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Do you ever feel amped up? Wound up or restless? Anxiety is a drag. Feeling amped up can happen to everyone at some time in life. This is one way that anxiety presents itself. How you deal with anxiety is what makes the difference. How do you soothe your overexcited mind?

What Is Anxiety?

Let's see what the experts say. According to anxiety.org: Anxiety is the reaction to situations perceived as stressful or dangerous. "The amped-up feeling and restlessness you may feel can be manifestations of anxiety. The world we live in and the hectic pace of our society often leaves people feeling this way. Many wonder how they can learn to relax.

Symptoms Of Anxiety:

• Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
• Being easily fatigued
• Having difficulty concentrating; mind going blank
• Being irritable
• Having muscle tension
• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
• Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, restlessness, or unsatisfying sleep

(According to nimh.org)

How To Soothe Your Amped Up Mind

Be Here Now 

Anxiety can be described as worrying about something that is in the future. Be here now: What's happening at this moment? Bring yourself back to the present. This can be done by doing a task that requires all of your attention. For some people, this might be an art project. Others might find relief from a sport that demands all their focus. For others pausing and reflecting on being present is enough. Find what works for you to bring you into the moment you are in right now and relax your intense emotions. I always look at my feet and tell myself, this where you are. Be here. Then I picture myself with a snow shovel in a foot of snow. You need to shovel snow, not buy a ticket to Florida. This centers me in the present moment.

Take A Break

Sometimes you need a break. Get out of town, take a day off, or go for a run. Move your body and breathe fresh air. A change of environment or even a change of routine can refresh the soul and relax the mind.

Check-In

Ask yourself if what you are anxious about is reasonable and logical. Check-in. Ask yourself if whatever is happening at this moment is even worth investing your energy in. This allows you to train your brain to develop a rational way to deal with your anxious emotions. Developing these habits prepares you for the future when you have a similar experience. Having a contingency plan will help you feel calmer at the moment.

Meditation And Deep Breathing 

Deep breathing will help you relax. Meditation or breathing exercises help; both are excellent relaxation and focusing methods. Search online for various methods to try. Yoga, group classes, or individual practice may help you with relaxation and self-soothing. All of these activities are excellent for your wellbeing and overall health.

Reframe

Changing the way you look at a situation can change the way you feel about it. A change in your outlook can be achieved by intentional acts. Over time it will happen automatically. According to a study: "Appraisal theories of emotion suggest that it is an individual's subjective appraisal of an event—that is, its' meaning and significance—rather than the event itself that leads to a specific emotional reaction." (Seeing the Silver Lining: Cognitive Reappraisal Ability Moderates the Relationship Between Stress and Depressive Symptoms, Allison S. Troy, et al., 2010) 

How you look at an event can change your emotions about it. If you have a balanced, calm mindset, it will take more for you to feel excited. You will have better distress tolerance and be better able to handle emotions that arise. 

You can learn to calm yourself using small changes to daily habits and to reframe your thoughts. Implementing some of these practices will help you develop techniques to increase relaxation in your everyday life, de-stress, and improve your mental health. 

Sources:

1. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

Sometimes asking for help is the hardest thing to do. It’s funny how often we take on impossible tasks and stressful daily schedules and not ask for assistance. Asking for help takes vulnerability and opens you up to another person. For some of us, this may come easy. For those of you who struggle, read on for some ways to ask for help. It will ease your anxiety and stress!

Accept That You Need and Deserve Help

The first and possibly hardest step is accepting that you not only need help, but you deserve it. Maybe you used to ask for help all the time, but adverse reactions made you stop. If you’re struggling, though, you need to accept that you need help or things are going to get worse.

Give that younger version of yourself who hardened your heart to others a break. You have come a long way since then. You’ve learned how to do a lot on your own, so it is not unreasonable to ask others to help you now. It is often the case that those around you would rather know you need help than watch you fail.

Know What You Need

Once you accept that you need and deserve help, you need to make sure you know what you need help with. Do you need advice about buying a car? Do you need a coworker’s advice? Make sure you know exactly what you need so you can go to the right person and ask the right thing.

Often, we struggle with requests for help because we don’t know what we need. We convey some ideas that we think might help, but the other person gets confused and offers favors that don’t make your life easier. All of that struggle can be avoided if you know exactly what you need from a person.

Don’t Leave People Guessing About What You Need

According to Alice Boyes of PsychologyToday.com, “When asking for help, make sure the person knows exactly what you want. For example, if you want to be shown what to do, rather than tell you, make sure you ask for that.”

This also works in the office. Your boss and coworkers may sometimes seem like they are waiting around for you to fail so they can be mad at you. The truth is they all want you to succeed because you are on their team. When you do your job better, so does everyone else. And your boss makes more money!

Therefore, in relationships, both personal and professional, make sure to ask for specific things when you know you need them. Be clear, and you more likely you will receive the support you need and deserve.

Give Help

When you readily help others, they will willingly help you. Knowing when to say no is crucial. If you are already feeling overwhelmed, you may not be able to meet someone’s request. This is fine. You have to make sure that you are doing well before you can help others.

When you are doing well, however, it benefits others, the world, and even you to offer up quality assistance to your friends, family, and members of your office and community. When those around you are happy and productive, it helps you and your entire community! So, take some time to help others, and you will never be wanting for assistance.

Asking for help is hard because we think it makes us weak. We’re also afraid we won’t get it. We have to push on past these fears with the firm belief that we need and deserve assistance. We must also walk the walk and help others in return.

