How I Manage My
Stress & Anxiety
Anxiety sucks! Plain & simple. Although it's not something I deal with on a daily basis, there are days I feel super overwhelmed & unsure how to address my
anxiety or deal with stressful situations. I'm glad it's becoming the topic
of conversation more & more each year. In light of Bell Let's Talk on Wednesday, January 31st, I wanted to share some things I do to combat & manage my anxiety.
Working Out
Going to the gym & Working Out is probably the tactic that helps me the most! Whenever I'm feeling
super stressed or overwhelmed about my day, going to the gym, putting in my headphones & just focusing on my workout, really helps me refocus & come back to what I need to deal with in a calmer way. That hour or two I'm
in the gym, I can workout, destress, & get into my zone. And when my workout is over, I can refocus
my mind & energy with a more positive mindset & come up with a better solution to
whatever it is i'm dealing with. For me, I find this is the best way to destress & recentre.
Planning
Knowing yourself is important. And for me - I NEED a schedule! I need a plan! I need an idea of what I'm doing &
what needs to get done. I've found I'm more calm & work a lot better when my day (or week) is all planned out.
When I know where I need to be, at whichever time & what I need to do.
Setting aside time to plan out my week, or organize what I'm going to be doing in a day, really helps me stress less.
I find, If I have no direction or plan on my day, I get super overwhelmed and unsure of what I should conquer first.
I recently bought myself a Daily Planner & I've found even just writing everything out & visually seeing my day
on paper has really helped me be more at ease & not stress about missing anything on my to-do list.
Music
In the 🔥 of the moment - the moment I feel the most anxious - something I HAVE to do, that 100% calms
me down, is listen to music. This might be one of the most common methods used by many people.
In a study done in 2013, researchers found music to be more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety
before surgery. In a similar study, researchers also found music boost the immune system & reduce the level of
the stress hormone cortisol. Psychologist Daniel J. Levitin of that study says "This is one reason why music is associated with relaxation".
When I'm feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I pick a favourite song that has meaning to me. Not really
up beat, or popular, but a song that is one of my favourite, that I can listen to & tune the 🌎 out.
3 of the songs that really help me are:
• "Wicked Games" By The Weeknd
• "You & Me" By Flume
• "Don't Go (feat. Josh Kumra) By Wretch 32
Deep Breathing
I'm sure you've heard this one before & thought 'Ya, well isn't that obvious?'. And I hear you - it is!
But simply taking a moment to JUST BREATHE, really helps.
Statistics show that deep breathing helps not only slow & calm you down, but also:
• Your heart beats slower and your muscles relax
• Your blood pressure decreases
• Your levels of nitric oxide are increased
By just taking a moment to JUST BREATHE, you're already refocusing your energy & recentering yourself.
It's a great way to gain more control of your thoughts & yourself.
Talking With Friends
When I'm in a situation where I'm feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to go about resolving a stressful issue, one of the things I do that really helps me not get ahead of my thoughts is just talking to someone about what I'm feeling. I'll generally pick a friend I know will give me honest advice on the situation I'm facing. I'll text or call them, or sometimes meet with them in person, just so I can get all the emotions & anxious thoughts I'm feeling out & they can help me think of a solution to the problem.
Having a few close friends around you is always super important. You should never feel like you have to go through something alone. Having a close group of friends or family members you trust can really help you with whatever you're facing.
Those are just some of the things I do to help myself whenever i'm feeling stressed or anxious. Obviously, these aren't the cure to all problems. Believe me - I wish they were!
The best things you can do whenever you're feeling anxious or stressed is:
1.) Recognize how you're feeling
2.) Why you might be feeling this way
and
3.) Talking to someone you trust about the way you're feeling
For more help, below are some Mental Health link for more information on Mental Health & ways you can manage your own health!
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