The Truncated Edit: Healthy Ways to Deal with Anxiety

Lately I have been struggling with anxiety. Not crippling anxiety, but the kind where my thoughts are never at rest.

It’s mostly anxiety about how I’m not “good enough,” but also worry about the future.

And I have been walking around all day, every day, with these thoughts constantly tumbling around.

They make my pulse race, and the thoughts envelop me in an isolated fog. I have a hard time relating to the people I love when the thoughts are at their worst.

It’s been hard.

Hard on my health, and hard on my family.

So I’ve been making an effort to slow down… doing less and practicing more quiet in my routine.

I’ve gotten back to into doing yoga every morning, and journaling consistently.

I’ve also put my phone down. I’ve been on it way less, and created some clear boundaries with it.

But the thing that has helped me the most is a list that I keep on my phone.

I wrote down every single thing that was triggering my anxiety, and I wrote a scripture verse that speaks truth right next to it.

When I feel anxious, I pull out that scripture, and repeat it to myself until I feel more at peace.

It’s been helping so, so much!

I know I’m not the only one dealing with anxiety… I know it’s super common.

I’ve been wanting to start a weekly roundup here for awhile that I’m calling “the Truncated Edit”. It’s basically a list of things I’ve found interesting, things I’ve been loving… things I’d like to recommend to you.

So I figured what better way to start than to share with you some healthy ways to deal with anxiety.

I hope it helps you if you’re going through it too. But most importantly, if you are going through anxiety, please do talk to a professional! There is zero shame in getting help for anxiety. Don’t suffer alone! There’s no need.

:: Yoga as mentioned above. I love Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. I love the way she teaches, and how she continually reminds the student that we have nothing to prove. This has become such an integral way to keep my anxiety down during the day. I tend to be very hard on myself, and have a hard time slowing down or taking a break from “tasks.” Taking a moment every morning to stop and be still has been very healing.

:: Taking a break from purchases to take my mind off of things. I’m doing the Purchase Pause that my friend Dacy put together, and it’s been such a needed break. I encourage everyone to go through it!

:: This hand cream. Seems silly, but when I’m feeling extra anxious, I’ll take a moment to pause and put some hand cream on while I speak truth over myself. The pairing of a physical action with a mindful action helps refocus me more than one of those things on their own.

:: Making time for things that I love… and right now that’s sewing and reading. I’ve mostly been doing little projects like mending and making this bonnet for my girls, but it’s still been satisfying that creative itch.

:: This essential oil spray. It’s meant for encouraging a restful sleep, but I also use it throughout the day to create an aura of calm around myself. I don’t believe essential oils are a cure all, but this does seem to really help.

:: This devotional, and this song. I can’t tell you how much these have been helping me lately.

:: and finally! This “tea”: chop half a lemon, and one inch of ginger into small pieces and put them in a steeping basket of a tea cup (I use this one, and I love it). Pour the boiling water over the top, and then smush the lemon/ginger pieces until the juices are released. Add a teaspoon of honey and stir (I got this idea from a video by Mimi Ikonn). First of all, it tastes delicious. Second, I’ve found I can actually replace coffee with this and still feel energized, third I take a moment to sip this slowly while I journal every morning so the combination of both has truly been life changing.

And that’s it. I think overall I’ve learned that when I’m practicing healthy habits, my anxiety is less. I.e., if I’m working out, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, etc. It’s not a fix all, but it does help me manage anxious thoughts when they come my way.

My final tip: put your phone down. I did some backtracking, and I realized that a lot of my anxiety started when I began to rely on my phone more. I think social media really can have an affect on our overall well being, and it’s our job to create healthy boundaries with our phones. For me that has been putting it away after a certain time at night, and limiting my social media time to no more than one hour a day (maybe that seems like a lot, but as a blogger, it’s nothing). I’ll leave you with some photos that I took on an afternoon in Grandma and Grandpa’s garden where my phone was tucked firmly away. Happy weekend everyone! How do you practice mindfulness in your day?