Living with Anxiety and helpful ways to manage it

Dear Reader, 

Anxiety can be debilitating and overwhelming at times but you are not alone. Did you know that 1 in 5 adults in the United states are said to have anxiety disorder. Here I will share my story and share some things that helped me that you may find helpful. 

Anxiety, and so it happened. 

I woke up one day and started my morning. Got ready for work, grabbed my favorite coffee and off I went. Like most days I was happy, healthy and full of energy then out of nowhere something felt wrong, what was happening. I had never experienced this before. The walls were closing in on me, I could not hear well, things started to look blurry and I found myself screaming I cannot breath. I literally thought that I was going to die. I was so scared, so thankful that my cousin was with me that day. As the ambulance stormed into my job to get me.  The paramedics placed an oxygen mask around my face and put me in the ambulance and off I went. when we got to the hospital the doctor ordered up every test and ran it, then he came in to talk to me and said Mrs Starks, you are completely healthy you were experiencing a ANXIETY ATTACK  wait what is that i thought I had never heard of it before and they sent me on my way..... 

From that day on I had no idea that I would spend the next 2 years of my life living and battling severe anxiety and to be honest If it had not been for my cousin Oshana I am not sure if I would have made it. She helped me through some really hard days but one thing that she would always say that stuck with me was " one day you will have to help someone else through this' ' and boy was she right. Since learning to cope and live with anxiety because every now and then it tries to creep in. I have helped a few friends along the way,  And now I Hope that I can help you too.  Below I will share some things that have been helpful for me when I am feeling anxious.

Disclaimer: these tips are intended to help however I am not suggesting that anyone that is taking medication discontinue any recommendations from their medical professional. 

Helpful Tips For Managing Anxiety 

1. Water, it may sound crazy but hydration is very important, dehydration can trigger anxiety and stay hydrated! 
2. Rest, Listen to your body! Do not overexert yourself, set boundaries and do not take on too much. Establish a night time routine and stick to it, proper rest can reduce your anxiety levels by 30 percent. 
3. Phone A Friend, Sometimes talking on the phone can help you stay calm 
4. Diet, Did you know that unhealthy foods will spike your sugar levels and bring on anxiety. practice having a balanced diet and minimize caffeine it is also known to negatively affect those with anxiety. 
5. Stay In the present, when you are feeling anxious focus on something that you can hear, see, smell and feel. try to stay in the present, do not let your mind wonder. practice slow steady breathing and meditation. I also kept a journal to write down my feelings and also things to do. do not try to store it all in your brain, write it down trust me it helps. 
6. Self Talk, I began to keep a diary to keep track of my behavior and activities when I would feel anxious and I would say to myself. I am giving this anxiety 20 seconds to do whatever it is going to do and then I am going on with my life! It really helped. 
7. Exercise, exercise is the number one recommendation for anxiety and is used the LEAST! exercise deters you from the very thing that you were anxious about! get your heart rate up! It changes the brain chemistry and will release anti- anxiety neurochemicals. 

Remember: you will get stronger and stronger everyday and like me you will help someone else on this journey some day. I hope that these tips are helpful.  If you have a friend or loved one that is battling anxiety please share this article with them. Please comment and let me know if you try any of my tips and if they are helpful to you. Until next time Love and Light.