Dealing With Anxiety

Hi friends!

Me again! Okay so one thing I deal with and I'm sure a bunch of others deal with is ANXIETY.

Here's a little background on my personal experience with it!  Pretty much all of my life I've been a pretty stressed out person, but it was probably around first grade when I really realized what was going on.  It started with small stuff like school, which we all just know and love the effects it can take on our bodies yay! But if I forgot a homework assignment or didn't study for a test, I noticed that my ears would start to get really hot (or so it seemed) and I would turn white as a ghost which is pretty extreme considering I'm already a super pale person.  I figured out easy ways to avoid this like just being prepared and boom, anxiety was suppressed for a few years! Over the years, my anxiety has gradually come about again just due to life.  Hey, it happens to the best of us! My junior year of high school was when it really started getting tough for me though.  I had really low self esteem and was going through stuff at home too. Senior year was when everything exploded.  I had my first real panic attack and let me tell you it was not fun.  Hyperventilating, feeling like I was ready to die, the whole shebang.  Luckily for me, I've only had a few of these massive ones in the past year or so.

So here are some things I do to help me calm down in the midst of these attacks!

1. Be prepared.  I find that if I am organized, have a schedule and allow myself time within the day to catch my breath, it's a lot easier to cope with things, in turn you avoid the stress. Woohoo!
2. Remove yourself from the situation causing you anxiety. This one is pretty self explanatory, but if you feel an anxiety or panic attack coming on, take a deep breath and go somewhere that calms you. It could be your bedroom, a bathroom, outside, or if you're lucky, a beach.  Where ever you can go that you feel safe, GO.
3. Breathe.  This one is a big one for me.  Because I tend to hyperventilate during a panic attack, I usually stop whatever I am doing and try to catch my breath. What helps for me is putting a tissue over my mouth, a towel, or even my shirt to try and help filter my breathing, basically forcing myself to breathe slower. 
4. Talk. I am currently in my first year of college eight hours away from home which seems like an eternity to me.. even though it's really not.  If you're like me, you are really close with your family and get homesick leading to anxiety.  I find that talking to your friends and family from home either on the phone, facetiming, or even to just shoot them a text letting them know how you're feeling, it'll help tremendously. 

PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT PROFESSIONAL TIPS. 

Well that about sums it up! People, please take into consideration that anxiety is a serious thing and should not be taken lightly or as a joke.  There are a lot of people who struggle with this disorder and it affects everyone in different ways. 

Thanks lovelies! Also, if you made it all the way to this sentence, props to you!

-Emma