Looking to connect with other anxious people and learn some new coping skills.
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I find that walking alone really helps.
Backstory: in middle school, I had a teacher who I really hated, and I would always get super anxious in that class (most of the anxiety was caused by the teacher). I had gym the next period, and would always go in very anxious. My gym teacher pulled me aside one day after realizing the issue and decided to let me walk up and down the hallway (the gym was in its own wing) instead of playing with the rest of the kids. So instead of my anxiety getting worse by being in a crowd of people, it would calm down. I felt the need to write this out because this teacher’s actions were amazing. Thank you, Mr. Gym Teacher.
Oh thank you for telling us. I had gym teacher in middle school like that. He had a withered leg because polio survivor. The bullies would make fun of his limp. He was always protecting the weird kids. I remember his name to this day. Mr Underwood also knew his sports. He was a good teacher.
I carry really tiny plush animals in my pockets and squish them, i have autism and it really helps my anxiety. I wish id had them when i was younger the plastic fidget toys i got never really helped
Painting. I love coloring all my emotions out on a white page. It may look gibberish sometimes, but it is what I'm feeling on the inside.
That's how I feel about journaling, expressing emotions through something physical can sometimes help so much.
Silence and alone time. Dimmed lights.
I moved from the big city to a hole in the ground. Still too many people, but the surrounding forests are a balm on frazzled nerves. You can walk for hours and the only thing you'll hear is the wind in the trees and distant birdsong. One of the few sounds left that I can tolerate endlessly.
Time alone, no one asking what’s wrong, or why am I being b*tchy, or why I am being this way. Just time locked away in my room with some snacks, water, and remotes to the tv, and I’ll be just fine.. until I’m out of there and have to do it all over again.
I’m socially anxious and I find that listening to music helps when I’m in crowds- might not be possible for everyone so here’s another that I like to use: fidgeting with my hands. It can be anything from just my fingers to a crumpled piece of paper to a fidget cube, but it also helps with my adhd hyperactivity :D
Music seems to be a huge healer. But i do the same with my hands. I have to hold something to help if my anxiety kicks in. It helps alot. Glad we are not alone.
Crochet. It lets me channel the anxious energy into something creative. It's also helping me quit smoking.
Medication and therapy. Lots of therapy.
Yes, therapy is definitely what's helped me a ton. And also just building up the courage to tell someone about what I was going through. I'm proud of everyone who's reached out and tried to get help, it's sometimes the hardest part of the battle.
My bun (bunny), i love my bunny, everytime i get anxious or shy, her name is snowy.
Unfortunatly, my bunny died yesterday, but she lives in my heart, inside me: I MISS HER SO MUCH😭😭😭😭
If I'm at home, I'll organize my bookshelves. I've arranged them by color, genre, size, author, title, and whether or not I have read them. It's really calming and I can focus on that instead of everything else in my life.
I have two big stuffed animals. A unicorn and a dolphin on my bed that my son slept on before he died. I cuddle them and they still smell like him be washed 4 times since October. I love them and when I'm breaking apart at the seems I can stuff my face in them and remind myself to be stronger for the other children. It's almost an oxymoron in my life at this point. Brings happiness and sadness then comfort
Therapy, more so talking. Writing about anything. Designing new things, like how I could redo a room, rearrange it to make it different. I craft, paint, diamond art, jewelry making and really anything I could possibly want to craft with. I have slowly built up a base level craft store in my room. I can pretty much do any craft. I love to listen to music. And sometimes I take nighttime pm and go to bed.
Hugging my Dog Shilo.
I try to think of the good things I have going on. It's so easy with anxiety to focus only on the negative so I think, what am I grateful for? If that doesn't work I smoke some great legal weed and watch something like Rick & Morty to remind myself not to take life so seriously.
