Dealing with anxiety...

Anyone can feel anxious. So the other day was World Mental Health Day and from reading so many really personal and touching stories from numerous people it really got me thinking about how many people are in a constant battle with their mental health. Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year and yet it still feels so uncomfortable to admit you’re struggling when maybe you don’t have a straightforward reason as to why.

Generally, I am a very happy, confident and out going person, however as do many others I often get times where I feel incredibly anxious, trapped inside my own head with negative thoughts which make it very hard to think clearly. I get feelings of disassociation and confusion to the point where everything is very overwhelming and surreal. Most of the time I’ll block it out, I’ll distract myself and try focus on more positive things. But sometimes it can be hard to search for clarity in your head when its clouded with lots of negative thoughts.

However, as much as I have down times I try to be a positive person and I believe in having strong mind set to help rid yourself of anxious feelings. For that reason, I decided to share some of my own personal philosophies that help to bring me back to reality and to get rid of a lot of the stress and panic in my head.

Take a breather... For me, I love being outside but when feeling low it’s easy to want to hide away but to make your head less claustrophobic it is important to free up the space around you too and to be in an open space. I often find as soon as I step outside, the fresh air instantly helps me to feel a lot less panicked and trapped. When I am caught in a vicious thought cycle of worries and doubts it makes me feel distant from myself, often forgetting positive aspects of my life. However, going outside can remind you that you’re not alone and there’s so many things in the world to be immersed by and to feel optimistic about.

Distract yourself...

It can also be helpful to read, watch a film or a documentary you are interested in when feeling anxious or down. Being able to focus on something other than things in your own life and the thoughts in your head is a great way of distracting yourself to improve your mood. Especially when you are alone it can be incredibly comforting to have some sort of sound to try and lessen feelings of loneliness.

Being healthy... To combat anxiety something which I also find helpful is live a healthy lifestyle and to be as active as I can. I know after a few days of eating quite off track and unhealthy foods this can make me feel really anxious and worry I’m going to gain a lot of weight – for me when this happens I know that if I cook foods that are voluminous in vegetables and lack anything processed this can improve my mood so much and make me feel slightly more in control of what I am doing. Exercise is also a big one, I know when you feel anxious there is nothing worse than the idea of going to the gym or a class or a sports club but once I realised that you will never ever regret doing exercise there is no point putting it off. There is no way that you would leave doing some physical activity and think ‘I wish I hadn’t done that’ – exercise releases endorphins and personally for me always helps me to think clearly and allow myself to get back to a much more positive mindset. Additionally, it is much easier to stay motivated with other aspects of your life if you are being healthy because there is less temptation to not care if you are already being proactive and driven towards a goal.

Writing down your feelings...

Lastly, clearly for me I find it helpful to write and express my feelings in words. Sometimes when your head is so crowded with thoughts and feelings it can feel almost impossible to point out the positive aspects of your life even if there might be many. When feeling low its often easy to get caught up in a concept that you are the worst along with many other unrealistic negative thoughts about yourself. However, I find that writing down maybe the worries you have along with the positive things in your life can really help to keep a balanced head.

Hope this can be helpful to anyone and hugs to anyone feeling anxious,

Anna x