7 Tips to Deal With Anxiety in this Crazy Busy World

Hey, have you ever felt a little anxiety at the end of a crazy busy day? Have you ever felt uncomfortable at the thought of being in a big group of people, or speaking in front of your team at work? Have you ever felt nervous going to meet your boyfriend or girlfriend’s parents for the first time?

 

Don’t worry. Anxiety happens to us all.

 

And sometimes it can get really bad all at once (as I have discovered), while for other people it just lurks uncomfortably in the background of your mind for a long time.

 

That’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with you.

 

Today’s crazy busy social media-filled world is perfect for causing anxiety. We see others living what we think are “perfect lives” and we start comparing us to them.

 

This is the #1 cause of first world problems: Comparison syndrome.

It eats us up, gives us heartburn, and can make us feel like there is something wrong with us.

 

But again, there isn’t. We’re just human and we all have a wide range of emotions, skills, talents, desires, and comfort zones.

 

Don’t be so hard on yourself.

 

In fact, the worst thing that you can do, and the worst thing that I did when I was struggling with anxiety, is to keep all of your feelings bottled up in your head.

 

Just over 10 years ago I was a much less ‘evolved’ version of the person I am today. I had tremendous social anxiety and used alcohol to self-medicate in social settings. But that bad decision, combined with excessive work hours, only built up the anxiety in my head.

 

Eventually, because I didn’t find a healthy release or coping strategy for my natural feelings, I ended up having a panic attack and going to the emergency room on two separate occasions.

 

But this won’t happen to you. Here’s why.

First, you’re much smarter than I am. Second, this article is going to convince you that you are surrounded with loving, caring, and concerned people who want to help you (that's something I didn't realize during my anxiety struggles). Third, I have some easy to follow tips for you below.

 

As I mentioned earlier, my biggest mistake was holding everything in my head. I didn’t want to share my feelings or admit my social struggles. I wanted to be perfect in the eyes of others (and this was still a year before I had signed up for my first Facebook account!).

 

Suffering in silence is the wrong way to deal with anxiety. My friend and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp (FBBC), Bedros Keuilian, knows this too. It still amazes me to know what he was going through back in 2012-2014 as FBBC struggled, because every time we hung out he seemed to be in a great mood.

 

That’s because he suffered in silence and was allowing the anxiety to build up. He made the same mistake as I did.

 

And when you do that, it’s like blowing up a balloon far beyond it’s capacity. It gets fuller and fuller and stretched so thin until eventually it pops. As you know from his story that he’s told many times on podcasts and in his articles, he eventually suffered the same fate as I did... because he made the same mistake.

 

So that brings me to how to deal with anxiety. Again, most importantly, never forget this one fact:

You are surrounded with people that love you and care for you.

 

We love you. We want to help you. We want to see you healthy. And we want to see you flourish, both personally and professionally.

 

You’re a great person. You’re a wonderful friend. And people want to help you.

 

So please, please, please, do NOT suffer in silence. Do not hold in your worries. Do not create F.E.A.R. (false expectations appearing real) in your mind.

 

Everything is going to be okay. There’s nothing wrong with you.

 

If you are struggling, concerned, or worried, about anything, please talk to someone. Don’t keep your emotions and concerns bottled up.

 

Trust me. When you are worried or anxious, you must get “out of your own head.” When I finally started talking to others and asking for help, that was the first big step for me to start feeling better. Taking it another step further, and helping others, is another huge move in the right direction.

 

Here are some simple habits you can start today to fight anxiety:

 

1) Get outside in the sunshine and walk for 20 minutes in the AM and PM. (Sometimes you will even catch me doing a 3-minute mid-day stroll wherever I can.)

2) If you’re feeling anxious for any reason, using this breathing cycle to slow down, calm down, and bring your emotions back down. Just breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold that big breath in your belly for 4 seconds, and exhale slowly for 7 seconds until your belly is empty. Repeat 4 to 8 times for a 1-2 minute relaxation session. Works great for when you’re upset with your boyfriend or girlfriend, too! J

3) Hug as many people as you can get away with every day! The power of human touch is powerful for making us feel better.

4) Call a close friend to just "catch up". Share with them whatever you are comfortable with sharing so you can release some of that pressure building up inside.

5) Treat yourself as a high-performance physical and mental achiever. That means getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Stop using electronics an hour before bed. Put more structure in your day and boundaries around your social media use. Eat healthy, whole, natural foods and avoiding foods from a bag or a box. And get regular exercise, doing something you love.

6) Cut back on alcohol and caffeine. Both of these make you feel better immediately, but both also bring on anxiety (the next day for alcohol, and several hours later for caffeine). If you can eliminate them completely, even better.

7) Do your best to get "out of your own head" and give yourself to the world. When you get ‘outside’ of your own head and focus on helping another human being overcome struggles, you feel exponentially better (through the physical release of ‘feel good hormones in your body) and you worry less about your problems. Heck, just writing this article made me feel better and helped me forget about my worries.

 

Start with those small steps today. Over time you’ll feel better, become more patient, and be able to deal with this crazy busy comparison-filled world better than ever.

 

And never forget, please do not suffer in silence. You are surrounded with people that love you and want the best for you.

 

If Bedros and I can do overcome anxiety, so can you!

 

If you need more help or tips, let me know. I’m happy to help.

 

You can also listen to my short podcast here.

It’ll give you more tips for getting back on the path to peace.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne