Millions, if not billions are anxious right now!

I’m going to cut to the chase.

Millions, if not billions, especially those with anxiety disorders, are waking up anxious every morning and in many cases this continues throughout, or even consumes, the day.

Anxiety is a consistent human reaction to concerning life circumstances. However, it can make you feel terrible and be devastatingly disruptive to your life!

If your anxiety has become problematic here is something you could do that works for me! Try it one morning, even if the compulsion to worry is overpoweringly strong. Don’t question why just yet, I’ll come to that.

Get up with purpose

Even if this means forcing yourself out of bed to get started. Get in the shower or dressed, and busy yourself immediately.

Immerse yourself in something, anything, that distracts you from what you are anxious about. It won’t make the source of anxiety go away, but it will prepare you for dealing with it later in the day.

In most cases it’s OK to ignore your source of anxiety for a short period of time, unless of course you need to make a critical rational decision right now. I know that your brain will want you to think, or even ruminate, about it but do your best not to do it now. You’ll have plenty of time to do this later and you will be in a better mental state when you do.

The best way to wake up with purpose is to go to bed with a plan of tomorrow’s activities and objectives and as soon as you wake up get stuck into the plan. If not, make a plan and set some objectives on the fly as soon as you surface.

Block it out for as long as you can

Stick to your plan and immerse yourself in everything you can to distract yourself from what’s troubling you for as long as possible. I tell my mental niggles to ‘do one’, ‘get back in your box’, ‘not now I’ll deal with you later’, and I force myself to do what I set out to do that day.

At some stage have a chat with your anxiety if you need to

When you have done all the above for as long as you can your anxiety might not be troubling you. But if it is still demanding some, or all, of your mental time, give it some, have a chat with it.

It’s fine and, yes, it might be uncomfortable but not as uncomfortable and disruptive as doing this as soon as you wake up. You see by taking control earlier in the day you will be in a more rational frame of mind and in control of the conversation. You will hopefully come to some rational conclusions.

If during this chat your anxiety takes control, seize it back by going back to your plan and distraction activity. Then have another chat with your anxiety later if you need to.

Why

The above is classic distraction therapy and might just be enough to keep your anxiety at bay. It’s the equivalent of throwing some water on your natural fight of flight mechanism (the cause for the anxious reaction) and diluting the adrenaline rush it triggers.

When your brain gets hold of something and the fight or flight triggers, your survival-based decision making powers kick in, and sometimes this is absolutely necessary. But if it triggers when it shouldn’t for whatever reason, the above and below will enable you to calm it down and return back to a more regulated and rational pattern of thinking. You quite literally might forget what it was that was troubling you!

And do this religiously as well

The above will be most effective if you get yourself in optimum physical condition. You really must do this if you want to get on top of anxiety.

1.      Breathing exercises twice a day - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/ways-relieve-stress/

2.      Physical exercise, especially cardiovascular to burn off adrenalin

3.      Eat healthily

4.      Reduce or eradicate alcohol consumption, it’s actually a depressant

5.      Reduce or eradicate smoking anything

6.      Don’t go anywhere near stimulants, including caffeine

7.      Sleep as much as you can

8.      Immerse yourself in fun stuff

9.      Surround yourself with family and true friends that you can talk to about your feelings. I bet many of them will be having them too

I’m not a clinician

I’m not medically trained but got control of my OCD after suffering terribly for 22 years. A mixture of the above to target the anxiety component and CBD to target the compulsion and ritual / rumination components, ultimately saw me through.

I truly hope the above works for you but if it doesn’t there is so much more you can do, starting with speaking to your doctor / physician. Also, your family and friends, and I found colleagues, will be a great support and you can always reach out to me and the army of people out there who are more than happy and comfortable to talk about their own mental health journeys.

We’ll strengthen because of this. Take care.