(Doesn’t always work for obvious reasons-) but when I’m with my sister particularly, it’s a good coping mechanism. She’s the same level of “oh god everything is bad this is very very bad time to leave time to-“ as I am, but she’s younger. I think it helps me to help *her*, if that makes sense. She’s nervous about a situation? Well, I am too, but dang it if I’m not gonna fight god over her. In taking on this mindset, I end up being less anxious because I’m already prepared to handle things. I hope that made any semblance of sense-
I do this with my friends, especially those who have social anxiety and need me to help in social situations (I don't have social anxiety, just generalized anxiety disorder)
When I suffer from anxiety and especially the racing thoughts that fuel it, I consciously fill my mind with lists of positive words such as harmony, peace, joy, heaven, love, serenity, angel, light, hope etc and I just keep going, finding as many words as I can and make it a sort of mantra. This calms me.
It took me until recently to figure out that with enough effort I could change racing negative thoughts into a positive mantra, so far it's been difficult but really helped.
I sing the song I learned in elementary school called "50 nifty united states" lol it gets my mind off of it alphabetically singing the states
Fifth nifty United States, from thirteen original colonies. Fifty nifty stars in the flag that billows so beautifully in the breeze ... 🎶🎵
If I have time: crafting and audio books. If I don't: concentrating on my feet on the floor.
My favorites are cuddling/training my chickens (Hens: Li, Goldie, Breda, Lynn and Roosters: Raven, Vanilla) I love them very much, and the absolute peace is amazing. I also LOVE reading. Getting into a good book (usually by Brandon Sanderson, specifically Stormlight Archive) also helps. So many times have I avoided or diffused a panic or anxiety attack because of these books!
Yes!!! I love Stormlight Archives so much, finding good books that can make anxiety disappear, even for a moment, is amazing
Breathe in quickly but breathe out slowly. It tricks the brain into that calming breathing out after you've been startled, but without being startled at all. Physical exercise helps. House cleaning helps. Self care like showering helps. There's no one trick that works for everyone, unfortunately, but there are a lot of tricks out there so I know that we'll all be able to find something here. Pandas taking care of Pandas. :)
I do that breathing thing also. It works for me. I make up imaginary words to go with the breath patterns. Sometimes my mind won't stop. I also like to listen to Discworld novels. Horrorbabble is an audio channel on YouTube that has hundreds of stories that i enjoy. Some people i know have a tree or a place they like to visit when they can. Not everyone has a park or open space, but if you do they are great. We still have birds where i live. I really enjoy them. I am in a wheelchair. Sometimes it is a big effort to go outside and do these things but so far it is worth it. Don't beat yourself up. This covid has made things more difficult but not impossible.
i bounce my leg whenever im bored, stressed or anxious
I do that too. So did my grams. I used to make jokes but now I’m doing it, she used to say just you wait! Lol. I think it’s genetic, people who are especially hyperactive.
Ever heard of Undertale? I love the music. And its just a really nice thing to listen to when I need to calm down.
Grounding skills! I typically use some combo of these for high anxiety, panic or uncontrollable crying. 1. Easiest one is I hand them a small rock and tell them to tell me everything they know about the rock. People usually say things like “It’s a brown rock, it has a chip on the corner.” Then I ask them what the rock surface feels like, does it feel cold or room temp? Basics like that. Then after distracting them with rock questions, I explain that that patient just uses their sense of sight and touch
***Focusing on uses your 5 senses takes attention away from the anxiety. Also then they want to know why I had a random rock. Boom, de-escalated! Can also use ice cube if you have one handy.
It depends on what my stressor is. I’m a kindergarten teacher and sometimes dealing with the children/parents has completely worn me down. If need a short break before handling my own kids at home, I’ll take a half hour in my room with low lighting and either read, listen to an audiobook, play a mindless game, or take a short power nap. Just whatever shuts my brain off for a brief respite. If it’s just life in general, like I don’t have a specific reason to be anxious but I feel anxious anyway, then anything creative helps me. Crafting, painting, decorating, whatever. Now in cases like today where I received bad, life changing news? Movement. Working out, dancing, heavy duty cleaning, anything with real heart-rate increasing movement. It helps burn off panicky nervous energy and I usually emerge from the other side much calmer and with a clearer head.
Being around small children can definitely run down your batteries! Even a single one can be a challenge! After the initial shutdown ended in 2020, one of the first things I did was let my kids go to my mom's for a couple of days without me because I had reached my limit.
