Managing Anxiety Without Coping Mechanisms

Distractions. Talking to people helps. Sometimes I call people on the phone if I'm alone. My kids know to ask me questions or have me tell a story when I'm having an anxiety attack, because having to think to come up with an answer distracts me.

I ground myself by sorting things. I collect rocks and I will put them in order by color or size. I also like to sort my m&ms by color and line them up.

Focus on your breathing. Try to calm down and notice where your body is at. Ask yourself if you’re in any actual pain of if it’s in your head. Try to ground yourself by observing things around you if you need to close your eyes and try to focus just on slowing down your breathing. If that’s not possible don’t worry and definitely don’t force yourself. Try sitting down and resting for a few minutes until you can get to something that helps you cope. Anxiety truly is terrible I honestly wish tou the best. Good luck!