7 ways to deal with Anxiety

 For some reason, after a really scary flying experience last May i’ve been suffering from anxiety more than i’d like to admit. If you don’t know what anxiety is, it’s a “really fear based emotion which creates an emotional and physical response in the body”. I felt anxious during that whole trip, which usually manifests itself in lack of apetite, dizzy feeling and nausea. It’s been a challenge to adjust to this foreign feeling, but i’ve got it down to six things that usually help with the waves of generalized anxiety.

1. Breathing exercises, closing your eyes, imagining yourself somewhere else, helps. Drinking water usually helps calm my breathing down too.

2. Warm Baths, because duh, who doesn’t love a warm bath. I like having a book to read while in the bathtub (to help me escape to a far away place), try lightly sented candles or adding essential oils to the water, read more about aromatherapy baths.

3. Letting it out, sometimes all you need is a good cry, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed with emotion just spend some time alone and just let go. *Cue Frozen Song* (LOL!) I promise you will feel much better. Sometimes when i let go i realize how silly my worries are and it really puts into perspective the things i’ve been obsessing about.

4. Lavender Essential Oil, with it’s calming, earthy and sweetly floral scent, it’s widely beloved for the relaxing and balancing effects it provides, on both a physical and emotional level. I like adding some drops to my chest or neck before going to sleep, or adding some drops with a cotton ball to my pillow. Read more about Lavender Oil uses.

5. Listening to calming music, music has the power to change the atmosphere of a room, you can put on your favorite song or find music that calms your soul. I’ve found that Bon Iver’s music calms me to the core, so when i’m about to fly or when i generally feel uneasy i’ll pop my headphones on and just listen to his songs, close my eyes and let myself get carried away.

6. Vitamin B supplements, my mom drinks vitamin B supplements every day and she suggested i give them a try and everytime i feel general anxiety creeping in, i get some water and take a vitamin.

7. Talking about what’s making me feel anxious, voicing your concerns to someone you love will help them help you calm down. (Did that make sense?) Usually the fears and what-ifs are a reaction to something that could happen, that might happen, but isn’t happening now. Keeping these fears inside will just make you feel worse, so take a chance and talk it out.

Q: Have you suffered from anxiety?!
If so, have any other tips you’d recommend? Leave me a comment below 🙂