5 Habits that helped me overcome fear, anxiety, and panic attacks.
I am not a licensed therapist or counselor. I do not hold any degrees in psychology or psychiatry. However, I have learned quite a lot over the past years about how to manage my own mental health as well as that of others around me including my coaching clients.
I wanted to share with you some of the habits that have helped me overcome fears and anxieties. These are not only helpful for those who suffer from anxiety but also for anyone who wants to be more present in their life and create better relationships with other personal battles with fear, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Here are the main points covered (you can jump straight to them though it is recommended to read them in order):
1 - I get real with my fear, anxiety, and panic attacks.
2 - I eliminate the unhealthy habits that are sabotaging my mental health.
3 - I take control of my mind and thoughts.
4 - I do things that add value to my life.
5 - I have a vision for my life that excites me.
1 - I get real with my fear, anxiety, and panic attacks.
The first step to overcoming fear, anxiety, and panic attacks is to identify the root cause of your anxiety.
There are many ways to evaluate, and some will seem obvious. However, some will require the help of a professional. I cannot express the value of going to therapy and having someone guide you through and support your healing journey. I know that this is not necessarily an affordable option for most but when the NHS takes too long to refer you, I suggest that you invest in cost-effective ways to get help. There are some spaces that help those with financial difficulties which will be listed at the bottom of this blog. Mindler and BetterHelp also offer pretty affordable solutions.
Another way to help you figure out the root of your anxiety is by keeping a journal and writing down daily. 5 minutes every day is enough, and you can use some prompts to help you gain clarity or write down when you have had a stressful day, a bad night of sleep or when your diet has gone down the drain and you binged on junk food.
There are many factors that contribute to your anxiety. It could be related to stress or depression, but it can also be something as simple as not getting enough sleep or being too caffeinated. Once you identify the source of your anxiety, you can then work on implementing healthy habits that will help you manage your mental health in a positive way.
2 - I eliminate the unhealthy habits that are sabotaging my mental health.
I am going to get real for a hot minute here. If you are reading this, you are very likely to have a sliver of self-awareness and recognise most of your unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Now, I know that not all of them will be as obvious as using drugs, or alcohol or developing any other form of addiction, self-destructive behaviours, or compulsive habits. The challenging work comes mostly from getting real with yourself and knowing that you are not doing any good to your mental health by holding onto them.
They kept you alive when you needed them but now that you are gaining clarity it is time to let go of you were in order to become who you want to be. Here are a few sneaky habits you might not see as harmful but could be:
Scrolling on social media, feeding your mind thoughts that can affect your sense of self-worth. I noticed it can also let you indulge in reinforcing your identity to your "condition" so you can build up excuses as to why you cannot break the cycle.
Partaking in gossip, spending time fostering negative energies instead of productively using it for positive actions of kindness towards yourself and others.
Being a people pleaser and letting others invade your space by saying yes to everything and not holding any boundaries.
3 - I take control of my mind and thoughts.
When you suffer from anxiety, gaining control over your life gives you a sense of safety and ultimately will help reduce the anxious feelings.
Realise that there are many ways for you to regain control and only you can establish what you need. Be at peace with it and find acceptance in the fact that you are making friends with yourself.
Going for the meds can be received with a lot of judgment, but the pandemic has totally dysregulated our nervous systems and when I was flooded with daily panic attacks just by the monotony of sitting down in front of my computer after coffee, even though I did all my daily healthy habits, I knew that I needed that extra help for the time being. I am extremely grateful for them, and I am equally glad that I have been able to come off them and move on. Just take the time to discuss these options with people who can help you make an informed decision, but at the end of the day, it will be up to you and your healthcare professional.
4 - I do things that add value to my life.
Now that we have worked out effectively what can be detrimental to your mental health and created a plan to eliminate the blockages, it is now time to replace that fresh space that healthy coping mechanisms and things that will positively improve it.
Here are my most obvious but favourite habits that I implemented and found real value in improving my mental health:
Meditation: mindful minutes or mindfulness can be enough to start with if you struggle with the stillness.
Journaling: back to the paragraph above, it really helps your self-discovery, though I personally still struggle to do it daily.
Exercise: even 15 min once a week compounds to 52 workouts a year. If you struggle with motivation and routine, you can read this helpful article I also wrote.
Healthy eating habits: no secret here, you can also check the other article discussing the best supplements to support your mental health.
Sleep: my own personal nemesis and my ongoing work. Being aware of how sleep impacts my mental health I am trying really hard to improve this habit, but I am still struggling with a healthy bedtime routine (hello, revenge procrastination phone scrolling).
Mindfully socialising without overloading myself and burning out.
Taking time alone.
5 - I have a vision for my life that excites me.
Finding clarity on what I want from life has been a driving force to keep me going and stay in control of my mental health. I focus on the good things but most importantly on the person I want to be and the life I aspire to live.
When I get honest with myself on what I need to do in order to lead me on this path, I know that I need to get motivated and excited about doing the things that are necessary to achieve my goals. This way I stay congruent and am also more likely to stick to the healthy habits that I have created for myself and ultimately is a lifeline when things deteriorate sporadically. Nothing is linear but I know what I am hanging onto.
What I learned is that being able to overcome something, at all, is also a privilege. My panic attacks may come back (although they have not yet in over 10 months of practicing these actions) but now I got to know and understand more and more what to do when it happens. With self-awareness and alternative coping mechanisms such as the ones I have listed above, we can all learn to manage and resolve our mental health issues and finally break free from identifying ourselves to them because we are so much more.
Links to affordable counselling and therapy:
http://www.southeastlondoncounselling.org.uk/lowcost.htm
https://www.icope.nhs.uk/ : self-referral service
www.betterhelp.com : sessions are $45 or about £35. I have used them, and they were efficient. Bear in mind that this is a US based company so you will be likely linked to an American counsellor but there is an extensive questionnaire where you can select what you expect from them (lgbtqia issues, trauma...).
https://mindlercare.com/uk/ : the UK version of BetterHelp. Have not used them so cannot comment. Single sessions are £45 but they have bundles that can save you money.
Additional useful websites:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
Please seek out help immediately if your life in in danger, this includes having thoughts of suicide or self-harm: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/advice-for-life-situations-and-events/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/
https://www.samaritans.org/ or call 116 123 for free
