Self-care during Anxious Times Part I of 2

Liza Woodrome is sharing with us how to practice self-care during anxious times. Liza has personally suffered from anxiety and has found many ways to cope.

Do you know that you do not have to have any stressors in your life to experience anxiety?

You could be predisposed or genetically wired to have anxiety just for simply being you.  However, there are so many obvious reasons you may feel anxious.  A few biggies are going through a divorce, struggling with custody or co-parenting and, of course, most glaringly obvious today, Covid-19.  Today’s world can be a very difficult place in which to exist.  Every human being on earth must feel this way at some point in their life, right?

Do you know how important it is to take good care of yourself during stressful times?   It is called “self-care” and everyone should practice it, especially during anxious times.  By definition, self-care is “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress” (Oxford Languages).  Take a break. Pause from life. Find 5 minutes a day to healthily decompress, unwind, regroup and recharge.

Each of us has a certain threshold of energy and we can only handle so much based on what that threshold is.  If your energy well runs dry, your body will thirst for more energy.  Self-care can do just that: aerate, hydrate, invigorate, fuel, and restore your energy levels to nourish, sustain, renew and quite literally breathe new life into your body.  Doesn’t that sound rejuvenating?

Here are some ideas for anxiety management and self-care practices during anxious times.  Whether it’s something that is happening personally to you or is as wide-reaching as a worldwide pandemic, these tips will come in handy in making you feel better and learning to cope more easily and effectively.

Most importantly —Build your team of health professionals!  Your primary care physician, counselor and pharmacist can all work together as “Team You” in putting together the right treatment plan for you.  Treatments your team may recommend and self-care techniques include some of the following:

Other self-care enjoyments can be extremely beneficial. You might try:

Find something you enjoy doing and take 5-30 minutes a day to do it!  It’s fun to remember your 10-year-old self and what he or she would find to do in that amount of time to self-soothe.  Intriguing and motivating?  Let’s hope so… give it a whirl!

Remember —Anxiety did not happen to you overnight and it may take some time to undo itself.  Recognize and verbalize how you are feeling. Then practice patience and acceptance.  Educate yourself.  Accept help and support from loved ones.  Avoid isolation.  And fundamentally imperative: Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace during this time in your life!

Online Resources:

Older posts you might enjoy related to this topic are here and here.

Stay tuned for Part 2:  How to Support a Loved One Struggling with Anxiety (and/or depression)!

Disclaimer: Liza is not a trained medical professional and is not offering medical advice.  This blog is based on her lifelong and personal experience with anxiety.

The post Self-care during Anxious Times Part I of 2 appeared first on Quinn Law & Mediation, LLC.