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Tips and Tricks for Battling Anxiety

I used to let anxiety consume me. I was always worrying about how I was being perceived, or that I was doing the wrong thing, or that nobody liked me. It was draining, it was upsetting, and it was just so common. One thing that has surprised me ever since I started to talk openly about my anxiety is just how many other people are going through the exact same thing. Anxiety is a universal issue, maybe some people have it worse than others, but I think we all have it to some extent. The trick is not to let it take over, not let it become you, not let it define you.

Anxiety Is Something That Happens To You

This is something that took me a long time to really take in. No one is defined by their emotions. You are not sad, you are not angry, you are not anxious. You just feel sad, or angry, or anxious. Emotions come and go and that is normal. They are not tied to your identity and just because you are feeling particularly anxious in a certain social situation that does not mean that it always has to be this way. This is just a feeling that you are having and if you let yourself sit with it for a while, trying to get the root of why you are having this emotion, then it will pass.

There is an old Buddhist proverb that says we are like a river, and our emotions are the water flowing through us, you cannot stop the water, and it would be foolish to even try, just stay calm and let it flow through you. Enjoy it when it is nice and try to learn from it when it's bad. Your emotions are a tool to help you, and you can stand outside of them and observe.

Ask Yourself: Does It Even Matter?

I often find myself in social situations worrying about the silliest things, second guessing everything I have done or said. But then I ask myself. Does it even matter? What is the worst thing that can happen in this situation? Maybe the person I am talking to thinks I am weird. Great. Good for them. I am a little weird. Very astute of them.

Get Active

This is the one I know everybody hates, as if exercise is a fix all solution and people just need to get active, and all their problems will magically disappear. It is definitely not that, but I know in my own experience I notice the difference between when I stay in bed the whole day or when I start it with a run. It wakes your body up, it releases endorphins, it relieves tension.

Talk About It

Anxiety is a strange thing; it can all be smoke and mirrors and once you feel like you’ve got a hold of it, then it disappears. If you can talk to your friends, your family, your support system, if you can tell them what makes you anxious, I’m sure you’d be surprised how much people can help. My problem was I always kept it inside, I always tried to wish it away, pretend it wasn’t happening. But once you realise it’s nothing to be ashamed of, that every single person on this planet feels that way from time to time, then it gets easier. Some days I feel worse than others, and some days I don’t feel anxious at all. But I know that if things ever get really bad I can talk about it.

Get Help

There are different types of anxiety, and there’s different levels of seriousness. Sometimes it can all be too much, and people need to get professional help. If you feel that your anxiety is unusually high, and you think you cannot deal with it, then speak with a doctor. While the social stigma surrounding open discussion of mental health issues is disappearing in Ireland, it is still there to some extent, and there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of when asking for help, it is more common than you think.



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