I have battled with an anxiety/panic disorder for as long as I can remember. At age seven it became prominent in my life and surrounded itself around my personal image and traveling away from home. I struggled on and off for many years and once I returned to a state of balance, I seemed to relapse. It seemed to be triggered by life-changing events and once it took over, it became debilitating. I am a very hyper-sensitive person and often feel alone in the mindset I carry, but the truth is we all struggle with our own inner voice. Here are some things I have learned and am STILL learning to cope with poor mental health.

 

1. Changing your inner voice (and tricking your anxiety)

As much as we hate that inner critic or alarm in our body that is alerting us of possible danger, it is there to keep us safe. Back in the survival days, we were trained to survive when say a large, Saber-toothed tiger was coming towards us. In current days, we may not run into this exact situation, but our bodies mirror any threat with the same symptoms. This is why we must trick our bodies into realizing we are safe. My tiger has arrived in different situations, Its favorite place to go is on an airplane. To remain balance in my body when I feel anxiety arise in these situations, I use the One More Minute Method.

One More Minute Method: When a situation arises that you feel like you cannot handle, it may be too overwhelming to do all at once, so you just do it minute by minute. I used to get severe anxiety attack in the classroom at school where I would often leave to calm down at the nurses office. So I would make myself sit in the classroom for fifteen minutes and each minute after I would say , “In just a minute you can leave, but let’s just wait one more”. Eventually, I had finished a whole class period, and then another. I use the same method when I am flying, I tell my anxiety, one more minute than this plane can land. It may not be totally logical, (but your anxiety doesn’t know the difference). Life can be very challenging and feel unattainable at times, but ask yourself, “Can you just handle one more minute?”

2. Having a Backup Plan

Having a plan is essential to taking care of you.  Sometimes this requires medication or other tools that you have to just fall back on. If you are feeling trapped in a certain location, having a plan to safety leave, may help. Keeping medications on you, whether you take them or not, can act as a placebo for your brain to realize it has what it needs incase something goes wrong—It is also important to set your intentions when dealing with an anxiety attack. You may allow yourself to feel anxious or have an attack, but still plan to provide self love through it.

3. Using Imagery

Imagery has the ability to change your brain patterns if you allow it to. Imagining your anxiety or depression as a separate entity from yourself can help detach you and can help you deal with this energy from an outside perspective. My friends decided to give my anxiety the name, “Sarah” to help separate me from “her”. There are certain imagery practices and manifestation rituals you can do both everyday and during a relapse.

• Everyday: When struggling with symptoms of PTSD or Dissociative Disorder, EMDR and visualitization has helped me picture an alternative situation. Make it apart of your morning or evening routine to really recreate a positive memory in your mind. Sit with that memory and notice how you feel during it. Photos and music can help bring this memory to life as well.
• During an attack: When experiencing severe symptoms of distress, it can be hard to stay in the present moment. Using imagery and our senses to ground helps to distract our mind and gain control of our situation. When caught in a situation like this follow the 5 Sense Rule. When entering a place you may have an attack, bring sour candy for your taster factor in our practice.
  

   5 things to see, 4 things to touch, 3 things to hear, 2 things to smell, 1 thing to taste.

4. Sticking to a routine

Our anxiety (or Sarah) likes to prepare for the future. You may have heard the common saying that people with anxiety rewatch the same tv-shows because they can anticipate what’s happening. That is very true in our everyday lives and we can aid our anxiety in helping it prepare for the day. Write a schedule that you must stick to for the mornings and night, in your schedule can include a workout, a meal, or even time to do some deep breathing. When we sit a schedule, we become in control of our time. Sometimes, we can spend too much time focusing on our sorrows and we may need to schedule time our day or grief and feel our emotions entirely, then allow ourselves to let go and move forward in our plans.

5. Connect with Others

I know I have already touched on this subject too much, but it is just so important. We thrive off human connection and I am so grateful for my girlfriends that have come along side me in my journey. Being vulnerable with your struggle is necessary when your friends are looking for ways to help you. By being vulnerable with our problems, others feel they can open up as well. If you do not feel comfortable discussing these things with your friends, join a group. There are plenty of online or in-person support groups where you can relate to others.

You are never alone.

6. Move your body (In a fun way)

The best way to get rid of excess energy is physical activity. I’m aware when you feel low mentally, you may not be up to hitting the gym or running a mile, but there are more enjoyable, alternative ways to get moving.

• Learn Tai Chi. This has been my favorite activity to practice this week. Tai Chi is a free form martial arts that contains both soft/hard movements and challenges you to keep balance. It also incorporates mindfulness and breath work into your work out.
• Breakdance. Put on your favorite song or compose a fun playlist to get your body moving and let loose.
• Play a game of charades. This one not only helps you move, but also helps you to center your focus on another situation and connect with loved ones.

 

With love, Miss Rachel