Also, never underestimate the power of a cozy out-of-the-way corner and a cup of something hot, whether tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot apple cider. Hugging it close and deeply breathing in the steam can help open and soothe your airways, which automatically reduces stress and promotes calm. This is my favorite wake-up/get ready for bed ritual.
Load More Replies... I hope you have some emotional support, given the bad news you've received.
I do, thank you! I don’t have family here that I’m in contact with but I have an amazing circle of friends and ‘chosen family’ that have all rallied around us. So it’s all good. Or at least, it will be soon enough. 🙃
Load More Replies...Drawing even if in terrible
staying away from other humans as much as possible
For mild to moderate anxiety, treat it like an annoying client who needs to calm down. Tell it "Not now" and do something distracting. Maybe an hour later, check in with my anxiety and see how it's doing. There's a good chance it's doing better. Then back to doing something else. Then check later in the day and the anxiety will be smaller. And so on, until it's gone.
When I'm really stressed I take a hot shower and play music very loud. Sometimes I just shutdown, that's not a very good coping mechanism though.
I try to reason through the anxiety. first I try to figure out exactly what I'm scared of, then
Help help how do you edit?? God I feel stupid. Like I was saying, I list a solution, or multiple, to every trigger. Then, if I think of how those could go wrong, I lost more solutions to those. This proves to me that something can be done. Granted, I am mostly claustrophobic and agoraphobic (fear of something going wrong
I like those pixel art games, they're great for destressing. I also go for runs, I live near a national park so I go down the nearest trail, it's really peaceful. If I'm not at home, just being alone for five minutes and talking it through helps a lot.
Hi again, btw, my bird is still my comfort,when im anxious ot shy, she's a budgie and her name is peanut, she died again a few hours ago. I hope i can see her again😭😭😭😭
Playing with/hugging my two puppies and weight training.. aerobic exercise just doesn't work for me... but weights, yes.
Sometimes they are still not enough... i need to able to combine the two somehow.... puppy lifting ?
Keeping my hands busy keeps my mind calm. Continuously learning and accomplishing projects help
i like to say the alphabet backwards, because it makes me think. also take deep breaths in between.
Z... breathe...Y..... breathe
it really helps, trust me, especially in a panic attack or anxiety attack
I do something similar, counting backwards from 100 if I can't sleep because of anxiety
Often times don't take care of my anxiety properly, and it usually leads to a panic attack. When I do deal with my anxiety, I take some deep breaths, and try to focus on slowing my heart rate. Because I've had multiple panic attacks before, I usually take my pulse often. Sometimes I also try reassuring myself via positive self-talk.
I’ve yet to find one. It doesn’t help, but alcohol is still my only coping mechanism. My cats help me a little bit but are a cause of great anxiety too! One of them is stuck in a cycle of itch, scratch, make it bleed, let it scab over, scab becomes itchy, scratch, make it bleed, scab over … and so on!
Try meditation (and i mean really f*****g try) with Scratch Kitty in the same room. There's a good chance your stress is the cause of her distress. I'm not saying the meditation wil cure your anxiety but if you give this a shot you might be surprised. And no you don't have to sit crosslegged and go ohm if you don't want to. Just sit comfortably, close your eyes and calm your breathing. Or you know, try. For Scratch Kitty! You both deserve it.
Running. Everytime I get anxious or snappy because of stress my bf will ask if I would like to go for a run. Works everytime! Good music in my ears and bringing the dogs along helps too.
any kind of noise helps me. i just find a place that has lows, constant noises and kind of sit and stare until i feel a little better. i also like to sit in the shower with loud music on and sit on the shower floor.
Yes! I have the Windy app for this. It has different outdoor scenarios ( I live in the middle of a metropolitan area so going outside to listen to the hot rods roaring by isn’t conducive to relaxation). Like rain against a tent, a babbling brook in a forest, the wind through a meadow. You can set your own preferences of how loud you want the water, the birds, the crickets. There is also a repetitive soft musical accompaniment that usually I leave off but it puts my kindergartners out in 5 minutes if I turn it on. It is so grounding and restful. When I got it it was free, but I think it’s $1.99 now. Still so worth it, I use it every night.
