On some level, it’s a nagging reality for ALL of us. These are my tips for managing anxiety to help you feel more relaxed and put yourself first!

Dreamers, today’s post is a bit of a different (and somewhat sensitive) one. But given that I think we all deal with anxiety on some level it’s relatable. For the past…oh six months or so…I’ve gone through some changes in dealing with my own anxiety and while laying in bed at 3 am thought why not make a post about it?

So anxiety. Ugh. A nagging sensation that likes to annoy us all at the least convenient times. It can be a minor on-edge feeling or it can be a full blown panic attack. Fact is, anxiety manifests in a number of ways and while we can’t necessary make it go away…we do have the ability to control the way we respond to and manage it. Some people like to just take deep breaths, others need to take a different approach, such as taking things like lorazepam 2mg. All that matters though is doing whatever works for you. No matter what you do to stop your anxiety and get to sleep then it’s fine. You need to sleep in your life so you need to do everything you can to help yourself.

So that’s what I wanted to chat about today. The things I do to help tame anxiety when it starts rearing it’s ugly head!

Tips to Help Manage Anxiety

Of course, I’m not a doctor. I’m just sharing with you today things that in my experience help manage anxiety and make me feel like I’m at the very least being proactive. Probably the worst feeling in the world is feeling powerless and with anxiety, that’s something we can all face. In the end though, I think finding ways to center yourself and focus on caring for your mind and body together (blah, blah…I know) can really be a big help!

Calming Oils and Scents

Obviously meditation and breathing exercises are popular ways of managing anxiety. I’ve started taking that to another level by adding in some oils. When I feel tense or anxious, I’ll sprinkle some drops directly on my chest and massage in as far as my nose. This way, when I take deep breaths I’m met by the Uber calming scents that basically make the whole experience feel a little bit “spa” like.

Favorite oils of mine are the Woodhouse Day Spa‘s Serenity oil and Aveda Stress-Fix composition oil.

Piping Hot Cup of Peppermint Tea

Oh goodness do I love a good cup of peppermint tea, especially for managing anxiety. There’s something so so satisfying and soothing about the mixture of warmth and coolness. In the last year I’ve taken to having tea several nights a week before bed and I think it definitely helps me sleep more soundly which brings me too…

SLEEP!

I’ll be honest, as a night owl this is a hard one for me. It’s in my nature to want to stay up late but I’ve had to start putting my best interest first and hit the pillow a lot sooner. That means, 10 pm rather than 1 am. While I miss my late nights, I can tell getting more sleep truly does make a difference.

When your body is tired you feel agitated and your level of anxiety only seems to be magnified. So obviously, sleep is going to help you out.

Insomnia? Oh yes, I deal with that too. Most nights, I don’t have trouble falling asleep but wake up after a couple of hours staring at the ceiling with my mind racing. At those times, I’ve found that fighting to get back to sleep only makes the situation worse. So that’s when I turn to my oils and do some breathing exercises to unwind. Sometimes I’ll even put something quietly on my iPad to watch and listen with my eyes closed. The sooner the pressure comes off, the sooner I find myself drifting back to sleep.

Regular Exercise

I recently joined a new gym and definitely notice a big difference in how I’m bettering managing my anxiety when going 5 days a week. At the gym, I keep boredom at bay by mixing up what I do. Pilates on Saturdays. Water aerobics on Mondays (and sometimes Wednesdays). Elliptical and weights on the days in between. There’s no question I feel a gazillion times better after a workout than I did when I started. If I’m feeling particularly agitated, setting the right music and losing myself in the motions really does wonders!

Yoga, in particular, can also be a tremendous help. Or if the term ‘yoga’ freaks you out, just get on the floor and do some stretching exercises while breathing.

Disconnecting and Turning off Notifications

One thing that has REALLY helped me? Turning off the nagging red notifications on my phone. Obviously we’ve all heard how important it is to step away from our email and social accounts, but when you see that red alert with notifications screaming at you…it feels like pressure to reengaging.

Do yourself a favor and go into your phone settings to manage your notifications. Definitely turn off all sound alerts (hello, annoying) but also the visual push notifications on your email and social media accounts. All of those new messages will be there waiting for you when you’re ready!

Meds

Okay, here’s a taboo subject and one I know many people feel differently about. My whole life I’ve found that while medication is important…you have to meet it with lifestyle.

That’s why I wanted to mention this last. In the fall I talked to my doctor about a new medication and while I definitely thinks it helps me in managing anxiety…I also know there’s no way I could rely on that alone. My advice is to talk to your doctor about your options and how you can balance any possible meds with lifestyle habits.

Hoping for a ‘magic’ pill isn’t enough. You definitely need to take steps on your own to develop better habits.

What are YOUR Tips for Managing Anxiety?

Remember, sharing is caring and like I said…we all deal with anxiety at some point in our lives. When you’re feeling ‘on edge’, what makes you feel better? Let us know!

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Stay stylish and chase your dreams!

XOXO
Kelly

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