Anxiety is more than just stress, worry or nervousness - it's a combination of all three and more, immensely intensified. When someone who suffers from anxiety is having an attack, it can be an incredibly frightening experience. Your breathing quickens, your chest tightens, your heart starts to burn as if you could be having a heart attack, your mind is all over the place, you may even get dizzy or blurred vision.
Here in Australia, more than 2 million adults suffer from anxiety. Having an anxiety (or panic) attack is an awful, scary and distressing thing to experience. It can feel like the world is closing in on you and with nowhere to run you're going to suffocate. And I would know, because I am one of those 2 million Australian's that suffer from anxiety.
Over several years I have learnt new ways to cope with my anxiety, so today I'm going to share with you seven of those coping methods. Even if you don't have anxiety, these tips can still be really useful for dealing with things like stress and nerves.
Go for a walk. Getting outside and breathing in some fresh air is always a sure-fire way to calm yourself down and clear your head. Exercise is scientifically proven to release endorphins (ie. happy hormones) as well as make you feel fitter and healthier, making it a great stress-reliever.
Drink some tea. While many herbal teas are highly regarded for their calming qualities (chamomile, ) I personally find that any sort of tea is helpful in combatting anxiety. My favourite is a Toasty Nougat tea from T2 with a little milk and sugar.
Write. Whether it be in a journal, a letter, a story, or even a blog - just write. Being able to release everything that you're feeling, and everything that's running through your head can be such a relaxing and therapeutic exercise to help relieve stress and cope with anxiety.
Take a bath (or shower). This is something I always find relaxes me quite easily. Having some time to yourself to just clear your mind and gather your thoughts is really helpful in dealing with anxiety, and what better way to do so that with a nice, warm bath or shower?
Light a candle. The smell of a burning candle is possibly one of the most beautiful and relaxing things, to be honest. I love creamy and sweet smelling candles, my favourite is my Vanilla Noel candle from Bath and Body Works - absolutely delicious and makes you feel warm, cosy and peaceful almost immediately.
Watch your favourite light-hearted movie. I say light-hearted because if your favourite movie is a horror, thriller, murder mystery or anything along those lines, it's probably not going to help you in coping with anxiety. A fun comedy, romance or even - in my case - a classic Disney movie, on the other hand is a great way to relax and occupy your mind with something fun and not so serious.
Take a deep breath. It may seem obvious, but when you're stressed out, nervous, or having an anxiety attack, it can be easy to forget to just breathe. So it's worth remembering to do so. A simple breath in and out can do wonders in relieving anxiety, and sometimes it's the simplest things we forget that can make a world of difference.
And there we have it - 7 ways to cope with anxiety. I hope that these have been helpful to you in some way or another, and if you feel that you or someone you know may need help, or you'd simply like to learn more about anxiety you can find some great information here.
Let me know - do you suffer from anxiety? Do you know someone that does? And what are some of your tips on how to cope with anxiety?
xx Chontelle Louise
