Tip Top Tactics for Surviving Anxiety
As a long time anxiety sufferer, I want to share a few tips of things that help to calm me down in particularly anxious and panicked times.
If you’re having a panic attack
Repeat after me: a panic attack cannot hurt you. I know it feels like it might, but you are safe and it will pass. You are definitely not going to die.
Try to breathe in time with this wonder.
Distract yourself. Play a really mindless game like tetris or snake, do some colouring in or doodling, or play with a rubix cube or similar puzzle.
It may help to ground yourself. A good way of doing this is by noticing five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. Alternatively find some items that have a distinctive feel, like a really soft blanket, a very cold glass of water, a warm mug of tea, a well cuddled soft toy, and concentrate on noticing how they feel.
If you have a trusted friend or family member, call them up and ask them to help you talk yourself through it. Get them to help you with grounding yourself or with reassurance that you’re okay.
Give yourself a cuddle and remind yourself that you are okay, and still here and doing amazingly.
Persistent low to medium levels of anxiety are the worst. Sometimes you can work round it, but sometimes you just want to hunker down and wait it out. Here’s some ideas:
Acknowledge the anxiety. Accept it’s there, and then go and get on with your day. Take it slow if the anxiety is bad: just do a couple of things on your to-do list! Congratulate yourself for the small achievements, and on your bravery for working through the anxiety.
Have a little bit of quiet time. Do some breathing exercises, or ground yourself, like above. A bit of head space can help!
If it’s making you restless and ansty, go for a run.
If it’s bad, don’t try and fight it. Make yourself a little den, with things that make you feel safe. Get in your dressing gown or under a blanket with a hot drink and a snack and watch a movie that you love. Light a candle or look at photos that make you happy. Wait for it to pass (it will pass).
Nice ways of relaxing yourself include having a bath, painting your nails, doing yoga or pilates or watching this video of baby pandas.
The absolute worst kind of anxiety. I spend so much time being anxious about not being asleep that I prevent myself from sleeping. Or waking up at 2am having a panic attack. THE WORST.
If you can’t fall asleep, don’t fight it. Do something else for a bit instead, like reading a happy book or doing some writing. If you’re awake because you’re worrying about things you have to get done, write those things down in a to-do list. No using blue screens though!
If you have terrible anxiety induced insomnia, then over the counter sleeping tablets can help give you a couple of nights good sleep and get you back on track. Also try herbal remedies like lavender oil on your pillow.
A warm bath before bed can relax you. The temperature change afterwards also tells your body that it’s time to sleep.
Develop ways of making yourself feel safe if you wake panicking in the night. Maybe it’s cuddling a favourite stuffed toy, or listening to Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter, or getting up and drinking warm milk. Find what suits you.
Anxiety in a public place
Try to move to somewhere quiet. If you’re with someone, let them know that you’re anxious or panicked, and ask them to guide you to a quiet place where you may feel more comfortable.
If you’re alone, phone someone you trust, and ask them to talk you through the anxiety, or to walk you back to a place you feel safe.
If you’re out for the day, find somewhere (maybe a cafe or a park) to sit for a little bit. Do some breathing exercises and ground yourself. Sit until you feel better.
Don’t worry about what the people around you think. Seriously. I have cried in a lot of supermarkets, and either people don’t care because they are too preoccupied with buying oven chips, or they offer to help.
Anxiety in response to deadlines/work stress
When you’re faced with a seemingly insurmountable quantity of work, break it down into chunks. It’s easy to panic about an infinite amount of work, but it’s a lot harder to panic when you’ve planned it out and can see that you’ve got time to do it all and also have breaks!
Prioritise. If you’re anxious and not working to your full capacity, just pick the important things and do them.
Ask someone else to help you plan. They may be better able to prioritise and rationalise than you.
Flag up things that are likely to be a problem with your tutor, if you feel comfortable doing so. They may be able to put support in place for you, or at least be more understanding if you miss a deadline or two.
Take breaks. You will only get more anxious if you try to work for hours on end. Do 40 minutes work and then have a 10 minute break to do something relaxing.
You cannot do everything. Don’t try.
General life hacks for every day
Exercise! This is one of the best things you can do: exercise gets rid of all that excess adrenaline built up from anxiety. Starting running three times a week is perhaps the single best thing I have done for my anxiety.
Consider not drinking coffee, or at least drink it in moderation.
A small amount of alcohol (e.g. a small glass of wine) may relax you, but any more is liable to make anxiety worse.
Medication can be your friend! If you think it could be helpful, go and talk to your doctor about it.
Be open about how you’re feeling with your family and friends. Having a support network around you is super important, and the people who love you will want to help.
Be kind to yourself. Anxiety is a bitch, and you’re doing great.
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