Get The Monkey Off Your Back: 3 Ways to Cope With Anxiety
The monkey on your back — also known as anxiety — seems to always be there. It weighs on you like a ton of bricks. You can’t escape the feeling that it MAKES you have…shortness of breath, constant worrying, and sweating profusely, to name a few.
Many people live with this horrible ailment every day. Its not just a commonality phrase that people use constantly to up their storytelling value. How do anxious people do it? They have found a way to survive day in and day out. Coping skills have emerged to get us through the worst of it. If you or someone you love are dealing with anxiety, there are ways to get back to living your best life.
My Anxiety
I think I have always had a mild form of anxiety; however, it started to get worse after I had children. Recently, it has been at its all-time heightened state. What has caused the change? Not too sure. I am eating better, exercising, and not teaching anymore. My stress level has reduced dramatically. I was stumped. But I wasn’t too worried…even though I have this diagnosis of anxiety, I have learned how to cope.
Calm Down
Three things that I have noticed makes living with MY pet monkey easier are grounding exercises, breathing deeply, and wellness.
- Grounding Exercises — If you are in a full-blown panic attack, the best thing to do is to ground yourself. So, think about 3 things you are touching, 2 things you can see, and 1 thing you smell. These three steps allow you to get your mind off of why you are panicking and bring you peace.
- Deep Breathing — Another way to calm yourself during an attack is to breathe. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Think about a time when you were most happy and visualize that memory. Doing this will help take your mind off of the current situation.
- Healthy Lifestyle — While this is not something that you can do during an anxiety attack, it is what you do all the other times. Be healthy. Eat well and exercise often. Living a healthy lifestyle can reduce the stress in your life which in turn makes your anxiety a little easier to deal with.
Find Your Solace
I practice these when I can feel that panicky sensation in my stomach. However, when my anxiety is at a heightened state, there is one constant that can make me whole again — my husband. He has been there for me since I was 19 years old. He understands me and all of the stuff that I have going on in my head. So when things get out of hand, I look to him for comfort and solace.
Look around you. Who is always there for you no matter what? This person will drop anything for you at any time of the day. This is your partner — the one who will help you out of your worst panic attack.
People that have anxiety have learned ways to deal with their mental illness. Some days are harder than others, but somehow we make it through.
