Collaborative Post
Anxiety is one of those experiences that you simply cannot understand if you haven’t felt it. For some it’s a manageable part of every day, for others it’s something they explicitly seek in their thrill-chasing efforts. However, for some people, it can be very hard to get to grips with, especially if a large change happens in their life without them being able to grapple with that.
Much is said of self-care and how it’s important to ensure you’re well looked after and firing on all cylinders – but what if anxiety gets in the way of this? How are you supposed to function then? It’s worth asking these questions because they can help you get over your supposed walls and start considering how to best manage your life despite this hardship. Additionally, while it may seem like a scary new prospect and means of living, this is the start of a journey and adventure that you will be so happy you decided to take.
This means adopting this as a sincere effort to take part in. If you can do that, we have the advice to guide you from there:
Speaking To Your Clinician
Speaking to your clinician about the anxiety you may be facing and how this translates to negative self-care habits is important. For instance, you may have a habit of isolating yourself from the world during your anxious streaks ever since you encountered a bad road accident last year. It could be that while slowly building your strength by challenging yourself each day is important, it’s also important to address real mental blockages you may have.
They may refer you to a specialist or give you support through measures such as cognitive behavioural therapy or trauma management. Whatever happens, it’s important not to bury your head in the sand. That can only make you feel more out of sorts than ever, and anxiety can build the more you let it get the best of you. This is why people with agoraphobia often report feeling unsafe in their homes if the condition is not treated and left unchecked, as it’s not the outside that scares them, but the fear of new and unpredictable experience. This, in itself, can be an issue.
Speak to your medical provider if you do suffer from this, as it can be the most vital first step in granting you a new lease on life. With telehealth becoming more common, you might even be able to find an online therapist that takes insurance and can meet with you soon.
Attending The Gym/Finding Exercise
Attending the gym and finding exercise to suit you can be a scary prospect for those who suffer with anxiety. Not only does a gym environment seem completely alien and often quite intimidating, but joining a sports team, or running in a town environment, or simply trying to get active again after a while can seem like very hard efforts to take care of, sometimes, it may even seem completely impossible.
Yet remember, ‘slow and steady wins the race’ is not a well-known fable by accident. It matters, and it can help you get started with confidence. You may decide to attend a class or have a personal instructor help you become familiar with the gym and build you a schedule on a one-on-one basis. Additionally, you may find that simply finding new means to stay active, such as walking with your dog or trying a Couch to 5k running program in your local public park path can help you enjoy this process more, and not worry about the anxiety of being around people.
You’ll find that something amazing happens when you following a path like this. Sooner, rather than later, you’ll begin to feel more confident in this environment. Let’s take the gym as an example. In the gym, it can first seem as though everyone is judging you and that goes double if you’re overweight. But the truth is that in the gym, while not everyone is equally as fit or conducting the same exercises, most people are far too concerned with themselves to worry about others. Additionally, there’s nowhere that a vastly overweight person is respected more than within the gym environment. Why is that? Because most people of worth recognize that said person is taking steps to address their weight and is doing so despite the challenge they face.
Who has it harder? The person who has worked out for ten years and enjoys working out? Or the person starting from scratch despite suffering from being out of shape? Most people will respect the former, and empathize with the latter. But both of them can change and experience the other’s lifestyle should they pursue that direction. This means that before long, working out will become something you actively look forward to, because it redeems your life in every way, helps you care for yourself, and also gives you hope.
Trying New Supplements
There are many supplements that can help you live a smoother and more relaxed life without having to worry about the anxiety taking root over you. For instance, many people report that valerian root or CBD is starting to grant them control over their anxiety to the point where coping mechanisms are much easier to use. That can be a benefit.
Additionally, getting good sleep can often come from the use of applicable Vitamin B12 and 5-HTP, as this builds melatonin that encourages healthy sleep cycles. Perfecting your sleep can be important when it comes to settling anxiety and beginning a careful pursuit of self-care, because it helps you resolve your stress, and start each morning off with a smile and a willing approach. That can be very beneficial for anyone to experience in the long term, chief of all those who may need a natural solution to contend with failed ‘fixes’ in the past.
Be sure to conduct your research into any and every supplement you take, and be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner to gain verification before starting any new diet or supplement, as medical advice is important to follow no matter what you read online in the form of user reviews or marketing copy.
Making Life Easier
We get by with a little help from our friends. It’s important to make life easier for yourself so that you can focus on the practical measures holding you back, instead of suffering in silence. For instance, you may find that driving is something you struggle with as of late, and so ordering repeat subscriptions from Simple Online Pharmacy can help you take out the middleman and enjoy your medical donning as part of that process.
Relying on friends can also be a worthwhile use of your time. You may ask them to come and help you grocery shop, or come with you for your first time at the gym, or to recommend a therapist worth using. You may opt to return the favour in kind, in whichever way you can.
Believe It
Believe that you can care for yourself, and that you can settle the anxiety that you feel. Anxiety is not something that need plague you for the rest of your life, it can be managed and controlled with careful strategies and the willingness to care for your health sincerely. The more you do this, the stronger you’ll become, and thus the less your anxiety will haunt you. It’s a slow process, and it’s not linear, but it is perfectly feasible and worth taking part in.
With these efforts, we hope you can settle anxiety and promote self-care in a manner that helps you take back control of your life. We believe in you.
A balanced, well written and helpful post. On the matter of Believe It, a holistic practitioner I used to see taught me the importance of self-healing mantras. Even simple ones like ‘All is well in my world’ and ‘I make good decisions today and every day’ are a good starting point. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe them initially; keep repeating them many times each day and you will begin to believe in yourself.