Tips for Dealing with Anxiety

I use the 5 senses grounding. I also use breathing exercises. 4 7 8 breathing is when you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, out for 8. Box breathing is in, hold, out, hold, each for 4 seconds. Belly breathing is when you puff your belly out as you inhale, and stuck your belly in as you exhale. I also fidget with an ice cube and rub it on my wrists and neck.

I have big sweaters that are comfy that I put on and along with tea and a stuffed animal I will just sit on the couch and watch TV. Its super hard to get through in the moment, but it really helps me so much so that I won't have a panic attack. I have a stuffed animal called a warmie which you can heat up like a microwave heating pad and it helps me so much with my anxiety. Would definitely recommend!

Fidget toys and ASMR. They are both nice distractions.

I practice grounding - thinking about what I can see, hear, feel, & smell. I also think simply acknowledging “I am feeling anxious, & that is out of my control/not my fault” and trying to focus on what I can control like my breathing helps. Sometimes I try to figure out why I’m feeling anxious bc in the long run I need to address that, but if I can’t figure it out it can make the problem worse so I don’t push myself to or beat myself up if I don’t do that part

Being present (as in reallllllly diving into your experiences with your senses. This could even saying statements out loud about these experiences) similarly helps me. Also I like to think back to other anxiety inducing times: I got through it last time, and I've made so much progress since then, so I will get through this again. You got this!

What I find helpful in moments like that is trying to stay present. Just be aware of your sensory experiences, and try to be aware of your surroundings. That’s helpful for me at least