In the busy lives that we lead, we can often get a little caught up in our ‘to do’ lists and all of the things that we need to get done. But if we don’t find time for ourselves, our wellbeing and overall health can really suffer. In particular, one thing that you might be finding more and more is that you suffer from anxiety. It can be as a result of stress, but technically, it is described as fear or worry over an upcoming event. It can be panicking over something that may happen, which is negative, and it doesn’t really have any reason to be true. This can lead to raised heart rate, lack of sleep, poor concentration, and basically, just take over our lives, right up until the event happens.

While a bit of preparation and worry can sometimes be a good thing to help you cover all of your bases, the problem arises when you are having anxiety over things that aren’t always real. In this days and age, we don’t have too many physical stressors, but it means that the little things, like a never-ending to-do list, overflowing email inbox, or losing the car keys before you need to go somewhere, can tip us over the edge.

There are many things that we can do to help ourselves overcome the anxiety that we feel. If you find that you are not functioning as you should, then it could be time to talk to your doctor, or arrange to speak with a counselor using a site like www.thrivetalk.com. This can be important if you find the thoughts are intrusive or if you feel like you have to do certain things, otherwise something bad could happen. If you feel occasional anxiety over things that you have coming up in life, and it can creep up on you out of nowhere, then there are a few things that you can try out at home. Here are some things that you could look at trying out.

Sleep

We all know how we feel when we don’t get enough sleep. It can put us in a bad mood, make us crave eating junk, and just generally make us pretty cranky. So one of the things to do is to get some sleep. It could be that you need to take a day off and sleep in or take a nap. When we are refreshed and have had enough sleep, it makes it easier to deal with anything that might come our way.

Declutter Your Mind

Just as we know a messy house can affect our mood and stress us out a little, having a ‘messy’ mind can have a similar effect. When we have lots going on and lots to remember, this can cause anxiety and leave us feeling overwhelmed. So write down the things that are on your mind or that you’re worried about forgetting. It can clear your mind, let you put things in order, and lead to some rational thinking.

Deep Breathing

We are all breathing, so it may sound crazy to have to ‘learn to breathe right’. But being able to take deep breaths and to help ourselves relax can be a great factor to help reduce anxiety and panic attacks. When our breaths are short and sharp, they are sending signals to our body to be prepared and fills us with adrenaline. This won’t help to calm us down! So learn to take a timeout, and breathe deeply. Sat down, stood up, head between your legs; whatever works.

Mood or Vision Board

If your anxiety is about your future or about future events, then it can be a good idea to create a vision board or mind map, much like Benedict Cumberbatch did in Sherlock. It can help you plot out steps to your goals, as well as the things you may need to remember for a big event, for example. It could be a crafty cut and stick exercise, or more like using www.pinterest.com if that makes things easier for you.

At the end of the day, it can be a good idea to think about the following when you feel anxiety coming on, or have intrusive thoughts. Are your thoughts true, inspirational, necessary, helpful, or kind? If the answer is no, then it is time to move on and dump that thought from your mind. It can take some practice, and time to learn what works for you, but it can help your health, both physical and mental.