Hi, my name is Kiri and I am a worryaholic. I have always been conscientious, and sometimes my need to excel at absolutely everything gets the better of me. I really hate the word anxiety, I think people who suffer from it should give it another name, something that sounds a little less alarming.
I have experienced a fair few bouts of anxiety in my life, thankfully I have learned how to keep it under control. Therefore, I thought I would share with you some of my personal tips for combating those daily worries.
1. Distract your mind
Don’t believe those negative thoughts. You know the ones that float through your brain unnoticed, well, you are allowing them to continue their endless cycle through your brain. When they threaten to weaken you, find ways of distracting your mind. Train your mind to think differently.
2. Notice
Notice when you are feeling anxious about something, don’t punish yourself for feeling that way. Just be aware of the thoughts you are having and how you are feeling.
3. Appreciate
When you are gifted with a moment where you feel happiness, pleasure, satisfaction, pride or anything remotely positive make sure you appreciate the experience. Write down 5 things a day that you are grateful for.
4. Be present
Try and be present for some of the common things you do each day such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower or petting your dog. What do these experiences actually feel like? We live a large chunk of our lives on autopilot, never paying much attention to what we are doing. Try mindful eating, savour every bite, what does the food taste like, what is the texture like, how does it feel?
5. Find inspiration
Find something that inspires you to do better and to try harder. Whether that’s a hobby, a person, a book or a video, just something that helps you to feel motivated.
6. Stop thinking ahead
For part of each day try really hard not to think of what might be. Just concentrate on what you are doing in the present. Always worrying about the future is exhausting.
7. Be selfish
Yes, you heard me. I haven’t yet mastered this one. I still do things that are detrimental to myself because I want to please others. Just don’t. Do what is most important for you, not anyone else.
8. Love who you are
Please, please stop worrying about what other people think. Do what makes you happy, wear a quirky outfit with pride, dance like an absolute moron. At the end of the day it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, I promise.
9. Stop comparing yourself to others
Constantly comparing yourself to your best friends, random people you used to go to school with, celebrities, models, entrepreneurs. Just stop…
10. Be kind
Stop being so cruel to yourself. Try not to punish yourself when things don’t go to plan or simple for feeling anxious in the first place.
