What helps your anxiety? — Responses from Devon Mind staff

As part of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week activities, we asked Devon Mind staff to share their personal experiences of how they deal with feelings of anxiety. It’s entirely normal to have feelings of anxiety every now and then, but when you do it’s important that you know how to manage your feelings and not let them contribute to a more difficult mental health challenge.

Below are a range of really interesting perspectives from our very own staff — what they use #ToHelpMyAnxiety. Feel free to send us your own thoughts and ideas for managing feelings of anxiety, either on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Charlotte — “When I’m overwhelmed and feeling anxious, I will write it all down. By telling myself that it’s temporarily a big thing, this seems to help normalise the feeling a little bit and make it feel not quite as big. I will also make sure I do all things that nourish my own mental wellbeing — going to the gym, going for a drive with my favourite music on full blast, or having a bubble bath and an early night!”

Paula — “I expect and accept that I will be anxious about trying new things and the things that are beyond my control. I try to feel the fear and do it anyway!”

Tom — “I use a quote from one of my favourite books, The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. The character Logan Ninefingers gets really anxious about doing things, and he has a saying: ‘Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.’ This always makes me think that if I’m only going to worry about something, I might as well get it done ASAP to get it over with, and then deal with any consequences later — if and when they do happen.”

Phil — “Remembering that anxiety isn’t permanent and that I’m not anxious in every situation. Anxiety isn’t always bad — sure, sometimes it’s crippling; but sometimes it helps me wait, because I feel uneasy, and I become patient where I might have been rash. My anxiety has helped me avoid making rushed, foolhardy decisions. Anxiety is part of a scale, without which it might tip the other way too far.”

Anonymous — “I tend to talk through my concerns and worries with a trusted friend or family member. Asking for a second opinion can help things feel less overwhelming and more manageable.”

Dayna — “I find that widening my view really helps! My quick way of doing this is to go outside and see things like birds or even little creatures. This view of a more simplified way of life really helps me to feel grounded. Then from here, I feel more able to give perspective on what is going on without letting the anxiety completely take over me.

“I also find talking myself through the anxiety out loud and validating how I feel really helpful. For example, I will say the feeling outwardly, ‘I feel quite anxious about going to this new place today’, and then I will follow up with a reply like, ‘Well that makes sense, this is new and it’s normal to have anxious feelings with something new, but I have done new things before, and I can do this new thing today’.”