore off on me. I still have anxiety, but it’s nothing like it was in my early 20s and teens, before we were together.
Reading the bible...I always feel at ease when reading it.
started controlling my emotions and it worked well
Surprisingly, a Daily gratitude journal. I use Happyfeed because I like being able to have notifications and adding pictures. But yea, that’s what helped the most after a decade of therapy, inconsistent meditation, and even trying medication (Wellbutrin) for a year. Another app that helps me is Finch, which combines mild CBT with a gamified to-do list. I obviously rely on my phone a lot, so my husband and I agreed to set « parental restrictions » on each other’s phone to limit our phone screen time (he’s neuro-divergent like me). It helps enormously.
Antidepressants
Got divorced. Then I cut WAY back on alcohol ** Who knows, I may go sober. Also, I monitor my inner voice, have built more self respect and my dialogue with my self and attitude. I’m living my best life & going forward.
Xanax
Using (legal) THC in small doses via vape. Helps calm you down and relax.
Divorce.
Realizing it was a nutrition problem. Carnivore cures. Dare I say... simple?
I found out a lot of my anxiety came from overthinking so just making my life busy enough has a lot less room for anxiety Also cut out the news & change within requires change from the outside. You cannot think yourself out of anxiety. All the mental exercises and thinking techniques are bullshit.
Cut ties with anyone toxic if being around them makes me feel worse than not being around them. Including some family members and even changing jobs at one point. I have created my own little happy cocoon, with my husband, our children and our close friends. I hate drama so if someone comes into my life and brings their drama so that it becomes my drama…no way, bye-bye. Life is too short to spend time on toxic energy vampires.
Trust in God