Anxiety. It’s everywhere. It’s in movies, TV shows, Pat Benatar wrote a song about it for goodness sakes. If it seems like everyone around you has it, that might very well be true. In the US 40 million adults, that’s about 18% of the population, suffer from anxiety every year. While anxiety is a treatable condition, only 36% of people with anxiety receive treatment. Anxiety is more than just being nervous, scared or stressed. It can have crippling effects that leave people feeling powerless under its control. Disorders that stem from or cause anxiety include PTSD, OCD, Major Depressive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Eating Disorders, to name a few. These disorders often go undiagnosed and thereby untreated. Anxiety can also take shape in everyday ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, and lack of sleep. If you feel that you might have anxiety in some capacity, it’s important that you acknowledge it and practice self care. Here are some tips to help you conquer your anxiety.
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Talk to your doctor
Depending on the type of anxiety you have, medicine might be necessary to keep your chemicals balanced. You might need to work with your doctor to find the right dosage and medication that would be right for you. Every medication is different, and has different effects so it might take a few tries before you get the right one. There’s not shame in needing medication, and in fact a lot of people rely on it to help them. Some people take medication for the rest of their lives, and others only need it for a short time. Talking to your doctor about the kind of anxiety or anxiety causing disorder you have will determine if medication is absolutely necessary.
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See a therapist or counselor
Sometimes simple talk-therapy does the trick. Many people find comfort in talking about the ins-and-outs of their day, but might not have an outlet to do so. Your anxiety might be too great for your friends to understand or truly, help, so talking to a licensed professional would do more good than harm. There is a stigma in regards to “seeing a shrink”, but all sessions remain confidential. The only way someone were to find out that you’re seeing a therapist would be if you told them or met them in the waiting room. There’s absolutely no shame in going to see a therapist. Sometimes it’s hard to confide in our loved ones about how we’re feeling, and we might not want to put weight on their shoulders. A therapist or counselor is an objective third party that can take on your burdens, give you advice if you seek it, and provide additional resources and coping mechanisms to help you manage your anxiety in your everyday life.
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Meditation
Meditation can be a powerful tool to help you cope with anxiety. Setting aside time to center yourself can set the tone for your entire day. Practices like yoga and meditation allow you to take an inward look at yourself and push the negatives outs. It’s a daily activity you can practice that allows you to remove yourself from the stresses of reality for a bit in order to focus on the good things in life.
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Maintain a healthy lifestyle
It’s amazing what a good diet and exercise can do for you. Putting healthy food into your body gives you energy and exercising releases endorphins that relieves stress. By changing your diet, you could see a dramatic change in your mental health dramatically. If you habitually drink or use recreational drugs, that will have an effect on your mental health as well. What you put in your body affects what you get out of your body, so show it some love.
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Positive self-affirmations
Sometimes, despite doctors, therapists, meditation, and healthy diets, it’s still hard to know that you’re doing your best and you’re only human. Practicing self love is so important. You might be doing everything right, but still feel like you’re not doing enough. By doing positive self-affirmations, you give yourself a reminder that you’re enough, you’re doing enough, and sometimes there are things that happen that are out of your control. You can do this by doing things like surrounding yourself with inspirational quotes, or writing 3 three things about yourself that you love. Whatever it is you choose to do, the point of the the affirmations is to build your confidence so you can continue on your path to a anxiety free life.
Anxiety comes and goes, but when it’s here, it can pack a punch. Be sure to take action and seek help before the disorder gets the best of you. It’s important that you show anxiety who’s boss, and beat it before it has the opportunity to beat you.