3 ways to manage anxiety (life, work, content)

Yesterday, I attended two creator events: one with Meta & the National Gallery and another with Inde Wild. Both were fantastic, and I learnt a lot from the people in the room. Despite leaving both events feeling empowered, I came home feeling anxious and not enough. Yes, the imposter syndrome crept in—especially when you're around people who seem like they’re smashing it.

This morning, I turned to Instagram to share this awkward feeling, and it turns out so many others resonate. What started as a simple story has now inspired the theme for this newsletter.

I’m sharing this for two reasons:

1) To manage my anxious brain by writing these thoughts into the void (or to an active audience), and

2) Because I want to be known as someone authentic who adds value—which means sharing both the good and the uncertainties. Ironically, "authenticity" is the buzzword in the creator world, yet everything often looks so aesthetically perfect. But that's a discussion for another day.

As I sit here on a Tuesday, writing this on my sofa, here are three things that helped me manage my anxiety, and I hope they might help you too:

1. Writing down what I’m feeling

I’m not much of a journaler, but the more I read about anxiety and stress, the more I realise that writing down what you’re thinking and feeling helps create a sense of calm, certainty, and control. I wrote down how I felt, why I was feeling it, and what was within my control vs. what wasn’t.

For example, I felt uncertain about my content because I was comparing myself to others. But objectively, there’s no reason to compare—use others for inspiration, and let your data analytics guide your insight. With this mindset, I created a feed preview for how I want my Instagram to look. Now, it’s in my control to post, rather than worry about how it’s received.

By the way, I didn’t plan to write this today. If anything, I’ve been avoiding writing a newsletter for a while. But here we are, facing what we feel head-on, with 10,000 of you reading what's happening inside my brain—and hopefully feeling a little less alone.

2. Working on my home: cleaning, cooking, and decluttering

I’m currently in my “cooking era”—a skill I’m actively working on in 2024 after a trip to Asia earlier this year. The flavours were so incredible that I wanted to recreate these meals at home. What I once thought of as a chore has become therapeutic and calming.

My ADHD brain often feels overwhelmed, so decluttering, cleaning, and cooking a nice meal have become powerful ways to ease my anxiety. These activities create a more open, organised space for thinking and allow me to ground myself in my environment—and find gratitude in the real world, rather than the digital one.

3. Walking around my local area

Nature is healing, and research suggests walking can spark new ideas, calm the mind, and boost inspiration. What started as a simple walk to the dentist turned into an hour-long stroll where I found myself gazing at the sky, admiring the architecture, and people-watching.

Although I’ve had the travel bug lately, there’s something uniquely satisfying about being an explorer in your neighbourhood. This little stroll inspired me to send out this newsletter and gave me the confidence to tackle my inbox. Walking does wonders.

I want to add that we often see anxiety as a negative force holding us back when sometimes it’s just a reflection of our ambition and uncertainty about how to move forward. For me, anxiety usually spikes when I’m either recovering from great work (the dopamine hit is gone) or when I’m on the verge of a new step, worried about the outcome. Either way, all we can do is focus on what’s within our control and move from there.

You are invited : Fireside Chat with Karren Brady & Sonya Barlow

On that note, I’m excited to share that I’ll be leading a fireside chat with Karren Brady on the topics of resilience, business, and the future of work this October. I will be asking Baroness Karren Brady how she built such successful businesses, how she overcomes moments of anxiety and her secrets to consistency, which many of us struggle with in the corporate world.

I’d love for you to join us—tickets are free - HERE.

#WomenInBusiness #Neurodiversity #ADHD #Leadership #WomenInTech #BusinessTravel #Anxiety #KeynoteSpeakers #Happiness

SONYA BARLOW - Award Winning Entrepreneur, BBC Broadcaster, Diversity Coach, Travel & Tech Writer & MC & Author /?Founder, @LMFnetwork & @sonyabarlowuk? | Instagram | Linkedin | Book | Ted Talk