Anxiety. That feeling of your heart racing, hands sweating, stomach turning, thoughts bouncing off your skull like little monkeys… pretty much Hell. Suddenly your reality slips away and all you can think of is that terrifying…. What if.
As school or career oriented women, anxiety can often get the best of us. Instead of staying present to everything that is infront of us, we become controlled by things that haven’t even happened yet. It’s a common thing, so don’t beat yourself up about it. Next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, try these tips:
Exercise
When I find myself feeling a bit out of control, the first thing I often do is workout. Getting my body moving helps calm my racing mind. Instead of focusing on all that could happen, I am focusing on finishing my last rep.
Journal
This is an age old trick… WRITE IT ALL DOWN. Sometimes the action of releasing those emotions via pen and paper, actually will make you feel better. It can get crowded in your head, let your journal carry that weight for you.
Mediation/Deep Breathing
Sometimes you have to physically calm yourself down when the going gets tough. No matter where you are, or even who you are around, you can always take 10 slow and deep breaths to regain composure. Or you can start your day off meditating, to make sure you are present and not controlled by the impending future.
Talk to Someone
To be clear, I don’t mean talk to someone and ramble on about your anxiety. While, that can help, it can also sometimes make it worse. Call a friend or family member and ask them what’s going on in their lives. Get the other person talking until all you can think about is what is currently happening for them.
Don’t Fight it… Let yourself feel
The worse thing you can do in the face of anxiety is pretend it doesn’t exist. There’s nothing wrong with feeling anxious, it’s a very human emotion. Instead tell yourself “I am feeling anxious, but I am not an anxious person. This will pass.” It’s important to remember that no matter how bad, feelings are always fleeting. You will overcome this!
