The other day, I was showering in the dark, trying to calm my anxiety & then it just clicked- why don’t I speak about this on my blog!? Anxiety isn’t something I’ve spoken openly about on my blog before, but I think this will be worth the read.
So, here I am showering in the dark, washing my face while sitting on the floor of my shower, & telling Alexa to play the Pocahontas soundtrack. What sparked this anxiety? Work. Which is something I’m sure we all deal with.
This is an emotion all of us experience, some a lot worse than others. & it’s a very real emotion. I’m fortunate that I don’t suffer from daily anxiety, but man do I feel it when it arises. I’ve felt a lot more anxiety in recent weeks due to external situations, so I’m trying to be proactive about coping with it, rather than reactive.
Like I said, while showering in the dark, I decided to create a post that compiles the little ways I try to be proactive with my anxiety. These tips seem to help me, so perhaps they can help you too.
Breath Work: Breath work includes meditation or breathing. I like to follow guided meditations. & I really love Boho Beautiful’s meditation videos on YouTube. As for breath work, Wim Hof has the most insane breath work that you can follow. If you go to his Instagram page, click the link in his bio, & then choose “Wim Hof Guided Breathing,” it’ll bring you to his breathing video. Both breath work and mediation controls your breathing, which controls your heart rate & allows your mind to become clear. It’s really a game changer for me.
Yoga: Yoga is 1 hour of me staying completely present, focusing on connecting my mind, body, and soul. No phone. No outside noise. Just me on my mat, focusing on my breathing & flowing through the yoga sequence. Yoga strengthens my mind & body, works my body out more than any other type of exercise, & gives me that 1 hour to myself. After yoga, my energy has done a 180 degree shift. How? Because while I’m practicing yoga for that hour, I’m not thinking about what happened 2 hours prior or what else I need to complete, I’m staying in the present moment & keeping my mind clear.
Showering in The Dark: This one seems strange. Zach thinks I’m crazy when I do this, but it helps me SO much. I don’t know what it is about this, but when I shower in the dark, it’s like my breathing becomes slower. I keep my eyes closed and just forget the world. Don’t knock it until you try it, lol. Another tip with this is to play relaxing music. I’ve been drawn to Disney movie soundtracks. They’re just calming & put me in a good mood.
Stay off Your Phone: This one may seem self-explanatory but it is so valid. When you’re scrolling through social media and you start feeling that pit in your stomach or you start feeling antsy- then you know it’s time to put the phone down. Listen to your body intently because it will give you all kinds of signals when it no longer wants something. Staying off your phone is especially important in the mornings when you wake up. When you look at your phone right in the morning, your cortisol levels spike, which is your stress hormone. Spiking cortisol levels is a big NO for me.
Read a Book or Journal: Reading gets you out of your own head. When you read, your mind expands, as well as your vocabulary and the way you process information. Get out of your own head and immerse yourself in a good book. Currently, I’m reading Where the Crawdads Sing & Girl Code. Both are incredible! Journaling frees your mind of any built up tension, it gets your thoughts that are circling around out & onto paper. It’s a physical form of a “mind-dump” which can be so therapeutic for you!
Clean Your Home: Cleaning and organizing your home is a perfect way to forget what’s going on in your head. Listen to music or a podcast while you clean and watch your home feel cozy & relaxing again.
List What You’re Grateful For: I actually do this every day as soon as I get out of bed & I will continue to do so forever. I sit in front of my bedroom window, stretch a little bit & then sit down in a comfortable position & think about what I’m grateful for. When you express gratitude, you’re putting that positive energy out into the world, & it makes you realize how fortunate you are. Some of the things I said I was grateful for today were – waking up in a warm bed, having a warm home, sleeping for 8 hours, crisp morning air, blue skies, the ability to read books, the ability to work out, & the relationships in my life. Here’s my secret- I love to finish this off with “I am grateful for me. I am grateful for all that I am and all that I will be. Namaste.”
There you have it! My list of ways to combat anxiety so it doesn’t take over your mind or your life. If you have any other tips you do to help you with your anxiety, please let me know.
Here are two recipes I love to make if I’m craving some chocolate. & who doesn’t want chocolate when they’re experiencing anxiety? Click here for the first recipe & click here for the second recipe.
I hope you have an amazing weekend, Namaste!
xx, Aubrianna
Awesome post!
Thanks, mom!
I love this 🤍
🙂 I loverrrr you