Anxiety is one of the toughest things to go through. It can turn your world upside down. Anxiety creeps up out of nowhere, and before you know it, it feels as though you’re being smothered. As time moves on, it gets so bad that you put yourself to bed, convinced you might not wake up. It’s debilitating. Anxiety can make you feel weak, it makes you feel embarrassed, and it doesn’t matter how hard you try to overcome it, your chest is heavy. The first step you need to take in your journey to manage anxiety is to accept it. You’re not weak. It isn’t embarrassing. So many of us suffer from anxiety. You’re not alone.

Through self-care, you can manage your anxiety to get yourself back to a point where you enjoy life. You’ll still have anxiety, your palms may still get sweaty, but you’ll have a better handle on it.

• Breathing is calming. It helps you feel as though you’re in control. To people with anxiety, that’s a powerful thing. If you’re at home, then you can lie somewhere quiet to do this. Now lie down and place one of your hands above your stomach and the other on your heart. Now, slowly breathe in through your nose, counting to seven. Now, breathe out through your mouth while counting to seven. You can repeat this exercise until you feel calmer. It’s good to practice this breathing exercise in a quiet place until you get the hang of it. Once you do get the hang of it, you can practice deep breathing anywhere.
• A journal is an excellent way to get a load off your mind. Write it all out.
• Find a positive affirmation or mantra that you can recite each morning. Your affirmation should be something that encourages a calm mindset. You can write out your mantra or affirmation and stick it up around the house or in your car. Wherever you will see it and feel inspired by it.
• It would be nice if you could disengage from every activity or situation that piques your anxiety. Unfortunately, that’s impossible. What you can do, though, is find helpful ways to manage situations you know trigger your feelings of anxiety. Pay attention to your physical response and find ways to avoid these situations. For the unavoidable situations, be aware of your breathing and navigate the situation as best you can. With practice, your anxiety will lessen.

The most influential act of self-care for people with anxiety is kindness. Be kind to yourself. Shield yourself from negative thought patterns, and when you have a terrible day – remember tomorrow is a brand new day. Create a daily routine that provides you with structure and purpose. Go out of your way to do things for yourself. You may enjoy walking through the woods. It might be reading a great mystery book or just soaking in a hot tub. It doesn’t matter what acts of self-care work for you. The point is that you complete acts that do work for you. You might not feel like getting up and going out for a walk, but once you do, you will feel much better.

• Lastly, visit your doctor. If your doctor recommends that you take prescription medication to manage your anxiety, then consider it. A holistic approach may require the use of some medication. Remember that medication is a tool like the tools mentioned in this article. No one but you can tell you if you need medication but you. Your doctor is there to guide you.

Your priority is to find self-care acts that work for you. So, you might say the greatest act of self-care is knowing yourself well enough to know precisely how to meet your unique needs.

Unfortunately, scientists have not yet discovered a one-stop cure to anxiety and stress. Many different components of life cause both long-term and short-term stress, and these are often closely linked and related to anxiety.          

There are many different stress management and anxiety-relieving approaches that you can practice that can support and help to manage these conditions. It is essential first to identify what is causing your stress and try to analyze patterns and themes between stress-inducing events. Below are six different strategies to help minimize stress and feel calmer overall in your life.

1. Proper Sleep 

Getting a proper night of sleep is one of the best ways to relieve stress and feel less anxious throughout the day. When you are not sleeping because all of your responsibilities are repeating through your mind before bed, it is important to take time to notice this and write things down before bed. 

By writing down what you have to do the next day, you will be able to relax your mind and not feel like you need to remember anything in the morning. Another important way to improve your sleep quality is to go to sleep at the same time every night in this way your body gets adjusted to a routine, and you will be tired every night.

2. Journaling 

Jotting down your emotions, thoughts, and the various stressors in your daily life will allow you to clear your mind and feel relaxed during the day. When everything feels bottled up in your mind, you will not be able to focus on the tasks and responsibilities right in front of you and will likely feel very overwhelmed.

The Five-Minute Journal is a great way to keep your journaling short and simple and stick to a structure. The journal prompts you with a list to fill in each morning and night that is not time-consuming. Journaling will allow you to empty the stress going through your mind and not feel like your anxiety is overbearing.

3. Meditation 

Meditation is a great way to clear your mind and learn to breathe more deeply when anxiety arises. Meditation is the best way to stay calm and allow your mind to feel balanced during the day. 

Taking a couple of minutes each morning for meditation is the best way to relieve stress and clear your mind before all of your responsibilities come into play.  Meditation will also allow you to stay present in the moment, which will alleviate your anxiety around the future.

4. Exercise and Make Healthy Choices 

Taking time each day for physical activity is one of the best stress relievers. By making time to go for a walk or attend a gym near your work or home, you will feel better and more alert throughout the day. Exercise will make your stress more manageable and has direct links with lowered anxiety.

5. Make Time for Self-Care 

Taking time for yourself is one of the best ways not to feel too overwhelmed with all of your responsibilities and allow your mind a place to calm down. There are so many different ways to practice self-care, including nature walks, practicing your favorite hobbies, or even watching your favorite television show. 

Stepping away from all of the stressors allows your mental health to improve and reduce the amount of anxiety and pressure you feel.

6. Positive Thinking

Lastly, positive thinking is a great way to reduce your stress and anxiety and stay more present in the moment. Practicing gratitude and realizing all of the great things in your life can allow you not to feel as overwhelmed by the responsibilities you have.