6 Ways I Attempt To Deal With Anxiety

Having anxiety is never fun. I won't go so far to say that I'm constantly anxiety-ridden, but there are moments when I'm stuck in my head and can't find a way out. Recently, I was waiting to hear back about a fantastic potential job and every waking thought was consumed by self-doubt and anxiety on hearing back. Every day that passed, I analyzed why it was taking so long, when it all seriousness, I had no control over when they called me with any kind of news.

P.s. I got the job, but more on that later. 

It was in this chaotic few days that I learned what helps to ease my anxiety, so here are some of the things that work for me, maybe they'll work for you too!

Do some doodling

This activity is a fairly recent discovery for me. When I was at the peak of my anxiety last week waiting to hear back about this job, my cousin told me about adult coloring books. She told me they would help me with my anxiety, so I went on a quest to Michael's and found a gorgeous coloring book to doodle away in, I bought myself some colored pencils, because I'm 24, I have no colored pencils lying around. When I got home, I started coloring and man does that shit work. It's like a form of meditation because the illustrations in the book are so detailed and intricate, you really aren't focusing on anything but what you're coloring. I would suggest coloring books to anyone who is searching for a way to quiet their mind for a little bit. Plus, it's just fun. 

Here is my first masterpiece: 

Watch your favorite TV show/movie

Yes, this may seem like an easy one but it works wonders. It's the perfect distraction for my always-working brain and it gives you some laughs. My go-to shows are The Office and Friends, those two will forever brighten my mood and help me to laugh my anxiety off. 

Call your go-to person 

That person will always be my dad, he knows how to calm me down and put things in perspective so I don't completely go off the rails. However, that may not be the case for everyone. Your go-to person could be your mom, your sister, a best friend, or even a boyfriend. Or maybe your dog, who knows. Whenever you are feeling the anxiety start to overwhelm you, pick up the phone and call your person. I am so very grateful that I have my dad, who is probably one of the only people who understands my anxiety, to talk to when I'm stressed. Not everyone has that person, and it's so important to be thankful if you have that person in your life who will pick up the phone at 2 in the morning just to talk. 

Chill with your pet 

According to WebMD (aka my homepage because I'm convinced I have about 10 different illnesses) having a pet is a serious stress soother. Just petting your cat, dog, bunny, bird, or whatever animal you choose to imprint on for life, can not only lower your blood pressure, it helps your body to release a relaxation hormone, and cuts down on levels of a stress hormone. It helps even more when you hug your dog super tight and force him to cuddle with you...nope, sorry that's just me and my dog.

I think I'm doing it wrong. 

Listen to your favorite playlist

Whether you use Spotify, Pandora, ITunes, Apple Music, or you go old school and just buy CD's, music is a huge stress reducer. Personally, listening to a folksy playlist with some The Civil Wars, The Weepies, and more recently Matt Corby, calms my nerves and really puts me in a dreamy mood.

Here's one of my favorite folksy playlists, The New Retro: 

Breathe

Just breathe and realize that everything will be okay. I know, it's really easy to just say that, but to believe it is another thing. A little while back, I started up yoga and I absolutely loved it. Focusing on breathing did wonders for my mood and mindset in life. To this day, when I'm extremely anxious or stressed out, I stop what I'm doing and take three seriously deep breaths and focus only on my breathing, and I open my eyes and my anxiety is lessened. While this may not work for everyone, it's definitely something you should try, you never know if it could.

So, those are my go-to stress smoothers, what are yours?