Self-Love

5 Ways to Stomp Out Anxiety and Win Back Your Happiness

Every now and then, we all need a little help finding our smile

Anxiety, panic, and stress are the unwelcome party crashers we’ve all run into at some point.

Even just looking at the word anxiety makes me feel anxious.

2020 is ripe with drama lurking in every corner. Anxiety is one of the few things that can be felt equally, transcending race, age, gender, social class, and political stance.

Anxiety 101

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.” There’s no shame in admitting that anxiety affects our lives. It’s not a weakness. It’s simply a sign that we are human. I‘ve struggled with anxiety for many years. More recently, my father developed a panic disorder and severe anxiety after losing his wife to cancer. Life can be cruel… and we all have our load limits.

Anxiety can come in the form of stress, panic attacks, depression, and phobias.

Lucky for you… I’ve got a shortlist guaranteed to walk you right back into the sweet cool breeze of happiness.

Tackling the beast of anxiety

1. Be kind to yourself

If you’re burning the candle at both ends, it’s going to catch up with you. Any good friend would tell you that… let me be that friend. Work hard, but always make sure you are the number one priority. Take a daily vitamin, eat as healthy as you possibly can, go to bed at a reasonable hour, spend the extra couple dollars to buy the super comfy arch support inserts for your shoes, don’t drink soda because you know it’s terrible for you… you get the idea.

2. Get off your rump

Be physical. Movement is essential to our happiness. You’d be amazed at the power of a thirty-minute walk. Check out this list published by the Mayo Clinic, citing the benefits of using activity to combat stress.

- It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity may help bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, any aerobic activity, such as a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike, can contribute to this same feeling.

- It reduces the negative effects of stress. Exercise can provide stress relief for your body while imitating effects of stress, such as the flight or fight response, and helping your body and its systems practice working together through those effects. This can also lead to positive effects in your body — including your cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems — by helping protect your body from the harmful effects of stress.

- It’s meditation in motion. After a fast-paced game of racquetball, a long walk or run, or several laps in the pool, you may often find that you’ve forgotten the day’s irritations and concentrated only on your body’s movements.

As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you stay calm, clear, and focused in everything you do.

- It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence, improve your mood, help you relax, and lower symptoms of mild depression and anxiety. Exercise can also improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression, and anxiety. All of these exercise benefits can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

3. Accept that there simply are things that are out of your control

This one is a big one, and it takes work. Not everything is in our power, and sometimes fate is the driver… not you. Being a mature, responsible adult is hard, and the burdens are heavy. But that doesn’t mean we need to beat ourselves up over every little thing that doesn’t turn out as we’d hoped.

It took me a very long time to learn that the universe has much larger plans than mine. We each live in our own personal bubble, and it can be difficult to view events from outside of it… even when we try. Sometimes we simply need to trust that everything happens for a reason and accept that we are all playing our part exactly as we were meant to.

4. Be social

We need each other. All of us… no exceptions. Get out and experience the world. Let it wash over you and fill you with feelings and thoughts and life. Open your heart to friends and lovers. Be surprised. Be hilarious. Be hurt. Be romantic. Be nerdy. Be and share it with others. Know that you are not alone. Really know it. And the next time you feel that emptiness swelling in the bottom of your stomach and the lightheadedness of a panic attack coming on, remember it. Remember the warmth of friends and lovers that surrounds you even when you are sitting by yourself.

5. Road Trip

Yes, I said! You know it’s been far too long since you’ve hit the road in search of adventure. Sometimes what we really need is to take ourselves out of our comfort zone.

Exploration opens new doors and reveals the paths we hadn’t considered. Gain a new perspective on things by stepping back and allowing your mind to rest. Leave your troubles behind for a bit.

“Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.”

— Emma Chase, Tamed

I’ve grown to love the road.

I mean, I really adore it. There’s nothing I look forward to more than hopping in the car and heading out into possibility. I love every crappy little hole in the wall hotel along the way. I love rolling into random diners and ordering the special. I love stopping into Walmart because I forgot my toothbrush, and I’m most partial to watching the sunrise early in the morning, knowing I’ve never watched it rise from that spot ever before.

It reminds me of how huge and magnificent the world is.

In severe instances of anxiety, like my fathers, I highly recommend consulting your doctor or speaking with a licensed professional as well. The pain and grief he experienced after his loss was almost crippling. No matter how strong we are, sometimes we need a little extra help getting back our smile… and that’s okay.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my list and sincerely wish you peace and happiness in your life and your heart. Overcoming anxiety isn’t easy. But guess what? You’ve already taken the hardest step! You’ve read this article… and that means you know what haunts you. Now fight it. Take back your happiness.

My name is Jamie Golob. I’m a writer, artist, and lover of life, motivated by the collective experiences and stories of the creative community. My mission is to illuminate and preserve the beautiful complexities of what it means to be human. Sign up for my Living Wanderfully newsletter for more great content like this delivered straight to your inbox each month.

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