"All stress, anxiety, depression, is caused when we ignore who we are, and start living to please others."
- Paul Coelho, 2014
Last week I needed a mental health break because I was feeling overwhelmed, which Katie was supportive of and kindly took over. Now I'm back and feeling much better and ready to share things I do to keep my anxiety in check.
Having Control is something I need to feel I have in order for my anxiety to subside. When I feel like I don't have control my mental health begins to deteriorate.I know that most things in life I cannot be controlled, so there are little things in my life that I do to take back some control. Even the smallest things make me feel strong enough to control my anxiety.
• Controlling my sleep: I like to be asleep by 11:30pm, choosing when to sleep is really important to me, it helps me know that I can stay awake if I wanted to but I’m making the active decision to rest. This goes hand in hand with me choosing to wake up early; I make sure to set an alarm for either 7:20 am or 8am if I want to rest more. This ensures me that I can complete all my planned tasks before noon and rest most of the day. For work however, I like to be up before the sun at 5am. Waking up at 5am, I can slowly get ready to face the day, being up in the silence brings me to tranquility and my anxiety subsides.
• Exercise: I’ve mentioned this in past blog posts. Exercising is something that allows me to have control over my body. It is frustrating sometimes when I am unable to lose the amount of weight I desire, and it’s something that plays up my anxiety but I have to remind myself that exercising and eating well will eventually let me see my desired results. It is a slow process but I am still in control.
• Cooking: This is more about choosing what I put in my body. When I do my own cooking I choose every ingredient and the quantity. I’m less worried about calories and other things that make me anxious and more, proud of myself for taking time out to cook. Cooking is also therapeutic for me. the sounds of cutting vegetables, sizzling and boiling foods puts me in a state of relaxation, I find it comforting to cook.
• Cleaning: Whether this be organising furniture or dusting my room, changing the look of my everyday environment enables me to feel happy. It’s important to live comfortably.
• Meditation/Breathing exercises: With the busyness of life, it can be hard to rest that it feels like, you don’t get time to breathe. I’ve made it a goal to meditate and allow myself time to breathe and then face the day. In this time I aim to refocus my breathing as I can feel breathless in the mornings.
• Journaling: I keep a bullet journal for my everyday tasks and at the end of the day I like to write about ‘the best things that happened’. I do this so I can focus on the positives of the day and perhaps forget anything bad that occurred. Remembering all the things in my day and in my life that are good takes away my anxiety as I am able to look to a bright future.
• Taking breaks when I need them: I cannot stress enough how important breaks are for your mental health. Whether it be a day out with good friends or a self-care day at home, allowing yourself time to catch a breath is a lifesaver. You cannot function without rewarding yourself with time to rest.
When anxiety hits you, you don't need to deal with it alone. It's okay to ask for help and rest.
These are just simple things that help me deal with it alone before I need to seek support from my friends and family. Please don't be afraid of asking for help.
Imaan xx
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