Anxiety

10. Grounding exercise: This exercise is super simple! Just think of your sense and find five things you can feel, four things you can see, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This will help bring you back to reality and ground you. If need be do it more than once changing the order of the sense each time. Example: five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can taste, and one thing you can smell.

9. Getting someone to say random numbers for you to repeat: This is an exercise that makes you focus on something other than what is causing you to panic. You can have a person do this for you in person or over a text! It doesn't matter just repeating the random numbers that are told to you helps to distract and calm.

8. The name game: This one is as simple as it sounds. Pick a category (animals, countries, famous people, fictional characters, extra...), and name things from that category in alphabetical order. This helps move the mind away from the problem while giving you something constructive to focus on. You can do this by yourself or with another person!

7. Listing things that can solve the problem: Making a physical list of solutions to the problem, or even just mapping out how you'll get things done can be super calming. Then having that physical list to remind you that you have things under control can help create a continual calming environment until whatever is giving you anxiety has passed.

6. Distraction: I find that with my anxiety often distraction is key. Distraction can come in many forms, it's all about finding the right distraction for you. For me I find that physically doing things help. So I'll clean or play with my pets. It's all trial and error, and I hope that if you haven't found the right calming exercise for you yet that this list can help!

5. Talking to someone: Talking about what is giving you anxiety can do wonders! This brings in another player to the field. Another mind to help you solve whatever is bugging you. Plus letting those worries out rather than keeping them bottled up is good for you.

4. Looking at the problem logically: Sometimes I find it helps to take a step back and look at the problem from a logical point of view rather than an emotional one. This can be harder to do, but telling yourself that everything will be okay and listing reasons why can be one of the best ways to calm yourself and help yourself remain calm!

3. Exercise/Meditate: Meditation is probably something you've been told to try before. Personally I have never found it to help but others have so its always worth a try! For me exercising, getting my body moving and letting out all my pent up worries is something that helps. I have an app that I like to follow for when I do exercise, but there are lots of different ways to get your body moving! Try picking something you enjoy doing (walking, swimming, running, extra), or create/find a plan that works for you. There limitless different ways to get your body moving! Try different things and find the one that is right for you.

Also I just wanna say that I find listening to a podcast or music while exercising helps boost the relaxing quality!

2. Listening to music (and dancing!): Many people find music soothing. You can pick a calm beat to help you relax, or a more upbeat tone to help you move and get your anxiety out in a physical way!

1. Listening to a book and cleaning: I honestly don't know why this is something I enjoy so much. I just find it super relaxing. Listening to a story I enjoy while getting my body moving in the mindless repetition of cleaning is just soothing. It's what I have found to work for me, and while it's a little weird I'm still more than happy to admit this is something I enjoy doing very much!