i did an instagram poll earlier this week and asked what blog post did you want up today. it was a close call but the majority of you wanted to see the different ways i deal with anxiety! i've had this post typed up and saved in my drafts for a while now and i'm so excited to finally share this post with you all.
since going to therapy last year i learned so many different things about myself and one of them was how extreme my anxiety is. i actually didn't even know i had anxiety. i thought everyone felt like i felt and just hid it just like i did. i thought it was normal to be afraid of absolutely everything and not tell anyone what i was feeling. just go through the motions. or worse, stop myself from doing certain things because of my fear.
in marriage counseling one evening i mentioned how i went to the bathroom one night that i felt anxious because i didn't want junior to know what i was feeling. or worse, have him ask me any questions or worry about me. at the end of that therapy session, our therapist asked me to see her alone the next time. at my solo session, she immediately sat down and said i asked to see you alone because i wasn't sure how comfortable you are talking about this in front of junior but your anxiety is severe and i didn't realize how severe it really was.
i knew everything made me anxious but i thought it was normal. mental health wasn't readily talked about. not in my family anyway. i grew up with tough love. there was no time for feelings, at least that's how i felt anyway. things happen. i put on my big girl pants and keep it moving. *shrugs* but that's wrong. that's no way to live. my feelings are valid and while i should acknowledge them, i also shouldn't allow them to cripple me. and so in therapy and with trial and error, i learned different ways to deal with my anxiety. i'll most likely always have anxiety. it's just in my dna. i'll always internally freak out about things (everything!!!) but now i'm more aware of it. and i can do certain things to help me calm down and not allow it debilitate me.
here are 5 ways i deal with my anxiety:
1. hemp/cbd oil. one day i was randomly googling about what to help with a-d-d for someone that i know and i came across hemp oil on amazon. i started reading up on the benefits of hemp oil and saw anxiety on the list. i bought it for myself to try it out and swear by it. if i’m ever in a situation where i feel anxious (usually my heart is racing like crazy), i'll put a few drops of hemp oil under my tongue and almost instantly feel relaxed. (no, not high. the hemp plant has little to no traces of thc and therefore does not give you that psychedelic effect. but do your own research). this is the one i have.
2. talk about it. i know this sounds simple but for me, when i have anxiety it’s most likely because i’m living some sort of fear induced fantasy in my head. one where i give too many shits about what other people think, you know the que diran, the what will they say/think. and so if i talk about it to who ever is around me, more times than not i’ll come back to reality and feel less anxious.
3. acknowledge it. sometimes i’m in a situation where there isn’t anyone to actually talk to about it. sometimes i’m by myself somewhere, and nothing gives me more anxiety than being by myself somewhere new! so acknowledging the fact that i am anxious and trying to understand why i’m feeling anxious usually helps me keep the anxiety at bay.
4. cbd vape. after researching about hemp oil, i looked into a cbd pen and it saw has a similar effect. i have this one and it works just like the hemp oil. i use them interchangeably, whichever is around when i need it. if i'm being honest, i misplaced my cbd vape and don't know where it is currently. ha!
5. chamomile pills. again, a similar effect to the hemp oil and cbd pen. i always have chamomile pills in my purse with me. these do take longer to kick in but it’s better than nothing! my therapist actually recommended i use them and they have helped me in many situations. if i’m feeling extremely anxious, i'll take 2 pills and within 10-15 minutes, i’ll start feeling more relaxed. these are also great for night time when i'm too anxious to fall asleep (that doesn't happen often, though. my anxiety stems from more social situations).
none of these remedies remove my anxiety completely. they simply just help me deal with it in the moment. i think accepting what your feeling and trying to understand why is the key to working through anything. whether it be anxiety or any thing else.
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