When I'm at work, I have found doing stock count helps me. The Company loves it, as do my collegues, as it is one thing others hate doing. Half an hour of it calms me enough to go back to doing everything else.
Cats…just cats and only cats (or chinchillas if you have one)
If possible, something that involves moving. At work, I’ll try to go for a walk. If I’m home, yoga, yard work, or lots of cleaning. If my mind just will not settle, heavy metal music. Anything that will distract or drown out the noise in my head and hopefully reset my brain for a while. The music thing helps when I’m stuck with an issue at work, too. I also have a “things that give me anxiety” bingo card for work. It’s almost all forms of public speaking that I’d never thought I’d have to do as peon - like presenting something to over 40 people without much forewarning.
Cooking. When I get wound up I head straight to the kitchen. To do things properly takes every bit of my concentration. After a while I forget what set me off, and I can relax and enjoy and appreciate what I have just made.
Learn as many lessons as I can so as not to repeat the same reasons for the pain. Acceptance that pain is. That’s a big one. Because life is difficult and the reward for repairing the damage done to me that I continued to repeat to myself. That finally asking for help starts the healing. And I have found heaven is on earth, not after death. And accept that I do the best I can. Always. It is a sign of forgiveness for myself and kindness toward others, who are also doing the best they can. Think about it. No matter what. You ARE doing the only thing you can and that is the best you can do.
It’s one of those conceptual things. Once appreciated, never forgotten.
Sleep. Hard to get, and keep, with anxiety. I found a little trick to quickly get myself back to sleep during the night. Maybe it will work for others: When I wake (and don't have to go to the WC), I keep my eyes closed, try not to move (much), and sing a Nickelback song in my head. My brain gets bored quickly and I usually fall right back to sleep. It doesn't have to be Nickelback, of course, I think any dumb song would work (just not something to bring up emotions).
Redefining my day
I try to find joy in every day no matter how small. And use it to light my way
(Autism, PTSD, OCD & Anxiety.. if ganged up with migraine answer changes to hiding in my darkroom/converted walkin closet)
I always carry at least one small object or a plush or I chew gum
I go outside by myself and just breathe. I clear my mind and watch the sunset most days
I find that going outside at night, when everyone is in bed, and take three deep yoga breaths. If I can feel that my stress levels are about to pop I go outside and breath. I also chant "Goosephaba" No kidding! From the movie Anger Managment. Music also is good for you. Play some air guitar.
I have this stuffed bunny and and a security blanket that help me a lot, whenever I hug my bunny or I cuddle up in my security blanket i always feel like my mom is there hugging me and telling me that everything will be ok. I also like to do art especially painting and also baking/cooking helps.
I also forgot to say that reading also helps me. I also like to fidget with things, it’s keeps my mind busy
In times of high stress/ anxiety simply grip your left wrist with your right hand and squeeze moderately hard. Say the word; "Calm" gently to yourself over and over.
Doing this has dramatic results. Something to do with your pulse and heartbeat. You can feel it working.
I was told this by a Doctor years ago and I still use it today. It so works.
Holding onto something always helped. Whether a pen, keys, a small stone, any small object that I can hold in my hand. If the anxiety becomes overwhelming, since I was a small child I found holding onto something solid always helps calm the body and mind. I used to wake up from anxious nightmares and just reach my hand up to hold onto the headboard of my bed. It always gave relief. So, a table or wall - hands firmly grabbing or flat on something solid will help grounding. And of the times driving in the car during road trips, anxiety has hit from time to time - I turn on the music, loud, to drown out the thoughts in my head - that always helps.
I don't know if someone else said this but pushing your tongue against the roof of your mouth during a panic attack. It helps lower your heart rate some how. Just don't do this to much because I would do this all the time and it irritated my tongue, don't know how.
Here's a two-fer.
First, mine. Hold your arms out directly from the shoulders. Take a deep brea
Medication. Lots of medication. Only medication. Oh, and also pessimism. When you know nothing matters and you are already sure everything will always suck anyway (which, admit it, is always true), then you are under a little less pressure because you know you won't miss out on any chance as chances never happen in the first place.
