living with anxiety

Anxiety can be a difficult disorder to live with. That goes for any mental illness. Any type of anxiety can really impact your life and make day-to-day activities harder for you than it would be for someone who perhaps didn't suffer with anxiety. It can make socialising hard or it could make being alone terrifying. It depends on you, your situation and the type of anxiety you have. Either way, it can be hard but you need to keep pushing and learn to live with it. 


I'm going to give you some tips to help you live each day to the fullest, regardless of your anxiety, and make you feel more in control. 
First, here's the facts. 
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness and unease. To experience anxiety is a normal human experience but there is a distinction between anxiety in a normal capacity and anxiety in a mental health capacity. There is no one way to specify when it becomes a mental health disorder because it is different for every person. Some people find themselves worrying consistently and relentlessly whereas some experience panic attacks. It can also cause sleeping problems such as insomnia or even heart palpitations if the anxiety is especially severe. 
Having anxiety can make you feel like your life is over and you'll never be able to live normally again. That's not the end though. Anxiety isn't the be all and end all. You can carry on, you will carry on. It may be hard but you can live. Here are three vital tips to help you cope with anxiety daily. 


1) Set aside some self care time. 
Anxiety can make you feel really crap. So take some time for yourself. Have a cup of tea, a biscuit or have a bath with some relaxing scented candles and calming music or even your favourite TV programme. Write it on your calendar and have a regular day for you. It can help if you're going somewhere where you may feel anxious so you can try and have some time before you leave or if you're alone in the house, it can help take your mind off it. Make you a priority. 


2) Don't let fear rule you. 
It can be easy to turn down an opportunity because you're scared and that is even easier with anxiety. The trick is not to let fear take over. I'm not suggesting you go sky diving or parachuting - it can be as simple as going to the cinema with your friends. You might be worried about being out in public and that's okay but don't say no because that worry and fear is telling you not to go. Fear is a natural response, everyone gets scared. Just make sure you're making your own decisions, not fear. 


3) You are not weird. 
You might feel mad when you've got anxiety but you aren't. You are not mad, you are not weird. You are special and you are strong and you are okay. You are going to be okay. If you feel a little bit crazy, embrace it. Embrace the craziness! Believe it or not, accepting that we're a little bit mental can make you feel more normal because it breaks down the ideology of what normal is. Soon after, you realise there is no such thing as mad or weird. Why? Because there's no such thing as normal either. 
There are just a few things to remember when you're living with anxiety. You're normal. You are the one in control. You are the priority. 


Just keep a regimented steady breathing pattern, in and out, and you'll feel better.