Anxiety is something that has been talked about more so recently than in the past. It has almost become a buzz word of sorts. A friend of mine recently stated, “It seems like everyone has some anxiety disorder!” And ya know what, she’s right! Most people have some level of anxiety about something in their lives. Anxiety is a spectrum. Some people have such severe anxiety that they have trouble leaving their home such as social anxiety or can’t leave their home at all, such as agoraphobia. Some people experience symptoms of anxiety when giving a presentation at work or school. I personally feel anxious in a car when I am driving as well as being a passenger. I always fear we are going to get in a car accident. I can feel my heart rate elevate and I get shortness of breath. Everyone has their own battle with anxiety, whether big or small. High on the spectrum or low. No matter where you are on the anxiety spectrum, symptoms of anxiety are a pain! Anxiety has a way of weaseling into your mind, controlling your thoughts. Anxiety can have you up at night with racing thoughts. On a more physical level, anxiety can cause you to breathe heavily, slowly, or cause shortness of breath. Anxiety can have you sweating and going through much deodorant. Something to know about anxiety is that it is a rabbit hole. Once you give into it, you can spiral. No matter what symptoms of anxiety you experience, severe or not, anxiety symptoms are not fun to deal with but there is hope! There are many ways to gain back control over your emotions. Everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for you so give these methods a try and find the best fit for you! Don’t worry. There is something out there that will work for you! The first step to dealing with your anxiety is identifying it. Understand how it affects your body. Next time you are feeling anxious, pay attention to your body. Are you feeling hot and sweaty? Are you cold or have chills? Are you shaking? How is your heart rate? Pay attention to your breathing pattern. It is helpful to understand how your anxiety is affecting your body physically. Grounding is a way to gain control over your mind and not let it run away with you. Once you start experiencing symptoms of anxiety try looking around the room. What do you see? What time is it? Where are you? Are you warm? Cold? Point out interesting objects or things you find to be appealing. Maybe a work of art or a plant. Say these items to yourself. Out loud or in your head. Breathing. A big symptom of anxiety is that it messes with your breathing pattern. It can slow it down or speed it up. Take control back of your breath and your body. Take a deep breath in and release it out slowly. Do this many times until you have a normal breathing pattern. Sensory. Giving yourself a hand massage, hugging yourself, or using aroma therapy. I love my anti anxiety hand cream. It’s a lovely smell that helps me to focus. Or take a nice, relaxing bath. Listen to soothing or happy, upbeat music. You can try these Stress Relief Lotions, Bath Bombs, or Essential Oil and Oil Diffuser! Social. Talk to a friend! Text or call a friend or family member. You don’t even have to tell them you are feeling anxious. Just talk to them about anything and hopefully your anxiety symptoms subside while engrossed in a conversation. Journaling. Write down what’s going on in your head. Write your thoughts and even your symptoms. Write out your feelings or even write a letter. It could be to you, a friend, family member or even to your anxiety! You Can Do It Journal! While some of these may work for you, the thing I found that works best for me is counting. Yes, counting. When I am anxious I count. I will do this numerous times a day if I have to. For some unknown reason this calms me and distracts me, which is odd enough because I hate math and numbers but counting is my go to strategy when I feel anxious. Anxiety can interfere in ones life but there is always a way to gain back control over your mind, body, and emotions. Try out a few strategies and find what works best for you! Sometimes switching it up is great too! Most importantly, be patient with yourself, be forgiving. Anxiety is tough but so are you! Let me know what works for you in the comments below!