Everyone gets anxious. Whether it's severe or mild anxiety, it is always hard to deal with. Sweaty palms, shaky hands, and racing thoughts are only some of the many things that occur when one is anxious. As someone who suffers from severe anxiety, I know how difficult it is to function properly throughout the day when anxiety is constantly nagging at me. I also know that it is possible to overcome these anxious thoughts that fill our minds every day.
The "logical way" to overcome anxiety is to accept that your thoughts are only thoughts. Thousands of thoughts pop into your mind every day. Not every thought is a fact. If you think to yourself "Oh my god everyone is going to laugh at my new braces", you have to remember that it is not a fact. Unless you have powers that allow you to see into the future, you do not know for a fact that everyone is going to laugh at you. Occasionally this does help calm my anxiety, usually for the less severe cases.
While this thought mindset can sometimes help lessen your anxiety, it is not always as easy as thinking it through. When someone is really anxious, they often can only think of that one thing that
is bothering them. What I am going to talk about today is distractions.
What are some good distractions?
It all depends on your surroundings! If you're at home, there's an endless possibility of things to do to keep your mind from wandering too far. If you're artistic, try painting or writing. If you're athletic, some good ideas include sprinting or intense exercise. If you love music, turn on your favorite song and focus only on the lyrics.
If you're somewhere more formal, like school, your options are a bit more limited, since you can't just get up and run a mile in the middle of algebra class. Even though you are a bit more restricted as to what you can do, there are still many other good ways to distract yourself. One thing that works for me, is I will just throw myself into my schoolwork. I will pay absolute perfect attention, and focus only on what the teacher is saying. If this isn't your thing (it probably isn't), you could do the opposite. Draw all over a scrap piece of paper or write a letter to a friend! As long as you make sure you get notes from a friend later, it's usually okay if doodle in class (from my experience). Another thing you should be sure to check out is
this shop. There are lots of different fidgets you can buy for really low prices. Things like stress balls and tangles are great things to keep your hands and minds busy. Take a look around the shop for something that suits you!
Temperature
Another really important tool to know about is temperature. While these things are only easily accessible at home, they are extremely helpful. Taking a hot shower is a great and easy way to calm yourself down. Don't just take a warm shower; take a hot shower. Take a shower that is so hot and wonderful that you never want to leave. Another example of extreme temperature activities is holding ice cubes. Grab two ice cubes, one in each hand, and squeeze them until they melt. It's difficult and your hands will probably sting, but your mind will be focusing only on the how freezing the ice cubes are. The last example is something my therapist taught me. Fill a sink with freezing water, maybe add an ice cube or two if you want. Dunk your whole head into the sink and stay under the water for as long as you can. Make sure you come back up to breathe. I can almost guarantee you that your mind will be focusing on one thing: how cold everything is. It sounds silly, but it works.
Distractions are obviously not limited to these. There are thousands upon thousands of different things you can to do distract yourself. Find something that works for you, and do it. Let me know in the comments what distractions work for you!
