Welcome to Dealing with Anxiety

 My anxiety spiked this week (for reasons that will not be detailed in this blog). Though I’ve been dealing with anxiety for sometime now, it can still be very difficult to get out of the spiral of negativity and worse case scenarios. And it’s not just the mental side that can be difficult to deal with, there can also be a physical side. 

Here are something’s I do when my anxiety meter is off the charts:

This photo I took in Iceland of some street art is a good representation of my anxiety.

• Go hiking and be out in nature - getting outside and physically active helps to slow down my racing thoughts rather than speed them up. Being around nature is grounding. My worries seem further away when I’m in on a forest or mountain path. Note: it might be difficult or impossible for some people to go out for a hike or out into nature. Going to a local park or just around the block of your neighborhood can be beneficial.
• Cleaning - you might be surprised how much better a person can feel after tidying up. I spent much of the weekend finally putting away Christmas decorations, vacuuming, and getting rid of things that no longer "brought me joy" (to quote Marie Kondo - who has admitted to throwing in the towel for some of her advice after kid number three - it's still good advice for decluttering though).
• Take a hot bubble bath - I don't know about the rest of you guys, but anxiety tends to take a physical toll along with the mental. When my muscles are tense, my shoulders extremely tense, and I can't relax the best thing for my body is a soak in the tub. Finding the right products to add to the bath can also be helpful. Some lavender essential oil or a soothing bath bomb can really add to the relaxing atmosphere or just some good old fashion bubbles. Note: once again, not everyone may have access to a bath tub or be physically able to use one. In these cases a hot shower will work too.
• Watch a comfort movie or TV show - make sure it's something you don't have to pay attention to, but have positive feelings for. It doesn't matter if it's a guilty pleasure or something really silly. I personally love watching "Alvin and the Chipmunk Meet the Wolfman" or an older Disney Channel Original Halloween Movie like "Phantom of the Megaplex".
• Use a calming breathing technique - Using a meditative breathing technique or simply counting my breaths are known to help my nerves settle. I'm currently working on a walking meditation tutorial and have found that the method used (breathing from the heart and out with a focus on the forehead) is very relaxing - and lets me go into a deeper meditation.

Though my troubles aren't going away anytime soon, the things listed above can help me reset my nervous system. Once that happens, I can tackle the problem and come up with solutions.

Do you guys ever struggle with anxiety. Do you have techniques you use to settle down. Share your experiences. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.