In Need Of Help?

Use this information to help yourself or those who might be experiencing anxiety/mental health issues.

DISCLAIMER I am not a professional counsellor/therapist/doctor. All of this advice is what has personally helped me. Seeking professional help is always a sensible option.

The Anxiety List

Finding balance in your life is essential for your mental wellbeing. If you feel that things are too much to deal with, the first and most important thing for you to do is TALK. This can be to a friend, family member, doctor or therapist. If everything is overwhelming for you at the moment, this is the first step. Do this before anything else. Seriously. Getting worries off your chest and asking for support is one of the most empowering things you can do.

After that, you can start to explore the ideas in the anxiety list. The list below is a compound of all of the things that made a huge difference to me when I began tackling the anxiety in my life. Hopefully some of these will help. Remember that nothing works unless you try it though...

1. Read – Change your mindset

The thing that made the biggest difference to my anxiety was altering my mindset. By changing the way that I viewed the world, I was able to regain control. The way that I changed things was by reading. Diving into as many self-help, philosophy, psychology and biography books as possible was hugely important. Over time my initial reaction to anxiety changed and I learned how to deal with it. Ultimately, I ended up rewiring my brain and changing the negative perceptions I used to carry around with me. Reading the right type of books every day changed my life. It will do the same for you.

2. Exercise

Getting into a regular routine with my exercise was really helpful. Not only did it keep my body in better condition, but it also alleviated my anxiety by releasing endorphins – the natural drug that makes us feel good. I always feel better within myself after exercising. If I feel rubbish, I’ll go for a run or a climb and that normally sorts me out.

Running was incredibly helpful and allowed me to set lots of goals. Working towards these goals helped me to stay focused on my exercise. Having 10ks/half-marathons/marathons in the calendar is a great way to have something to work towards. It’s also really important to get outside and spend time in nature (even if it’s just a park).

3. Diet

Eating the right sort of food helps greatly. I try to reduce my sugar intake and stay away from junk food/processed foods/greasy takeaways. Sometimes that’s not possible and I find myself in a post-Domino’s food coma filled with regret. Alas, it happens and I try not to beat myself up about it too much.

A few years ago I went to see a nutritionist who helped me to establish what foods I have intolerances to. By avoiding food that causes a bad reaction in my body, I feel so much better. If I go off course too much, I’ll feel worse for it.

My nutritionist also highlighted mineral and vitamin deficiencies within my body. This prompted me to start taking supplements. I recommend that you explore this area further too.

The other obvious thing to consider is cutting down (even better, removing) alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine from your life. If you’re a bit of a rockstar this will be very tough but will make a HUGE difference to your mind and body.

4. Meditation

Meditation has been a great tool for me. Becoming conscious of how busy my mind can be is helpful. Knowing that this internal chatter is ever-present allows me to accept it and deal with it. If I focus on breathing enough, the internal chatter eases up. What a relief! Meditation is definitely one of the hardest things that I’m currently doing, but I really believe that it leads to a deeper understanding of who we are and how to control our minds.

Guided meditations are great to help retain focus. Sam Harris has a wonderful meditation app and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s called “Waking Up”. Download it now and you can thank me later.

5. Do things that challenge you

Oh yes, I couldn’t leave this one off the list. Leaving your comfort zone is one of the greatest ways to beat anxiety. Doing things that scare you and learning to cope with them is the exact same skillset you need to overcome anxiety. By partaking in challenges, you will be facing your fears head on. And guess what, when you attack them, they don’t have the weight they once did. Learning to function outside of your comfort zone is one of the greatest cures to anxiety. It will be hard at first, but start small and build up to bigger and bolder things.

This is only really scratching the surface of what you can do to conquer the anxiety in your life. It’s an ongoing process but something that can teach you so many important lessons. Experiencing bad anxiety was one of the greatest gifts I ever received. If it wasn’t for anxiety, I wouldn’t have done any of these awesome challenges, I wouldn’t have written a book and I would still have a soggy mindset with little/no ability to handle life’s difficulties. I’m grateful for this gift and opportunity to better myself off the back of it. I hope that you can also adopt this mindset. Good luck!

““Learning to function outside of your comfort zone is one of the greatest cures to anxiety.”