Ah yes. Pessimism as a form of coping with anxiety. Making myself feel worse will certainly help me, Monsieur Deschanel. /s
When I'm at home, I'll put on a pair of noise-canceling headphones and a sleep mask and sit on the floor. It's a bit like meditation for me, being able to experience the complete nothingness allows me to calm down and, when I'm ready, work through whatever caused me anxiety. I also love singing my anxiety out or acting inside my head as a means of escape.
I get really itchy when anxious, so I like to gently rub my fingers on my arms.
Being aware of my breathing and taking deep breaths. Mindfulness has helped me sooo much. And a good, warm hug helps me calm down.
Meditation mode. I immediately go into it even if I'm on a bus, at work or walking around.
Petting my dog, spending time alone outside, and finding quiet places. I have hypersensitivity, especially to noise, so wearing noise canceling AirPods helps in loud situations. Playing the cello also helps me relax. I have social anxiety, so in social situations I sometimes take little breaks to recharge, or take deep breaths. Meditation before bedtime helps my anxiety so I can sleep.
My coping method is going for a small drive. I think it's because, growing up, neither home or school were safe havens for me. I was constantly bullied and threatened in school and I would go home to an verbally abusive mother that had no problem hit us if we stepped a toe out of line.
On the weekends, my Dad would load me up in the car and take me for a long drive. We'd stop in small towns for ice cream or lunch. It was one of the only times I didn't need to feel afraid and I knew I was safe. Now it's a coping mechanism.
When it gets really bad, I let out the loudest, longest primal scream, drop to my knees of exhaustion, stay there for as long as it takes. When I get up Im a different person!
Dropping the Anchor. Also known as 5-4-3-2-1.
1. The first step is to look around the room and name (out loud) five things that you can see (a clock on the wall or a car.
2. The second step is to focus on four things that you can feel. This could be the fan blowing on your face, or the texture of your jeans. Describe each out loud.
3.The third step is to name three things that you can hear. This could be a bird outside to the hum of the fridge.
4.The fourth step is to notice two things that you can smell. Perhaps the room freshener and you can smell something specifically (like a book or an eraser).
5.The fifth step is to focus on one thing that you can taste. Take a sip of water or coffee and describe how it tastes. Or you can eat a mint.
This technique helps get you out of an anxiety spiral and back into your body. It works well to ‘drop the anchor’ when you feel overwhelmed in the storms of life.
I draw it helps me release and transform all the icky stuff inside into something that I enjoy
I sit alone and writ stories or read
You are going to have to be more specific regarding what situation calls for coping skills. How someone deals with illness, family, work, relationships, society, death, loss, personal issues, require different coping skills.
I lost my job due to my mental health. They said they could not cope with it any longer! I’m still so angry that this happened and until I can let go of this anger then nothing will help. CBT certainly didn’t help. One little victory the day before Christmas Eve - my bank have agreed to write off my debts with them as they did not fully understand my mental state at the time when they placed my account with the recovery’s section, nor did they query why I had got into financial difficulties.
So sorry this All happened to you. I live in the US and it's illegal to do this. It's discrimination against people w disabilities and diagnosed mental illness falls under that law. How cruel and infuriating. I hope you can find peace. My heart goes out to you.
Load More Replies... I have anxiety, depression, and I think ADHD as well. Got the whole set XD. I probably need to start a post here asking for advice, I've been sort of...dissociating recently, more often than I have before. Google isn't helping, since I have a lot of doubt over if what I believe to be symptoms are even real. I just hope there are therapists on BP XD.
I'm not a therapist but my daughter dissociates too. She's been in therapy for 4 yrs. Her therapist said it's her OCD linked to anxiety depression and intrusive thoughts. She's learned coping mechanisms for this. Things that keep her grounded: talking about things out loud to someone she trusts will listen and not give advice unless asked. She also writes in her journal so she can see the pattern and find out her triggers. She knits and plays music. Calls her therapist when she needs to. You're not alone. I know how hard it is too. I have anxiety and depression as well. My heart goes out to you.
