My Top 3 Ways to Deal With Anxiety

We live in a fast-paced world, which seems even faster the “slower” you are going in life. Yep, that time when you’re totally clueless but everyone around you had somehow cracked the code to living a better life. Sometimes it's not entirely that you are “behind” everyone else, it is about you being extremely frightened of making the wrong decisions, taking the wrong path, the wrong risk. It is the anxiety that traps you into stagnation. I’m not going to say, “Do not compare yourself to anyone.” That is a true statement but it’s also perhaps the absolute worst thing you could say to someone suffering from anxiety. You see, anxious people tend to compare themselves a lot to others because their brains are constantly scanning for threats, uncertainty, or for confirmation that something is fundamentally wrong with them. If you are suffering from bouts of anxiety, here are 3 stress-free ways to lighten your burden and calm your mind.

Reconnect with nature

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.”

Psalm19:1-2

There’s nothing that points more clearly to the Creator than nature itself. Creation speaks. It

communicates. Rolling hills, crashing waves, the sound of birds chirping, a beautiful garden--it has the ability to draw out so much wonder from the heart making your anxious thoughts gravitate outside of yourself into a much bigger subject that is completely outside of yourself. Nature humbles you in a way nothing else can. Anxiety thrives on “what is lacking” while nature says, “Look how awesome I am!” Anxious people tend to have unrealistically high standards of perfection. Nature is perfect.

Make a journal entry

The mind treats unfinished stuff (thoughts, experiences, events) as unclosed tabs in your brain. Interestingly, it has also been found that writing (converting your experiences or feelings into words) is the most common way to shut down those endless tabs (and to heal from trauma). Stop for a moment and think of all the open tabs in your head right now: the numerous business ideas, career paths, how the economy is affecting you, how to upscale, your love life--every single tab is still left open because you have never fully processed it by writing it down. You’re writing it not to share it, not to necessarily understand it, not even solve the problem of what you feel or how you should be feeling. You're writing it down to "close the tab." Write it down to shut it down!

“Today, it may be beneficial to simply write about the event itself, how you felt when it was occurring and how you feel now…it is important that you really let go and examine your deepest emotions and thoughts surrounding this upheaval in your life.”

James W. Pennebaker, Expressive Writing: Words That Heal.

Sleep, yep, sleep!

“Sleep deprivation is an anxiety amplifier.”

Dr. Matthew Walker

The body is the most intricate computer system ever built, but just like any computer, it gets overheated sometimes and just needs to be turned off. Like Elijah, a lot of us simply need to be treated to some good food and an amazing nap. Nothing more, nothing less.

Try these three simple ways this week and let me know if it helps you in the littlest way!

XOXO,

Gem