Guess who’s back?! So much has happened in the last three months, but I’m glad to be back in the swing of things. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. What better way to make my comeback than to write about something I deal with personally, Anxiety. In my Black Girls Have Anxiety Too post, I talked about being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It’s been almost a year since I was diagnosed, and I’ve learned a few tricks to help with it along the way.
Write:
When you’re feeling anxious, write/type out your thoughts. Leave it all on the paper literally or figuratively. Blogging has helped me tremendously in the last year. Just having a place to express myself freely has been everything.
Exercise:
Physical activity helps a lot with stress and anxiety. I don’t like to exercise, or do anything that requires sweat; but I will walk. If exercise isn’t really your thing, put your headphones in and go for a quick walk around the neighborhood.
Listen To Music:
Listening to music can help you relax and brighten your mood depending on the song. Whenever you’re feeling down, put on your favorite tunes and have a thirty-second dance party! . . . Did you peep the Grey’s Anatomy reference? lol
Talk:
Talking to a therapist, or someone who you trust can make a huge difference. I can’t speak for everyone, but keeping all of my emotions in is what made my anxiety worse. I strongly encourage any and everyone dealing with anxiety and depression to talk to someone.
Breathe:
Just breathe! Practicing deep breathing exercises lowers stress in the body. Slowing your breaths down when you feel anxious can help reduce the chance of an anxiety attack.
Living with anxiety and depression can be a real pain in the ass. Contrary to popular belief, there doesn’t have to be anything wrong for a person with anxiety to have an episode. Most of the time, it just is what it is. There are tons of things you can you do to reduce stress and anxiety. You can go for a hike, read a book, or watch your favorite television show . Everyone is different, so do what you feel works best for you. For the rest of this month, I will be blogging weekly about depression and anxiety. I feel like it’s a topic that often gets overlooked, but it’s a very real thing.
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Hi, I’m Chantal. I’m a mom of two, self proclaimed naturalista, and Author of Growing Girls With Curls: Short Stories For Girls of Color. Being a mom is hard. Pair that with being a single, black, millennial in America and it’s a whole different monster. Feel free to join my mailing list and follow along as I blog through this crazy thing called life.
These are such great tips, i personally have never dealt with anxiety I think you have laid some amazing points and a big focus on relaxing and recentering.
I love this! And can totally relate. Thanks for posting!
Author
Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much for reading. ā¤ļø
These are great. Listening to music is one of my go tos. Going on walks is the other!
Author
Thank you! My earphones are almost always in my ear lol
I love this post, I have anxiety as well and going on walks with my littles always helps. Thanks for sharing!
Author
Thank you for reading Chelsey! My girls like going on walks with me as well.
This is such a great post and so upbeat. Anxiety doesn’t have to weigh you down, especially if you have the right tools to deal with it! Congratulations on your book, too!
Author
Thank you so much Sarah !
OH wow ai genuinely thought I was the only one that was aware of the writing therapy! I was diagnosed with Severe GAD and PTSD and I hated taking meds. I have found some of these similar things to help! Great post!
Author
I hate the meds too! They make me sleepy š. Iām glad someone else can relate. Thank you so much for reading Lacey!
Writing is such great therapy for me as well! Thank you for sharing your strategies and experiences. It is so important to talk about these things on a regular basis!
Author
Thank you for reading ! š
These are all so great. Dealing with anxiety myself my whole life and every tip helps.
Author
Thank you so much!
Talking and writing about our anxieties/ sorrows does help in making more sense of the situation. And lessening the load on our shoulders.
Author
Yes, thank you so much for reading!
Talking and writing about our anxieties/ sorrows does help in making more sense of the situation. And lessening the load on our shoulders.
Writing is what helps me the most! Great tips!
These are great strategies for dealing with anxiety. Writing is definitely my go to it just helps me find my peace. Thanks for sharing!