When you live with anxiety, it can often feel as though there is no easy way out. Although this may be true in some senses, it doesn’t mean that you have to go through this tough time by yourself. Adopting a mindful approach towards anxiety recovery or trauma recovery will help to reframe your mind and realign you with your purposes again. Whether you’re trying to cope with anxiety as a result of a work-related incident, or you’re hoping to combat feelings of depression after a long battle with a recurring trauma, there are a number of reasons why you might be struggling right now. Being more mindful, and conscious of your own emotions will help you to find the most effective strategies to bring your anxiety symptoms down. Although you may find the process a long and difficult one to navigate, you will soon come out of the other side in a stronger frame of mind. Battling anxiety will never be an easy pathway to follow, but with the right strategies and support, you will be able to find peace of mind again.
Consider some of the following mindful actions to help you work through your anxiety so that you can feel a sense of freedom, relief and self-assurance again.
Pinpoint Your Triggers
When you are able to pinpoint your triggers and recognize all of the elements that make you feel anxious, depressed or worried, you will start to feel a sense of empowerment. Identifying these triggers may be quite difficult to accomplish, especially if you’re dealing with very sensitive subject matters. Hopefully, you can ease your way into pinpointing these stressors so that you can find a way to work through them methodically. Whether it’s a thought, place, person or previous memory, there are so many entities that could trigger your anxiety. As soon as you write them down and admit the harm they are causing you, it will be much easier to work through them in a healthy way.
Ask for Professional Support
There are a number of different professional routes you can take when it comes to dealing with mental health concerns. Not every option will be suitable to your situation, but it’s certainly worth looking into all available sources of support. Whether you’re speaking to a licensed therapist, visiting a local clinic or looking for a regular councilor, there are so many different avenues for you to try out. You may want to consider attending va rehab, which can provide you with private treatment for psychological disorders, substance addictions and much more. If this seems relevant to you, don’t hesitate to seek out help and find ways to combat your anxiety once and for all. When you’re dealing with such a sensitive subject matter it may be difficult to open up about your previous traumas, but being honest will help you to make progress much more quickly.
Talk to Your Close Loved Ones
When you’re dealing with anxiety on a daily basis, it’s very important to open up to your loved ones so that they understand what you’re going through. Although they may not completely comprehend your predicament, they will be able to help by being more patient with you. If your friends and family don’t know that you’re battling some dark mental health concerns, they may simply think you’re being withdrawn, rude or quiet during certain scenarios. Opening up to the people you trust the most will not only help them to help you, but it will also make your life a little easier if someone knows. You can fill them in on your current progress and talk about the strategies you’re using to work through your anxiety in a healthy way.
Prioritize Your Health
When anxiety takes over at any given moment in your life, you need to learn to prioritize your health so that you aren’t putting additional stress on your body. Getting a good night’s sleep, eating nutritious meals and enjoying gentle exercise can help to reduce your symptoms of anxiety and give your body a little bit of self-love. With any mental health struggle, it’s always a good idea to get back to basics and nourish yourself from the inside. As soon as you are fuelling your body correctly and making time to get enough sleep, you’ll start to feel better physically. Having anxiety is mentally draining, so it’s important to find as many ways to energize yourself again if possible.
Step Back from Your Responsibilities
Whether you’re running a busy household, raising children or managing a team at work, now would be a good time to take a step back from your responsibilities. Lightening your load as much as possible whilst you try to recover from your anxiety will help you to focus on your own mental health, rather than worrying about others around you. Of course, in many cases this may be difficult, especially if you have young children. However, you would be surprised at how many people are willing to help you during your time of need. If you’re working in a high-stress environment, you may want to talk to your manager and see what can be done to reduce your workload until you start to feel better. Whether you’re taking an extended leave of absence, or you’re moving to a less demanding role, there are numerous accommodations that your workplace should be able to make for you.
Reassess Your Goals and Values
Taking a moment to reassess your future goals and current values may seem overwhelming if you’re trying to work through anxiety. However, this is a very useful and mindful method to consider as it can give you a fresh perspective on everything in your life. As soon as you start to re-evaluate what’s important to you, so many components begin to click seamlessly into place. Although this may seem like an impossible task right now, try to write down one or two goals or values that are highly important to you right now. This may help to guide you to make decisions in the future that align with your values rather than feeling forced to follow a path that doesn’t feel right to you.
Practice Gratitude
It’s always helpful to take a moment to practice gratitude when you’re in a particularly dark place mentally. Writing down one small thing that you’re grateful for each day can help you to make small steps forward in terms of your recovery. Although you may not be able to pinpoint an elaborate entity that you’re grateful for each day, choosing just a small thing can help to ease your mind and give you a better frame of mind.
Find Things That Bring You Joy
Alongside your gratitude journal, you may also want to look deeper into hobbies and activities that bring you joy. Whether you love going for a walk outside in nature, or you find peace from painting, there are so many effective pastimes you can take up which can help you to mindfully work through anxiety, depression, and so much more. Make time for these activities each day, and you’ll start to notice a difference in your mood.
Be Kind and Patient With Yourself
When it comes to cultivating self-compassion and kindness towards yourself, it can be quite a journey to navigate. However, once you start making slow progress, you’ll start to see real improvements to your anxiety overall. Although it is much easier said than done, it’s so important to be extra kind and patient with yourself when you’re battling with mental health issues. There are enough demons going on in your head without putting extra stress and strain onto yourself. Treat yourself as if you were a close friend, and follow your own advice when it comes to a recovery plan.
As soon as you begin your journey towards healing and self discovery, you will start to learn so much about yourself and what you can actually handle in your life. There will never be an easy way to move forward and let go of the traumas that will follow you forever, but you will be able to work your way through each one in a mindful way. When you prioritize your health, surround yourself with support and discover calming practices, you’ll be glad you started your journey.
Mindful recovery is something that many people battling with anxiety can benefit from, simply because it is gentle on your mind and body. Whether you’re practicing gratitude, or you’re working towards a structured recovery program, there are so many beneficial things you can do when you’re in this situation. For many people working through trauma and anxiety, it can feel as though there is nobody else who understands their situation. Luckily, there are plenty of professionals and loved ones who are willing and able to help you on your journey. Reach out to people you trust, practice some of the mindful methods mentioned above, and begin your pathway to recovery soon.
This article was contributed and not written by JHW
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