It’s when I feel on top of the world and hear about anxiety that I think, “I don’t have that.” But the second I start to have a full blown anxiety episode I think, “you fool, of course you have anxiety.”
The struggle with anxiety is real.
For myself, most days, I can function and not think twice about my mile long todo list for work, all the things I want to get done at home, how I want to go and play with the kids, and all of the other things that I throw at myself.
When I am feeling overwhelmed and my anxiety is at its peak. (You know, when you just keep pacing around the house anxious and overwhelmed about everything you need to do but unable to start any of it.) I have a few things I do to help recenter, ground myself, and get back to it.
- Breathe.
Just breathe. Sit down, close your eyes and take a deep breath (a few of them.) Once I am able to slow down my breathing I immediately feel more calm. The way I do it: sit down, close your eyes, take a deep breath in for 4 seconds, and let it out for 4 seconds.
- Drink some water.
As soon as I get done slowing my breathing I will drink a glass of water.
- Put on some music.
If you don’t know, I love EDM type music. Or anything with heavy bass. When I am anxious I can’t listen to anything but calm music. My go to is the artist Mauve, It still has a great beat but it’s also very calming. Try finding a playlist that is soothing to you and then put it on!
- Make a list.
Grab a notepad and something to write with, it could be crayon, just get something to write. Write out what you are trying to get done and be specific. Here is what one of my lists would look like; kitchen- just do the dishes, office-file the papers, bathroom-take the trash out. By being specific and writing it down it helps take away the huge weight of it. If you have a list and it just says “clean kitchen,” where does your mind go? That you have deep clean the entire kitchen! But sis, you don’t. Do the dishes and move on to the next thing.
- Celebrate crossing things off your list.
You completed a task on your list and that is amazing! Celebrate that! Those dishes are now done, you freaking rock. Now, take a drink of water and go take out the trash in the bathroom.
- Break down each task by day.
This can go with creating a list but do not do this at the same time as making the short todo list. At the end of day sit down and write down everything you want to have done for the week; Deep clean the bathrooms, Sweep and mop the floors, play with the kids. As soon as you do that, put them on their OWN days and put it on the calendar. Now you know exactly what you are going to do on Wednesday and it’s deep clean the bathrooms. Period.
I think the main issue for myself with feeling anxious and overwhelmed, I think I have to do it all, all the time. That's just not true. We don’t have to deep clean the house everyday, we don’t need to be teaching the kids something new everyday, we just don’t. All that it does is lead us to burn out, feeling anxious, and overwhelmed. For myself I know when I have a list and plan I am better at making sure things actually get done and then I don’t get stuck in the anxiety ridden pacing of the house overwhelmed with where to even start.
Try this and let me know how it goes! Wish you the best of luck. You’re amazing and I have no doubt you are going to crush it.
Cheers, Alex
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