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Something that helps me in the moment is to spell names backwards in my head or make an A-Z list of something-- foods, animals, band names, etc.
I use something similar for insomnia: I make similar useless lists in my head. That serves two purposes: keeps me from focusing on personal stresses and it's not exciting enough to keep me stimulated. It's reduced my insomnia considerably.
Load More Replies... I diffuse things with humor. In the past I would become other personas or I would talk in accents and just be other people. Now I’m healed of my extreme depressions and anxiety so I just make jokes.
I acted out an anxiety attack and imitated my hubby getting freaked out about it. My nephew was in stitches. I thought "Wooohooooo!!! I'm killing this!!" Maybe I should get T-shirts printed up - I might want to sell merch at my next anxiety attack. ;)
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I’m a wolf biter…. It doesn’t help it just makes everything worse ØvØ
Lots of people using diversion methods to cope with things. Ignoring things will not help, and you should meet things head on. Knowing and understanding the truth of what is going on allows one to deal with situation with better results. Coping is similar to problem solving and gaining some control over what is going on.
Diversion is not the same thing as avoidance. Anxiety is multi-faceted. Facing something head on is great if the anxiety is triggered or caused by something specific. But in the case of anxiety disorders (of which there are many different types), diversion is often the best way to process the thoughts.
Load More Replies... I lost my job due to my mental health. They said they could not cope with it any longer! I’m still so angry that this happened and until I can let go of this anger then nothing will help. CBT certainly didn’t help. One little victory the day before Christmas Eve - my bank have agreed to write off my debts with them as they did not fully understand my mental state at the time when they placed my account with the recovery’s section, nor did they query why I had got into financial difficulties.
So sorry this All happened to you. I live in the US and it's illegal to do this. It's discrimination against people w disabilities and diagnosed mental illness falls under that law. How cruel and infuriating. I hope you can find peace. My heart goes out to you.
Load More Replies... I have anxiety, depression, and I think ADHD as well. Got the whole set XD. I probably need to start a post here asking for advice, I've been sort of...dissociating recently, more often than I have before. Google isn't helping, since I have a lot of doubt over if what I believe to be symptoms are even real. I just hope there are therapists on BP XD.
I'm not a therapist but my daughter dissociates too. She's been in therapy for 4 yrs. Her therapist said it's her OCD linked to anxiety depression and intrusive thoughts. She's learned coping mechanisms for this. Things that keep her grounded: talking about things out loud to someone she trusts will listen and not give advice unless asked. She also writes in her journal so she can see the pattern and find out her triggers. She knits and plays music. Calls her therapist when she needs to. You're not alone. I know how hard it is too. I have anxiety and depression as well. My heart goes out to you.
Load More Replies... Something that helps me in the moment is to spell names backwards in my head or make an A-Z list of something-- foods, animals, band names, etc.
I use something similar for insomnia: I make similar useless lists in my head. That serves two purposes: keeps me from focusing on personal stresses and it's not exciting enough to keep me stimulated. It's reduced my insomnia considerably.
Load More Replies... I diffuse things with humor. In the past I would become other personas or I would talk in accents and just be other people. Now I’m healed of my extreme depressions and anxiety so I just make jokes.
I acted out an anxiety attack and imitated my hubby getting freaked out about it. My nephew was in stitches. I thought "Wooohooooo!!! I'm killing this!!" Maybe I should get T-shirts printed up - I might want to sell merch at my next anxiety attack. ;)
Load More Replies... I’m a wolf biter…. It doesn’t help it just makes everything worse ØvØ
Lots of people using diversion methods to cope with things. Ignoring things will not help, and you should meet things head on. Knowing and understanding the truth of what is going on allows one to deal with situation with better results. Coping is similar to problem solving and gaining some control over what is going on.
Diversion is not the same thing as avoidance. Anxiety is multi-faceted. Facing something head on is great if the anxiety is triggered or caused by something specific. But in the case of anxiety disorders (of which there are many different types), diversion is often the best way to process the thoughts.
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