Mental Health
Do You Suffer With Anxiety but Don’t know How to Manage it?
Here’s what I did that changed my life
What feeling lets you know when your life is out of balance?
For me, it’s irritability.
It’s my red light.
When I feel irritable it tells me I need to step back and take control of my life.
So many people complain about feeling anxious, but don’t know what to do about it.
They don’t watch out for the signs.
Irritability is the sign that tells me something is out of balance in my life. If I ignore that initial feeling and keep going, the next sign may be worse, I might feel angry. By not addressing my first feeling of irritability, I get anxious.
If you feel your life is out of balance, take care of yourself. You could go for a walk, listen to music, cook, take a nap, paint, draw, write in your journal, whatever makes you feel more peaceful.
When you take that time out, you will then be able to think about your life and get to the root cause of your anxiety.
We all have different feelings that show when we are stressed.
What’s yours?
It could be a physical thing such as a headache, eye strain, tense muscles, stomach pains, etc. Or you could feel tired, angry, sad, lonely, etc.
Something is causing you to feel anxious.
When you know you are anxious, learn to take steps to address it.
Life is stressful. I had a lot of anxiety in the past, but it wasn’t until I addressed it that things started to change.
In my 20s, I used to have a packed social calendar. I’d say yes to everything.
I was young and wanted to have friends, but it got to the point where I was planning 2–3 weeks ahead of time, thinking I’d have lots of energy, but when the time came I was usually exhausted from the other things I’d done prior.
Finally, I realized I was not enjoying my life and I only had myself to blame because I didn’t manage my time well, and I overestimated how many social interactions I needed.
I didn’t know myself.
When I made small adjustments I felt calmer and more in control of my life. I didn’t plan too far in advance unless it was a holiday or a long-term goal, but for my day-to-day life, I only planned one week in advance.
What about weddings, birthdays, christenings, family celebrations, etc?
As these events will always come up in our lives, we must be prepared for them. I learned to manage them too. For example, with weddings, you get plenty of notice, so you just need to make a decision if you will go or not, and then tell your friend.
Mark it on your calendar and when the time is approaching, get ready for it.
Weddings are expensive. You might want to buy an outfit or some item of clothing or a gift. You may also have to stay the night at a hotel depending on where the wedding reception is.
I take all these things into consideration so that when the wedding comes I’m prepared and not anxious about it.
And if it’s all too much stress, you can ask yourself if you really want to go, or would you prefer to give it a miss?
You don’t have to go to everything you're invited to.
Some people get upset when we say no, but we have to look after our own well-being first, and if you’d rather not go, then you don’t have to.
Final thought —
Don’t let anxiety rule your life. Learn to manage it and make the necessary adjustments so you can enjoy your life, feeling calm and relaxed.
