Have you been in a desperate fight with anxiety? This year, I was, and at times I still am. But through my experience, I found the best way to fight anxiety is with purposeful, healthy living.
Our bodies can be unreliable, especially when we need them most. But the true danger comes when we think we are invincible to life’s daily stressors.
This year, I was under the false impression that I was invincible to my anxiety. My first panic attack changed my viewpoint. I was sitting in Wednesday night church—the most unlikely place to have an onslaught of pure, unbridled panic. But I should have expected the attack, especially as a junior in college with poor sleeping habits, way too much caffeine in my system, and high expectations driving me to work myself into a frenzy.
That day, my anxiety had trailed me closely: snapping at my heels, barely permitting me space or time to breathe. And although my stress had been building all day, I didn’t allow myself to stop and address the problem. I never thought my anxiety could create a scary moment in such a public, vulnerable place.
Since then, I’ve changed the way I treat anxiety. Here is a list of thoughts and suggestions which I hope will help you the next time you encounter a fight with anxiety.
Confront yourself and know the warning signs
Confront yourself with truth
Before you can fight your mental battle, you must admit that there is a war. If you’re like me, you bottle your anxiety, seal the lid, and pray that the contents never pour out. One of my biggest fears is allowing myself to become vulnerable to my own emotions—so on goes the lid.
To be a true anxiety-warrior, you must allow yourself to be vulnerable. But vulnerability is terrifying. According to Dr. Colleen Mullen, PhD, the reason we bottle our emotions is from our “fear of vulnerability. Out of this fear, we react through self-protective emotional measures. Bottling up emotions provides a false sense of emotional safety.”
But if you believe that your bottled emotions can shield you and your loved ones from heartbreak, you may be wrong. Instead, be open and honest with your trusted friends and family. Know who you can be vulnerable to—someone who will not take advantage of you in your emotional state—and go to that person with an open heart.
Know your body’s warning signs
My first warning sign came with a painful bout of cystic acne along my jawline. Unable to cover my skin with makeup and being surrounded by my peers only increased my stress. When this happened, my anxiety extended from situational stressors, and it attacked me from within.
But your body’s warning signs may look different from mine. While my skin bears proof of my stress, you may experience the following:
- Restlessness
- Rapid breathing
- Increased heart rate
- Trouble concentrating
Don’t turn off your world
I find that when I am anxious, I reach for my phone, wanting to distract my mind from the problems at hand. While technology can be a distraction from anxiety, it is only a temporary fix—a fix from which we need to set healthy boundaries. If your phone has taken over your world, now is the time to take action.
Perhaps you’ve seen YouTube videos of people who attempt to go a week without their phones. During that week, they survive on books, naps, and television. But each of these motivated individuals only seem to exacerbate their phone-related anxiety with this period of sudden screen-deprivation.
I don’t recommend this tactic. Instead of letting go of your phone completely, delete the apps that you spend hours on. For me, my time-consuming app is Pinterest. Deleting it from my phone is an easy way to remove distractions without depriving myself of the messages and work emails which I need to respond to.
Set healthy boundaries
The truth is that our phones aren’t the problem—our inability to put them down is. Studies show that screen addiction can trigger depression and anxiety. You might have an addiction to your device if you feel uncomfortable when your phone is not within reach, or when you grow panicky thinking that you’ve lost it, or when you grab it just to move from one room to the next.
So become mindful of when you pick up your phone. Charge your phone outside of your bedroom. Keep a mental note of your weekly screen time and take note of the apps you spend the most time on.
And instead of using your phone while waiting in line for a coffee, tuck it in your back pocket, and observe what’s around you. Entertain a conversation with the person in front of you. Or, if you’re like me, just people-watch.
Write, write, write some more
For some people, the best way to face anxiety and pervasive emotions is with paper and pen. I struggle to express myself verbally, so I let my pen do all the talking.
The beauty of journaling is that you can be continuously retrospective. Old entries detail your worst days; some entries highlight your best memories. I know only a handful of people who journal every week, but those who do have always expressed to me how much they love this process.
So, give it a try! Find yourself a good notebook with smooth, high-quality paper. Invest in a weightless fountain pen—one which will make you want to reach for your journal every day.
Treat your body to gut-healthy foods
This tip seems obvious. But we live in a rush culture where we are expected to be here, there, everywhere—we live in a busy time. But eating a healthy, balanced diet is worth all of your time.
If you are battling anxiety, certain foods should be avoided. Some foods can increase cortisol levels: the primary hormone responsible for stress. Avoid food (and beverages) which include the following:
- Caffeine
- Sugary, processed foods
- Alcohol
- Fried foods
While I was in college, these foods were readily available to me. But to counteract my cravings, I made a conscious effort to shun the foods which gave me instant satisfaction—you know the kind: fried chicken, fries, hamburgers. Instead, I started eating foods which helped improve my mood.
The hormone serotonin regulates mood, creating feelings of happiness. This hormone is made primarily in the gut. So, eating foods which support a healthy gut microbiome may help to reduce anxiety. Foods that contain both prebiotic and probiotics can help do just that:
- High-fiber foods (raspberries, whole grains, beans)
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Pineapples
Appreciate the little things
If you’ve ever watched the movie “Young at Heart,” you probably fell in love with Barney Sloan and Laurie Tuttle, characters played by Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. Doris Day plays a jovial girl who falls in love with Sinatra’s character, Barney: a grouch whose difficult past has made him a perpetual pessimist.
When Laurie meets Barney in the movie, Laurie says, “This character thinks you need a reason to laugh!” The line is simple, but it resonated with me when I heard it. It reminds me that life will always offer you a reason to smile, no matter your situation. More specifically, I believe God gives us the permanence of joy, and sometimes, if we look for them, He gives us reasons every day to be happy.
In conclusion
Anxiety might trail you closely: snapping at your heels, barely permitting you space or time to breathe. But there’s something to be said about treating your anxiety with healthy living. While these tips may not cure you from anxiety forever, they may help you along the way.
I hope you can start to enjoy the little things, to find joy despite your daily stressors, and to choose every day to be young at heart.
About the Author
Paige Romig is studying professional writing at her college in Florida, and lives on a quiet corner of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. Her poem “What My Grandmother Learned” was published in the 50th volume of Time of Singing. Paige hopes to continue publishing and to write and edit stories which help to heal hurting hearts.