There are many things you can do (don’t try, do) to help with anxiety and overthinking, including:
Breathing exercises: This is a MUST. Get those belly (diaphragmatic) breaths going right now if you’re feeling anxious - a good 10-20 of them. Done them? How do you feel now? If you’re not sure how to do this, organise a session and I’ll show you.
Talking to someone: Talking about your feelings / thoughts / situation can help you understand them - this exploration can help you to face your issues and develop a plan of action of how to deal with them. This way, you’re dealing with the problem, not living with and running away from it. A trusted friend, family member, or counsellor (like me! :o) ) with your best interest at heart, can help with this.
Exercise: Physical activity like walking, running, swimming, or yoga can help you relax, get those endorphins going, to help you feel more energised, relieve pain / stress and improve your feelings of wellbeing.
Healthy diet: Eating regularly and keeping your blood sugar stable can help with your mood and energy levels, especially if you’re diabetic. Eating / drinking the wrong things can impact your mood e.g. drugs, or alcohol. N.b. alcohol is a depressant in and of itself - yes it may help you relax in the short-term, but long term, the problem you’re running from is still there. So deal with the problem, and then you can relax long-term.
Sleep: Getting enough sleep can give you the energy to cope with difficult feelings. But this is difficult if you’re stuck in the difficult feelings and overthinking. This creates Cortisol, which overpowers Melatonin - see my “Why can’t I sleep blog”.
Distraction / Staying in the present: Activities like reading, meditation, or taking a walk can help keep your stress levels down and help with sleep. Helps you to focus on something more positive in the present, and reminds you that here and now, there’s no life and death threat, and that you’re safe.
Journaling: Jotting down your thoughts and breaking them into actionable steps can help. This slows down the process and gives you time to fully understand what’s going on and why.
Focus on successes: Focusing on your successes can help shift you from the natural negative bias.
Chamomile: Chamomile tea can help with relaxation.
Green tea: Green tea contains theanine, which has anti-anxiety and calming effects.
Valerian: Valerian has been used to ease anxiety since the second century A.D. apparently, I don’t know, I wasn’t there, but that’s what ‘they’ say! :)
I hope you found this useful. If you want to do some training to understand more, there’s the Personal Power and Pride Program for you. Or if you want to go into more depth, feel free to arrange a counselling session.
All the best to you for now, and remember, you don’t have to live with it, overcome it.
(If I can do it, then so can you!).
Eilir
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