Battling Anxiety can be a long and exhausting process, especially if you are undergoing therapy.
It took me 9 years of solid hard work to go from being too anxious to leave the house at all to running a wedding photography business by myself without getting anxious.
It can take it’s toll on you for sure!
Whilst you’re doing whatever it is you’re doing to overcome your anxiety, here’s a list of ways you can improve anxiety right now.
If you’re not currently doing anything then this list will be even more helpful!
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40 Ways You Can Improve Anxiety Right Now
- Put on a FUN song, that instantly cheers you up and makes you move your butt. Set it as your alarm whilst you’re at it.
- Take an energising shower, wash your hair, exfoliate the shit out of your face.
- Take deep long breaths.
- Eat healthy – it makes a huge difference to how we feel. This is the diet that works best for me but find out what works well for you.
- Watch something funny and laugh.
- Get some Vitamin D in ya! If your anxiety stops you from getting out in the sun, try a supplement. I use THESE because I don’t get out of the house much when I’m working from home and they are fab. I have so much energy afterwards which reduces my anxiety quite a bit.
- Write your thoughts down and keep track of when they typically occur.
- If you can get out, take a nice long walk somewhere quiet, away from cars, houses and people. Clear that head!
- Clean your house. Less clutter in your house, less clutter in your brain.
- Realise you can’t control every situation and that it’s okay.
- Say some nice things about yourself instead of focusing on anything negative.
- Be selfish for the day – do things just for you because it’s exhausting thinking about other people 24/7.
- Get unplugged. Turn off your phone, get off social media and do things that don’t require being logged in to something.
- Stretch your body and do some muscle relaxation.
- Do an exercise DVD.
- Try a candle-lit bath if you’re feeling stressed by your anxiety.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
- Do something you know you’re already good at and give yourself a confidence boost.
- Read a self help book.
- Try and get a better nights sleep – change of diet and more exercise may help this but if you still struggle to sleep this is something worth looking into, as tiredness only promotes anxiety.
- Write a nice letter to yourself that you can read for encouragement when things get really bad.
- Do some puzzles.
- Join a support forum or Facebook group (I have one here if you’d like to sign up).
- Make a list of achievable goals that you can’t start ticking off immediately.
- Think of something you enjoy doing and go do it.
- Fix something in the house that’s been nagging at you so it isn’t in the back of your mind anymore.
- Talk to someone about your feelings.
- Do one thing that scares you a little bit – use the phone, go to the store etc. Try this these challenges for some ideas.
- Try some essential oils.
- Do something kind for someone.
- Set yourself a craft or DIY project – you’ll feel awesome when you’ve completed it.
- Throw yourself into learning a new skill like web design, photography, baking etc.
- Make a list of things that make you grateful.
- Download an app for anxiety and stress.
- Have a friend come over and watch a movie, play some games.
- Tackle negative thoughts by only imagining positive things happening.
- Experience everything fully – take more notice of the taste of your food, the feel of your clothes, the sound of the rain.
- Pop some inspirational quotes somewhere you will see them everyday.
- Write down a list of your achievements, no matter how small and remember you can do so much more than you think.
- Listen to calming music.
These tips obviously won’t help you completely overcome your anxiety but should hopefully help you with the more immediate day-to-day stuff.
If you’re struggling severely and your anxiety is unbearable, you should definitely consult your doctor and find the best treatment for you, whether it’s therapy or medication or a mix of both.
If you have any tricks of your own that help you ease anxiety quickly, I would love to here about them in the comments!
I remember in this blog Litemind, there was this technique of writing a list of 100 on different topics. It’s part of this idea of writing an Idea List each day, for any topic you desire, and having at least 5-10 ideas as a quota. It doesn’t have to be good. It can be horrible. The point is to make as many ideas as possible so that there can be as many ideas as possible that it would increase the chances of having a really, really good idea among all the bad ideas. This is a creative technique or brainstorming technique, and if you look it up, there is a lot. You can also look up “books on creativity,” or “creativity,” exercises for more like this.
Other than using this for creative expression, it’s helpful to think of ideas for everyday practical problems, or as a way to journal certain feelings. My favorite version of the 100 list is to write “100 worries I have,” or “100 excuses to not make progress,” and I was so amazed how at first, there was much, much, more than just 100 before. Of course, it doesn’t have to be as many as 100, but a list of 100 really packs a different punch to gaining self awareness. Sometimes writing a list like that, at least for me, is calming in itself even without practically implementing certain ideas. So if you’re stuck on any type of problem, creative techniques like this really work. I like to work with “Lateral Thinking Puzzles,” or “Lateral Thinking Riddles,” to exercise my creative brain a bit, so when I try to solve a practical problem, the ideas come easier after that.
I don’t do photography, but I like writing short stories and drawing, though this can work for anything creative, and almost everything practical, from your job to your mental health. Some even say it’s best to practice making a short Idea List everyday to practice your creative muscles, so you can learn to express yourself more. People who would never call themselves creative can become rather talented after trying techniques like this. Look up “creative techniques list,” online, for example.
It’s particularly great if you’re stuck at something, really.