Enough of the fight! Remain in control of your anxiety.

I know there’s a whole bunch of really useful blog posts about staying in control of your anxiety, but I wanted to add my own into the mix in hopes that there’s something to help someone!

Anxiety is something I’ve been dealing with since I can remember, however in the last 4 years it’s something that has been pushed right to the front of my mind and can sometimes control how I live my life. Here is a list I’ve compiled of the best ways that help me remain in control, or helps me feel like I have a little bit of control at least.

Be mindful.

A pretty popular method but it really helps. Your mind is powerful. An anxious mind is even more powerful, full of “what ifs” and “maybes”. Translate the power of the mind into mindfulness – stay present in the moment, don’t let the anxious questions take over, take control and power your mind to think about what is actually happening right now. Think about your senses, what can you feel? Hear? Smell? See? Taste? Can you feel the breeze on your skin? Can you hear the birds chirping? This is one of the best ways to strengthen your brain and help you remain in control when you’re feeling anxious, I would seriously recommend practising this even when you’re not feeling anxious.

Keep a mood journal.

Stay with me here. This is something I’ve made myself (although I’m sure I’m not the first person to have done it), and it’s basically for every day of the year I keep a journal on my mood. Have I been feeling really anxious? Really frustrated? Had an amazing day? Keep a note of it! I link colours to moods and have an entire table made up for the year. How does this help you control your anxiety? For me, it means I can look back and see that “okay, I might have had a bad day today, but look! My good days are outweighing the bad”. It also means, I get a little bit of downtime to reflect on how the day, week or month has been – who doesn’t love a little bit of colouring to calm them down and help them relax?

Throw them away.

Write down your anxious thoughts and feelings and then scribble them out, or just scribble aggressively on paper, scrunch into and ball and throw it in the bin. This sounds ridiculous but honestly, this is something I’ve tried and tested and once I’ve scribbled the hell out of my anxious thoughts and feelings and scrunched them up into a ball, I feel loads better. It’s kind of like scribbling them out of your mind and throwing them away physically. It makes me feel slightly empowered.

Alternatively, use rubbish or recycling to be more environmental friendly. I’m sure it’s equally as satisfying.

Purchase some self-help books or journals.

I’ve recently started looking into this option and haven’t regretted it since. I bought 2 little books that made an appearance in my ‘What’s in my bag’ post – The Little Book Of Confidence that is full of quotes to help transform fears into confidence, energy and love. I also picked up a journal called “In My Humble Opinion” which is a journal where I can vent all of my inner-truths. This also has quotes throughout – has anyone else spotted a theme of quotes here?! Both of these books help me feel a little less ‘crazy’ and a little more ‘I can do this!’, so I definitely recommend picking one up.

Speak to your anxiety.

This is a little bit similar to being mindful. Acknowledging when you feel anxious is great. That way, you recognise that this feeling of absolute terror is not you. You know anxiety can make you say, think, do or just act differently. Be open with yourself about it. Try repeating some of these lines to yourself when you next feel anxious:

“This is anxiety making me feel like this. I am okay, I can control this.”

“I am strong, I am safe and I am powerful.”

“I always come out the other side of anxiety, this time is no different.”

“Anxiety is my bodies coping method. It’s just trying to warn me of danger, but I’m okay this time.”

“I am still present in the moment. I can hear my breathing. I can see people around me. I’m fine.”

To anyone dealing with anxiety, you got this my friend! I hope you can find some help within these little tips and tricks of mine, even if it’s just a single sentence of it that inspires you. You always have a friend in me if your anxiety gets a little too much.

Love, Ashley

If you liked this, you might also like:

Interview tips for an anxious mind

My letter to anxiety