I’m 25, I have general anxiety disorder and this Is how I deal with it.
I’m currently facing a difficult phase of anxiety, this is not the first time and I know it won’t be the last, but I feel the need to talk about it and I know these times are difficult for everyone and that I’m not alone feeling this way, so you’ll find in this article some tips that worked for me in the past.
What does anxiety look like for me?
Anxiety has many faces, in fact, it manifests itself in a different way for almost everyone.
For me, it’s mostly physical symptoms. Vertigo, lightheadedness, dizziness, dissociation, palpitations, difficulty breathing, poor sleep quality, back pain, and panic attacks are the most frequent symptoms, but it’s not every day the same.
These symptoms lead to worry, even though I’m always aware that it’s “just “ anxiety. I’m afraid that I’m going to die, but even more, that these symptoms will never go away and that they will destroy what’s good in my life.
Dissociation makes it hard for me to focus on the moment and to stay grounded, it’s like I’m behind a glass wall.
I’m a software engineer, I try to have a scientific approach to tackle the problem, so I created a plan to beat anxiety.
Since anxiety is so overwhelming, what I need during these moments is a fresh start, so here’s what I do.
The snowball effect
This is a well-known method used in personal finance, to get rid of your debt, I use it to declutter my brain.
The method is simple: we all have so many things we have to do but postponed them because we don’t have enough time (or we don’t take it…).
Just. do. them.
One by one, from the smallest to the biggest task. The small tasks will be done in no time, this has several benefits:
- You’ll feel satisfied because you accomplished something.
- You’ll declutter your brain because this is one less thing you’ll have to worry about today.
- This will occupy your mind, so you won’t be spending this time worrying.
- Since you don’t have this task to accomplish anymore, you’ll be able to spend your free time without feeling any guilt.
Tidy your space
I hate tidying, but doing it when I feel anxious helps me. It might be symbolic, but when I tidy the space around me, it feels like I tidy a bit of the mess in my brain as well.
It lessens the fear of losing something because it might be hidden under a pile of books, and the sight of a clean floor is satisfying to me.
Knowing that I won’t have to tidy and clean my apartment soon because I just did it is another way for me to release the pressure I feel at the moment.
Fix your diet
That’s basic advice but I found it very helpful.
Drink a lot of water. Stop alcohol and caffeine (or reduce it a lot).
Eat a lot of veggies.
Your body will like it. You’ll feel better, lighter.
Moreover, even though I’ve always been quite in good shape, seeing improvements on your body in the mirror will boost your mental health.
This is one good step towards the “I feel like myself again”
Exercise (but not too much)
I’m a sports guy, so this might be easier for me than for some of you. But exercising is one of the best ways to escape from the prison in your mind, plus, this goes along very well with a good diet and you’ll enjoy the compound effect.
When I feel anxious I tend to stop doing exercise, and this is a big mistake.
Exercise is good for your body and your brain (you probably already know it), you’ll find countless articles about it.
The hardest part is to find the right balance in the quantity & intensity of the exercises you’re doing. I noticed that, if I do too much quantity or intensity, I feel tight and sore, and this can worsen the symptoms of my anxiety the following days.
As a mountain runner, I try to create a good training plan and follow it during these difficult times, so I already know when and how much I need to run, this way I don’t have to worry about that.
I always feel good when I run, even on my worst days.
Focus on your sleep
If you’re anxious, you’re probably facing, like me, serious sleep issues.
Fixing these issues is for me a key point because I often feel that the lack of sleep is what leads to my anxiety issues.
Fixing your diet, tidying your place and exercise will all help to get more quantity & quality sleep.
If that’s not enough you should talk to a physician about it, lack of sleep is very common nowadays (and I believe, too often overlooked), but not everybody is built in the same, some people can deal with it pretty well, some can’t.
I certainly can’t, so I try to fix this as soon as I can.
Talk about it
For many people, it’s difficult to talk about their anxiety issues, but I feel like it’s important to do it to heal.
For me, it’s very important to talk about it to the person that lives with me. Because it’s not easy to understand what’s going on in my head. I struggle to understand it myself, so I know it’s even more difficult for the ones around me, sharing my fears allows my close relatives to understand the issue better, and therefore to help me better.
Seeing a therapist could also be a great idea, depending on how much you can deal with your issues. Having an external look, neutral, is always a good thing.
Write in a journal
I like to write my feelings in a journal. It helps me to take a step back to observe what really happened in the day.
I often find myself writing the things that bothered me that day, and reading them after, I realize that they weren’t that important and that I shouldn’t be angry or sad anymore for these irrelevant events of my day.
It doesn’t have to be well written. Just write what you feel at the moment, these notes are just for you, so don’t judge yourself for the quality or quantity of what you wrote.
Meditate
I’m awful at mediating. And It didn’t revolutionize my life like many influencers claim it will.
But when I do it, It makes me feel better.
Even if it’s just a tiny bit better, when I feel very bad, it is very welcomed.
You don’t have to do it for one hour per day. I do it 10 minutes a day, and that’s enough to see the benefits, so why not try it yourself? That’s like exercise, a bit is better than nothing.
You’ll find plenty of resources on this topic on the internet.
The cookie jar
This concept was brought to me when I read the book “Can’t hurt me” by David Goggins (If you haven’t read it, you should!).
This is just the act of reminding yourself what you’ve already overcome, and that if you’ve done it once (or multiple times), you can do it once again.
And once you’ve beaten anxiety once again, you’ll put that new victory in your cookie jar, to use it next time if you need it.
No matter how bad anxiety might feel at the moment, if you beat it before, you can beat it this time again.
And you will.
Enjoy life
I believe that life is not about money or fame. For me, it’s about good moments.
I live for these moments, they are everywhere around you, every day. Take your time to live them fully.
Stay strong, you’ll thrive after this bad moment of your life.
