These five tips will help if you’re wondering how to deal with anxiety

Let’s not kid ourselves, the global epidemic has changed everything, affected everything, and caused much anxiety for us all. We can’t escape lockdown and we can’t seem to escape ourselves either, and while some of us may be enjoying this retreat from the world, others feel like it’s a prison sentence. So how can we deal with anxiety, or rather how can we sit with it?

How to deal with anxiety

1. Acceptance

If you can find a way to accept these circumstances, surrender to what’s happening, you’ll find that will ease some of the weight of the worry. The more we fight what’s going on, the more we will create tension within ourselves.

2. Impermanence

Nothing is permanent. You’ve changed since you started to read this blog post; you’re a few minutes older and you’ve probably had more than a few thoughts since. If we can accept this important notion that everything changes then that will help us let go. And by letting go we can relax into life and maybe even enjoy it!

3. Sleep

Disturbed sleep will eventually take its toll on you, so it’s important to handle those times when you’re feeling sleep deprived. Before bedtime:

• try to spend a few hours winding down

• avoid heavy meals

• read a book instead of surfing on your device

• have a hot bath or shower

• try some calming scents in the bedroom

• If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed, wake up and write down what’s on your mind, or try some deep breathing exercises or meditation.

4. Talk

Talking to someone about your fears and anxieties is key to releasing some of the tension that you inevitably build up in yourself. Women tend to find this easier as they share problems especially with other friends; men find this harder to do. What I would say is don’t be afraid to share with someone you trust, put aside any guilt or shame and try to open up.

5. Breaks

The biggest mistake that most of us make in lockdown is exhaustion through overworking and not taking enough breaks. It’s so easy to feel the days merging into one so you don’t know when work ends and free time begins. Have some boundaries, know when your lunch break is and take it, and know when your working day is over, turn off the laptop and relax. If you can leave the house then go for a walk or run and get some fresh air.

Try some of these out and see how they affect you. And remember, be kind to yourself in these difficult times, we all deserve self care and time to process what is going on within us.

Enjoyed reading this? Keep up with our recent blog posts on soft skills for enhancing career or how to choose the right coach.