Anxiety Resources that have worked for me

A fantastic and very thorough piece that lists some useful resources and treatments to explore on your journey with anxiety.

We would very much like to thank our reader who sent it in to help others seek ways of dealing with anxiety issues. The points are simple, practical and hopefully effective for you guys. Here goes:

The best app’s:

• Excel at Life CBT application, has a diary that focuses on challenging thoughts, 50 CBT tools, meditation and relaxation- and it’s free. Excel At Life Apps
• Recently found Daily CBT app in Goggle Chromestore. This is totally great as I am working on it’s just a thought, it’s not a monster thinking, and it challenges you to think how likely your presumed fear is. Really quick, easy and practical.
• Moodsmith – online CBT course. Not free but useful.
• Calm – my favourite new app. You can take 2 minutes from your day to just stop and listen to water, look at calming beautiful images. I love nature so it’s very calming. (Nothing beats the real thing, but this helps if you can’t be outside.)

Diet:

• If you’re trying to manage anxiety without medication, I love this guy and have some of his books (The Medical Chef). He has a new one out for anxiety and depression management which is on my hit list. Have not tried it but generally find his work positive in that he does not focus on faddy diets. The focus is on the medicinal and nutritional properties of food. Ingredients for recipes are also generally accessible. Stuff like oats, bananas, salmon, spinach – easy and good if you are feeding a family too.
• GI diet (Glycemic Index) – I do not endorse diets but blood sugar levels affect anxiety and hormones in your body. GI diet works by trying to balance this out – focus is on protein and slow releasing carbs. For me it’s not about losing weight, it’s about keeping healthy and feeling well.
• Reduce stimulants such as coffee and sugar as it creates spikes in your blood sugar levels.
• Alcohol -for me it makes it go away when I have a few glasses and the next day it creates havoc and I get really bad panic attacks. Its just not worth it.

Best Books:

• Helen Kinnerley – Overcoming Anxiety
• When Panic Attacks – Aine Tubridy
• Managing Anxiety using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Dummies
• Living with IT – Bev  Asbitt
• The Happiness Trap  – Russ Harris
• This Book will make you Calm –  Jessamy Hibberd, and Jo Usmar
• Anxiety Free – Patrick McKeown

Other helpful more spiritual books:

• The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle- mindfullness
• Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – non judgement and self compassion- I like it may not be for everyone – Deepak Chopra.

Here are a few other ideas and resources that I have found worked for me but may not for everyone:

• Lavender oil – look into contradictions for you- use in bath, helps you sleep etc
• Bach flower remedies
• Eucalyptus oil – I use on a tissue if I feel my chest is closing in and breathe it in
• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Reading about anxiety – knowledge is power.
• Reiki
• Emotional Freedom Technique- tapping acupressure.
• Sleeping routine put a plan in place. Stick to it as much as possible it makes a massive difference.
• Going on youtube find other people /stories coping mechanisms – Emma Stone, Adele other people have this too. You’re not alone.
• Structure on your life – slow down – take me time learn to say NO!
• Exercise – dance, swim, walk you may not think it but you will feel so much better for it.
• Have a goal you’re working towards – mine are putting anxiety in its box, 10x 10k runs this year then I hope a half marathon.
• Cooking
• Work less hours if you are overworking/study less.
• Do a bucket list
• Be kind to you- even if you try something and it fails. It takes guts to try and beat this – you’re trying and that’s what matters.
• Aware support groups
• Aware CBT online course
• Mindfulness- can help stop an over active mind in its tracks. Be present- banish the what if thoughts.
• Get rid of clutter
• Music – either calming or do happy playlists to dance your socks off.
• Breathing – so important deep breathing from your chest and in and out through the nose.
• Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR).
• Chamomile tea, Lemon balm tea, Valerian tea, Matcha tea are all lovely and relaxing
• Talk to doctor and other medical health professionals. This is very important. Look after you!
• Look for the root cause of your anxiety, if there is one. It could be an old trauma or growing up immersed in negative subtleties that did not serve you well. Address it and ask for help.
• Build an anxiety toolkit -see online sources AnxietyBC and HeretoHelp
• Remember if you have a setback it’s because you were progressing – I know it can be harder to pick yourself up as the fall is harder. But there has been progress. You’re doing something right!
• Structure your day – for me every action of my day is planned around managing this. From how I breathe, to what I eat, drink, when I am going to exercise, read about managing this. To try and deal with this I have had to look after me in ways I have never done before.
• Listen to people who inspire you- everyone has set backs. You can overcome it.
• NLP – neuro linguistic programming – positive thoughts.
• Watch funny programmes.
• Positive psychology.
• Mood tracker – do daily what helps your mood to stay up?
• Identify your triggers – find ways to diffuse them and plan.
• Serotonin boosting foods dark chocolate is one!
• Meet new people, reach out and extend your network. Do new things. It might scare you and sometimes I find I’m the one holding me back not it. It’s just the fear.
• Keep a gratitude journal. Don’t let anxiety cloud you so all you see is it.
• Catch a negative thought then tell it to shut up and go away. Challenge them. Take control.
• Write about it – the thing you fear, that Saturday night out with friends, the match, the wedding whatever, don’t censor, just let it flow. Catch the negative thinking and challenge those thoughts.
• Try everything you can and go with what works for you. I cannot stress enough this is a such a personal journey – there is no right or wrong way. It’s what works for you.
• When you know what works for you – then you know you have some control over it. Then it controls you less. This is super important – the game changer.
• Self love – love yourself enough to do whatever it takes. You’re worth it and you deserve it.
• Get a moodboard and write the above on it where you see it daily. Put other inspirational quotes there too or even just a list of what works for you.
• Laugh and have fun – once in a while let go.
• Do things you love, music, writing, photography etc.
• Do anything that calms you- light a candle, run a bath. Do it frequently.
• Last one but the most important – Get support. Talk with the people you love – tea and chats are the fabric of my life. They will help with set-backs and suggest other approaches, pull you out of the anxiety cave. They will help you beyond measure, talk to them and for me I didn’t have to tell them I had anxiety they knew and suggested ways to deal with it. That helped me because I didn’t have the words. I was so afraid to have that conversation but I’m glad they had the courage to start it have it with me. If you don’t have anxiety or mental health illness being able to recognise it in others and help them can make a massive difference to the person.

Things that I have not tried or tried but did not work for me but may for others:

• Buteyko breathing
• Medication
• Hypnotheraphy
• Lindel method.
• Grow- mental health support group.
• Positive affirmations – Louise Hay Book Heal your Life is good for this.
• Some people say art or being creative.

Hope some of this works or at least its ideas. I am still working on mine but as you can see I am trying.