A Few Of My Anxiety Coping Mechanisms

Being healthy means a bunch of different things to different people, one thing that is healthy for all people is learning to love yourself whatever package you come in. And while some people naturally can look in the mirror and say that every piece of them is exactly where and how it is supposed to be, for the vast majority of us we have to work at it, and it is a very uphill struggle.

People learn all sorts of different coping mechanisms for mental health issues, the one I have the most experience with personally is anxiety. So I just thought I would share a few if my coping mechanisms in case on of them helps you out in some way!

..Deep breathing helps

It's an oldie, and perhaps a cliche, but definitely a goodie! Take a deep breath.

Inhale. Exhale.

That's all you have to do to keep going.

..Animals are food for the soul

I will advocate being around animals until the day I die. And so does science.

..Distance yourself from negative thoughts

Anxiety feeds on your thoughts, for me personally, all these different scenarios build in my head until I have figured out what the most feasible worst case scenario is that can happen. It is not going to happen. I just need to figure out the worst in my own mind.

Whilst I will never beat myself up over these thoughts, I am trying to learn to distance myself from them. To have the thought, and visualise putting it in a box, so that I can see it for what it is; my anxiety taking hold.

..Get outside 

I am not taking about exercising, yes sweating out an adrenaline can be INCREDIBLY theraputic, and if you're up to it, I would always recommend exercise.

But right now I am talking about getting into nature. Go for a picnic, find a wood to explore, breathe fresh air. It all works wonders.

Obviously this is significantly more enjoyable in nice weather. Although I will admit being out in the rain definitely has a cleansing feel to it!

..Write it down  /  Commend Yourself

Even writing this blog post and realising that I have developed coping mechanisms has made me feel lighter. I am not my anxiety and seeing all this written down makes me feel like I am pretty proud of the way I have learnt to deal with things. It is so far from perfect it is untrue, but I really am happy with some of the things I have developed.

These are just a few of the ways I have learnt to not let my anxiety take over, I have written a couple of other posts on mental health/coping mechanisms in case you want any more; Ways To Cope With Emotional Exhaustion and 10 Ways To Get Out Of A Rut.

Disclaimer: I am by no means qualified to talk about mental health, I am just sharing my coping mechanisms, if you feel you can't cope, your GP is a great person to talk to. 

What ways do you cope with anxiety? x