NoMedsThanks
07-25-2014, 09:13 AM
Hi all,
I just joined today and wanted to list some things here that have helped me calm down. I have by no means beaten my anxiety, but am learning to control it and certainly am not letting it prevent me from doing the things I want to do. Feel free to agree or disagree with any or all of these, but I just hope these can help some people out.
1. Sleep. Honestly nothing works better for me than sleeping. Sometimes I just get too nervous or worried and there are too many symptoms happening for me to calm down. I just lie in bed and force myself to sleep, no matter how uncomfortable I might feel. By the time I wake up I always feel like myself again. I also find that getting enough sleep is just as important (for me, that's close to 10 hours!), as I'm more likely to feel anxious if I haven't slept long enough. On weekends and holidays, I sometimes even grab a nap in the afternoon. It's like a little anxiety reset button that can keep me worry free for the whole day.
2. Get away, even if it's only for a few minutes. I feel like a bit of a failure when I have a make a run to the bathroom or step outside for a bit, but sometimes I just need to be alone and limit stimulation as much as possible in order to get things under control. I find this greatly preferable to simply going home when I start to feel nervous in public. Usually getting some air or sitting alone in the restroom will let me get a hold of myself so that I can keep enjoying time with friends.
3. Have an escape plan. It really freaks me out when I feel like I can't get out of a place if I need to. On a plane or bus, I just have to deal with it, but for other situations I find that there are some little things I can do to reassure myself. At shows or movies I always opt for an aisle seat so I can get out quickly if necessary. It also helps me to have someone around who knows about my anxiety and won't think I'm being rude or awkward if I need to go.
4. Drink tea. Make sure it's the caffeine free kind, as some teas have more than even a cup of coffee (caffeine is a huge trigger for my anxiety). Any herbal tea helps me out, with some being better than others. I have no idea why this seems to help, but it does. I often just keep a water bottle in my office and throw in a teabag or two during the day. I don't like hot drinks that much.
5. Touch. When I get REALLY anxious and nothing else is working, sometimes the only thing that can calm me down is holding my girlfriend's hand. Petting my dog or cat is a close second. Seems cheesy, but it works.
6. Alcohol. I've heard mixed things about this, but a drink or two really calms me down, and fast. I don't recommend making a habit out of it, but there are definitely situations where I think it's very helpful. A party can be a pretty stressful occasion for me at times, and since everyone is drinking anyway, it can make it tolerable and much more enjoyable as I don't have to worry about anything preventing me from enjoying myself. In particular, I always have a drink on flights as it's pretty much the only reliable way for me to get through a bumpy ride.
7. Hobbies. Pretty much anything that requires my concentration will distract me from feeling anxious. This includes sports, video games, crafts, reading, and even sex. Two things that do NOT work for me at all are TV, and music. They just don't require enough of my attention to distract me.
8. Communication. I used to just pretend I was fine and then freak out my girlfriend suddenly when things got out of hand. Eventually, we came up with a system that helps me tell her I'm a little anxious without making a big deal out of it. Whenever I feel a bit off, I just casually tell her "I feel a little weird today". She knows what that means, and I make sure I don't use that phrase for any other situation. Sometimes we use a rating system out of 10 so I can let her know how anxious I am feeling. This is as much for her benefit as it is for mine, but I find that it helps to know that someone has your back.
9. Push yourself. I'm not a thrill seeker and I hate heights. Even so, I still force myself to do things that I'm not entirely comfortable with (like riding roller coasters or taking a dance class), because I know that if I start to use anxiety as an excuse to stay home, I'll stop doing almost everything. I know this because my sister and aunt have done exactly that, and rarely get out much. Every time I do something that makes me nervous and get through it, it gives me more confidence to know that I can probably get through any situation without anxiety getting in the way.
Hope this can be useful to others.
I just joined today and wanted to list some things here that have helped me calm down. I have by no means beaten my anxiety, but am learning to control it and certainly am not letting it prevent me from doing the things I want to do. Feel free to agree or disagree with any or all of these, but I just hope these can help some people out.
1. Sleep. Honestly nothing works better for me than sleeping. Sometimes I just get too nervous or worried and there are too many symptoms happening for me to calm down. I just lie in bed and force myself to sleep, no matter how uncomfortable I might feel. By the time I wake up I always feel like myself again. I also find that getting enough sleep is just as important (for me, that's close to 10 hours!), as I'm more likely to feel anxious if I haven't slept long enough. On weekends and holidays, I sometimes even grab a nap in the afternoon. It's like a little anxiety reset button that can keep me worry free for the whole day.
2. Get away, even if it's only for a few minutes. I feel like a bit of a failure when I have a make a run to the bathroom or step outside for a bit, but sometimes I just need to be alone and limit stimulation as much as possible in order to get things under control. I find this greatly preferable to simply going home when I start to feel nervous in public. Usually getting some air or sitting alone in the restroom will let me get a hold of myself so that I can keep enjoying time with friends.
3. Have an escape plan. It really freaks me out when I feel like I can't get out of a place if I need to. On a plane or bus, I just have to deal with it, but for other situations I find that there are some little things I can do to reassure myself. At shows or movies I always opt for an aisle seat so I can get out quickly if necessary. It also helps me to have someone around who knows about my anxiety and won't think I'm being rude or awkward if I need to go.
4. Drink tea. Make sure it's the caffeine free kind, as some teas have more than even a cup of coffee (caffeine is a huge trigger for my anxiety). Any herbal tea helps me out, with some being better than others. I have no idea why this seems to help, but it does. I often just keep a water bottle in my office and throw in a teabag or two during the day. I don't like hot drinks that much.
5. Touch. When I get REALLY anxious and nothing else is working, sometimes the only thing that can calm me down is holding my girlfriend's hand. Petting my dog or cat is a close second. Seems cheesy, but it works.
6. Alcohol. I've heard mixed things about this, but a drink or two really calms me down, and fast. I don't recommend making a habit out of it, but there are definitely situations where I think it's very helpful. A party can be a pretty stressful occasion for me at times, and since everyone is drinking anyway, it can make it tolerable and much more enjoyable as I don't have to worry about anything preventing me from enjoying myself. In particular, I always have a drink on flights as it's pretty much the only reliable way for me to get through a bumpy ride.
7. Hobbies. Pretty much anything that requires my concentration will distract me from feeling anxious. This includes sports, video games, crafts, reading, and even sex. Two things that do NOT work for me at all are TV, and music. They just don't require enough of my attention to distract me.
8. Communication. I used to just pretend I was fine and then freak out my girlfriend suddenly when things got out of hand. Eventually, we came up with a system that helps me tell her I'm a little anxious without making a big deal out of it. Whenever I feel a bit off, I just casually tell her "I feel a little weird today". She knows what that means, and I make sure I don't use that phrase for any other situation. Sometimes we use a rating system out of 10 so I can let her know how anxious I am feeling. This is as much for her benefit as it is for mine, but I find that it helps to know that someone has your back.
9. Push yourself. I'm not a thrill seeker and I hate heights. Even so, I still force myself to do things that I'm not entirely comfortable with (like riding roller coasters or taking a dance class), because I know that if I start to use anxiety as an excuse to stay home, I'll stop doing almost everything. I know this because my sister and aunt have done exactly that, and rarely get out much. Every time I do something that makes me nervous and get through it, it gives me more confidence to know that I can probably get through any situation without anxiety getting in the way.
Hope this can be useful to others.