Not many people realize that anxiety is not only mental, it’s physical too. Have you ever felt like anxiety has taken over your mind and your body too? Well, you’re not alone. This is something that I’ve been struggling with for a long time, and the physical aspect of anxiety is often overlooked. It is time to stop being paranoid about our health and come to terms with the fact that what we are feeling is most likely anxiety. It is totally normal to feel headaches, heart palpitations, upset stomach, cramps, fatigue, restless legs, etc. Those were only a few examples, there are many more.
Going to the hospital or doctor’s office every time you feel paranoid or weird will not make you feel better or make your anxiety go away. It will only fuel your anxiety and enable more intrusive thoughts, which is why therapy is so important. Some things that have really helped me get through an anxiety attack are applying cold things to my face like ice packs or facial rollers, it helps me calm down and it soothes my skin from getting all sweaty and anxious.
Another thing I learned about my anxiety journey is that it doesn’t go away, we need to get rid of the negative stigma around anxiety and come to terms with the fact it’s a part of our lives. It’s a lot more common than we think, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve learned some tips along the way to cope: distract yourself by calling someone, try not to put too much pressure on yourself, distract yourself with comfort food or comfort tv (remember that your needs are more important than anything else), and try new hobbies and create new habits.