Hi, I’m Nikki and I suffer from chronic worrying. Able to jump to the worst conclusion in a single bound. Sometimes I can take anxiety to a new level, but I have been able to control it 98% of the time. There are instance when I don’t know exactly why I’m worrying, but most of the time, I know exactly what is stressing me out and I’ve learned out to relax when I get like this.
These are the steps I go through when trying to relax my worried mind:
- Write down what is making me worry so much. Maybe I have a mental task list of 1000 things I want to accomplish. That would stress anyone out, especially if you’re then worried that you’re going to forget something. WRITE IT DOWN. Getting it out of your head and onto paper will help you manage your own expectations. Most of the time I find that it’s actually not THAT much work to do one I write it down.
- Stop worrying about what other people think and do. If it doesn’t affect you, then it shouldn’t concern you. If something that someone else is doing or saying really bothers you that much, talk to them, write them an email… address them on the issue. It all comes back to not holding your thoughts inside.
- Keep work at work. If you are able to, turn off email notifications and promise yourself not to worry about work until you get there the next day. I live by ‘if it’s important enough, someone will call me’.
- Remember that life is short. Some tasks are not important RIGHT NOW. The dishes will still be dirty tomorrow, the laundry can wait…. Etc. It’s ok to choose a nap over chores. They really aren’t worth worrying about.
- Walk away from it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been completely overwhelmed at the office and just went for a quick 10-minute walk to regroup.
- Get sweaty! Working out is a natural relaxer. The more you work out, the more control you have over your body and thoughts. The same breathing techniques you use during your workout will work on a panic/anxiety attack.
- Schedule your ‘me’ time. If you want to take a bath after work, make it a date! Regardless of what is going on in your life, you have a date with your bathtub tonight. Not having enough time for ourselves is always a huge worry. This is the moment you know you can turn your brain off, so plan for it.
Relaxation is a state of mind.  The most relaxing spot in the world won’t be relaxing if you can’t turn your brain off. What are your biggest worries? What step or steps from this list will help you the most?
