Top 10 Things To Help Anxiety

So this is going up a little later today than I had hoped for, but after a turbulent time at Uni over the past week and travelling back to Essex yesterday for my study week, I just haven't had the time (or inclination) to write until now. 

Anxiety is a mental health problem that is often ignored or confused. Did you know that in 2013 there were 8.2 million cases of anxiety in the U.K alone. That is absolutely crazy and yet still people are faced with stigma or misunderstanding when it comes to how to tackle anxiety. 

I suffer with  a Social Anxiety Disorder, which means that I can suffer with a persistent and overwhelming fear of social situations. Through effective treatment, therapy and coping mechanisms I have managed to control my Anxiety to a point where I now am able to fully function in society without the need for medication or therapy and now I thought it was time to share some tips that have helped me.

Here are my Top 10 Things To Help Anxiety Sufferers:

1.Seek help - This has got to be my first and foremost advice. Do not self diagnose and think that you can manage this without any help. Instead if you think you are suffering with an Anxiety Disorder go to your GP. They will point you in the right direction with regards to therapy or medication. If you don't feel comfortable going directly to your GP then there are a variety of helplines you can call to speak with someone (list Here). Remember that these people are here to help you and will make your life better. Trust me. 

2. Make a plan - You can do this alone or with the help of a therapist/family member/friend. Create a coping plan for the next time you feel anxious. Even if it's as simple as writing down some steps for when you're feeling panicked. Having a plan in front of you when your panicking can really help to focus your mind and calm you down. 
3. Write lists - I find that being really organised and micro-managing my day helps to calm my nerves and helps me avoid feeling anxious. My anxiety is rooted in the feeling of not having control so writing lists and plans for my day helps to put me back in some form of control and helps me to relax.
4. Make time for yourself - This is a big one. Making time for yourself is such an important step in making yourself feel better. I usually find if I'm feeling overwhelmed a nice long lush bath and a good book help to calm me down and makes me feel a little more human. 
5. Practise Meditation - It may seem like that hippy thing straight out of the 70s but meditation does actually work if you open yourself up to it. There are some great apps such as Calm and DigiPill that offer meditation tracks - Calm also has a variety of noises to help relax you.  
6. Practise Mindfulness - Links to the above, mindfulness is a really useful tool when it comes to coping with anxiety. I wrote a post about it here so check that out. 
7. Try Walking - I've been walking recently in the mornings and it's been really helping my mood throughout the day. Something about leaving the house at 8am when its really cold and quiet is so relaxing and really sets your day off well. You can read about my experience here.
8. Drink Calming Tea - If you're feeling stressed try a calming caffeine free tea. Caffeine can make anxiety worse so try to avoid it if you can. Instead look for a tea with either Camomile or Lavender as they can really help to calm and de-stress Grab yourself a box and get brewing. You won't regret it. 
9. Keep a thoughts log - Sometimes it's a good idea to keep track of your thoughts on those days when you're feeling bad. There may be a reoccurring event or thought that is triggering your anxiety. If you keep track of this then you can pinpoint what the trigger is and learn to manage it effectively.
10. Schedule Events - If your anxiety is social like mine then scheduling your days out ahead of time can help to reduce anxious thoughts surrounding that event. For instance I like to make sure I plan in advance when I meet up with friends as I can then plan what we're doing, if we're going to a restaurant I can plan what to eat, how much to spend and what to wear. This may seem over the top to most people but with each step I plan there is less anxious thoughts and I'm able to enjoy seeing my friends without my anxiety ruining the day!

That's all for tonight's post, as the old adage says "Better late than never!". Tomorrows will be up at the normal time of 7am! 

I hope this has helped you and please feel free to comment or tweet me @bambisblogs