I’ve struggled as a secret anxiety fighter for many years, in fact ever since I was 10 years old. Talk about being trained and vetted as a secret agent at a young age! What’s this world coming to if even kids are asked to train and fight anxiety like James Bond vs. Goldfinger?!
Now, I’m a seasoned and very suave (yeah right!) James Bond-esque anxiety agent who wields cool spy gadgets, tips and tricks that can help diffuse dreaded anxiety bombs. Here are 51 ways to make sure the good guy/gal always wins. (I throw you the secret list as I jump from one building to the next while an anxiety bomb explodes in a huge fireball behind me and yes, my well pressed suit is still in perfect condition, natch!)
- Try Magnesium Citrate. It’s been shown to reduce anxiety in some people.
- Eat a Banana everyday (they contain magnesium and GABA).
- Carry a small notebook, when anxiety arises, write down how you feel. Distract yourself!
- Listen to meditation/relaxation music. Have headphones with you at all times.
- Practice meditation. Read a book on how to meditate. (Get Some Headspace by Andy Puddicombe is a good option)
- Exercise (at least 3x per week, 30 minutes of cardio per session). Exercise banishes the jitters!
- Try self-therapy (buy a therapy book and work through it).
- Try deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing makes it very difficult to clench your muscles in anxiety.
- The voice in your head doesn’t always want the best for you. Fruitless thought is just that, fruitless.
- Everyone experiences anxiety. It’s normal. Be prepared to accept some level of anxiety into your life.
- Be willing to experience your own life fully. You are alive! It is a gift!
- Put life goals before your anxiety. Be resourceful, you can find a way to have it all.
- Don’t let your thoughts control you. You don’t need to agree or argue with them. Let them pass.
- Happiness doesn’t mean your life is free of difficulty. Happiness is acceptance in this moment.
- Talk to someone, find a friend who also has anxiety. Learn together. Help each other.
- Eat a healthy diet. What we put into our bodies is important and can change how we feel.
- Get plenty of sleep. Anxiety feeds on exhaustion. Learn about setting up a nighttime ritual.
- Keep a journal. Writing down thoughts often removes them from your head.
- Limit alcohol. A hangover (even an easy one) can increase anxiety.
- Let go of your efforts to control. Control is impossible in this world.
- Don’t hold yourself to impossible standards. You are human. You are fallible.
- Realize that the more you fight against your anxiety, the more you will experience.
- Be gentle with yourself. No one is perfect.
- Find inspirational quotes. Keep them on your phone or in your notebook for reference.
- Live in the now. It’s far better than living in your mind.
- Anxiety, plus the unwillingness to feel any anxiety creates suffering.
- Say your thoughts out loud, expressing them gives them less power.
- You are not your thoughts, you are the awareness behind your thoughts.
- Remember: This too shall pass. No moment lasts forever.
- Go outside, ground yourself to the earth, clear your mind.
- Avoid caffeine. The effects of caffeine can mimic a panic attack.
- Distract yourself with a book, a friend, a movie, a project, a passion.
- Talk to a therapist. They can help point out flaws in your thinking patterns.
- Learn to accept your anxiety when it occurs. Don’t fight it. You are not at war against yourself.
- Accept the things about your life that you cannot change.
- Make plans about the things you can change.
- Don’t be afraid to share your struggles. Sharing promotes understanding and empathy.
- Avoid avoidance. Attempt to tackle your fears with a trusted friend. Go slowly. Be patient.
- Schedule down time. Don’t over extend yourself.
- Remember, you are a free agent, always. Free to come and go as you please.
- Plan easy escape routes for events that give you anxiety.
- Find the good things in your life. Focus on what you are thankful for.
- Many anxious people are also creative. Find a creative task that makes you happy.
- Read about anxiety. Realize you are not alone and find comfort. Anxiety is a struggle for millions of people.
- Don’t let the little voice inside your head make you feel badly about yourself.
- Look forward toward opportunities and hope, don’t look back at failures.
- Take each day, each task, each event as it comes.
- Worrying is fruitless. It is an activity of the mind that changes nothing about the real world.
- Give yourself a break. Give yourself a hug. Give yourself permission to be human.
- Realize that everyday is different. Some days you will be more anxious than others. Take advantage of less anxious days.
- Try an anti-depressant. You will likely find some relief that can help get your life back on track.
Now take these gadgets, buy yourself an Aston Martin, shake yourself a martini and destroy your evil arch-nemesis anxiety!