Even before I had Liam I had a long history of anxiety. Going back to high school at least that’s when I can really remember it, but the more I think about it I was showing signs as young as second grade. My anxiety manifests itself in a lot of ways, but mostly I feel really out of control of my body and I have a hard time breathing. Once I had Liam my anxiety hit a high point. I was terrified to leave the house alone with him for weeks and would wake up at all hours of the night to make sure he was still breathing. Sure a lot of that is normal for first time moms but mine went a lot deeper. I have it mostly under control now so I wanted to share how I deal with anxiety for those of you who may experience similar things. Obviously I am not any kind of medical professional so please seek help if you are feeling anxious.
How I Deal With Anxiety
Talk about it: I think this is pretty obvious, but talking about what’s making you anxious is key. I talk to my mom, Andrew, my Dr, and a few friends who I’ve opened up to about it. I think even just saying what’s making you anxious out loud can help SO much!
Medication: Yes I know some people don’t want to go down this path but it’s what works for me. I have a Dr who has prescribed me certain medications and they really help. I did not take them while pregnant and I felt totally fine. I hope at some point to not need them but right now I do so I use modern medicine.
Meditation: This has been a game changer for me. As I have mentioned many times I use headspace and meditating first thing in the morning has really helped my anxiety throughout the day. I feel like when I start my day with the right mindset I don’t get as many anxious moments throughout the day.
Exercise: Any kind of exercise from walking, to yoga, barre classes, or just weight lifting really calms me. If I am having a rough morning, going to the gym always makes it better. Or Liam and I will head out for a long walk and just listening to him point out everything he see’s or talking to him about what we are doing, playing at the park along the way etc. I always feel so good after! I can just feel my anxiety lifting.
Acknowledge it: Admit it, it’s totally fine. More people than you probably think suffer from it and it’s a normal thing. Talk to people about it, open up, see a doctor, tell your friends. Get the support you need. That’s what I did and it’s the first step in how I deal with anxiety. I acknowledge that it’s there and try not to let it have more power than it deserves.
If you suffer I really encourage you to talk to someone. Don’t ever feel ashamed or embarrassed or less than. Anxiety is very common and it’s absolutely normal.
I’m happy to hear you’re finding ways to deal with your anxiety that works for you! I hope this post helps someone who’s also suffering. 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thank you for sharing how you deal with your anxiety… I have found exercise and relaxation techniques really help me.
Meditation, exercise and acceptance, those are wonderful ways to address personal anxiety. I practice each on a daily basis and it has drastically improved my life.
Anxiety has been something I’ve dealt with my entire life. I took medication for a while but it made me worse. Now, I deal with my anxiety and depression with working out.
I love this. It can be so hard dealing with anxiety and all of these are great ways to cope with it.
Anxiety can be crippling. Thank you so much for posting this and helping people cope with anxiety.
I think I need to start meditating in the morning. I get mild anxiety sometimes but notice I’m much better on the days that the weather is good enough that my son and I can ride bikes to school because we get the exercise in early in the morning.
I would say, im proud of you doing this and not giving up to it and let it take over you.
Anxiety can definitely be a tough thing to deal with. I have learned to remove myself from situations as best as possible for a few moments, even if that means going to the bathroom to breathe, helps me out.
Meditation does not give relaxation from anxiety. Anxiety is a state of mind which has so much to do with the stretching of nerves. If we do not put so much stress on our mind we will not have anxiety. Meditation is just focusing our mind and if we are disturbed from something we cannot focus.
In the last couple of month, I have been having some anxiety issues, so this post is perfect for me. I will try and meditate from time to time. Maybe it will help me out!
I’m so happy to hear you found ways to help with your anxiety. These are all such great suggestions. I’m pinning this post so it can help others. 😀
I am currently playing musical meds to find one that works. I have been suffering with anxiety in a major way, I have found that the headspace app guided meditations can help me get out of my head for a bit
I love this post! Thank you for bringing attention to the fact that anxiety is a condition which can be treated and is not cause for shame. Once I accepted it and treated it, my life got so much better!
I’ve developed more anxiety over the past couple years, so I really enjoyed hearing what works for you. Exercise definitely helps me too! 🙂
Yes! I agree with all of this 100%
This is great that you have shared personal life moments which will in turn helps others. Anxiety can happen to anyone at anytime so it is great that you take time out to raise awareness xx
My doctor and I have been discussing going off my meds after the winter and I’m both excited and nervous. My anxiety has a lot to do with work, but I’ve been working on other ways to deal as well. We shall see.
Useful tips and some of the best ways to deal with anxiety. I consider my self lucky as I have started dealing with anxiety only the last 2-3 years.
Exercise just seems to be such a big thing when dealing with anything mental whether it’s depression or anxiety. It just helps with the mood. I know I have done it to help with mild depression.
Hello Neely. This is very useful and helpful post by you. I like your contemplations. It would be ideal if you continue sharing.
Such great tips. I 100% agree with you. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! I suffer from anxiety too and definitely agree that mediation and exercise can do wonders!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. It’s really helpful to read how others calm their anxious feelings and thoughts. I find exercise and meditation help me as well.
Best way to overcome anxiety is to meditate and exercise but you can also try something different like giving yourself some alone time to do whatever you want which helps you relax your mind.