Hi, my name is Alix and I’m a highly functioning anxious person.
Which means that it’s not DEBILITATING. Like, no matter what, I always force myself to get up and go about my day no matter how anxious I’m feeling.
But it’s definitely there.
I didn’t connect the dots on this until a couple years ago, when I really started to dig deep to figure out what makes me tick and resolve deep-rooted blocks that had been buried in my subconscious for, well, all of life.
Hooray for spirituality, meditation and psychedelics.
Also, I’m obviously not a doctor nor am I condoning…that. I am, however, sharing my real life so you can take from this what you would like 🙂
The good news is, I’ve figured out how to make my anxiety manageable AF with these tips & tricks:
- Daily meditation. I can’t stress this enough. This is why I’m constantly harping on it. BECAUSE IT WORKS. And it LITERALLY takes 5 minutes. Taking this time every day to clear my head BEFORE I get on my phone has made a MASSIVE difference in my mental clarity and overall level of chill.
- The “5 Things” Tactic. This is one that I use when I’m about to have a full-blown panic attack, which is pretty rare but it still does happen. This one is especially handy for when I’m somewhere public, i.e. somewhere I have to maintain composure (I once had to use this on set when we were filming a wedding scene and I was the bride. I got into character, alright. And then almost had a freakout. LMAO). So it goes like this…you look around and list 5 things you can see, touch, hear, smell, feel and taste. Then you name 4 things, going down that list. Then 3, all the way to 1. The idea is to get you out of your head and into the present moment.
- I go somewhere quiet. I’m introverted AF, which means I’m at my best when I’m with small groups of people in more intimate settings. I treasure silence and calmness. If I’m at a party and there’s a fuck ton of people and it’s loud and I’m not fucked up which is, like, all the time…I get overwhelmed with all the stimulation and get panic-y. So, I’ll step outside or in a spare room and just CHILL for a bit. For introverts, getting quiet is like recharging your internal social batteries. Even if you’re NOT introverted, switch up your environment. Go to a different spot. Even the act of actively moving helps get you out of your head and back into the present moment.
- Get productive. I can always tell when I need to push myself more when I get in my own head. It means I’ve got too much time to sit and think! And while it IS necessary to have quiet time with yourself, there’s a big difference between giving yourself intentional reflection time and going down a spiral of thoughts over theoretical events that will likely never happen. As SOON as I find myself going down that path, I dive in head first to a task on my to-do list and give it my 100% attention (NO distractions)! The anxiety goes away quickly because I don’t have the time to sit and dwell.
- Get logical. When I feel myself getting myself worked up, I put my reality cap on and ask myself questions. Like, “OK, if I DO fuck up my lines 50 times in a row for this scene, what’s the absolute worst thing that will happen to me?” Someone on set like a PA will feed me my lines and the show will go on is what will happen. “If I DO have to have that uncomfortable conversation with my team, what’s the worst thing that will happen to me?” We’ll have a chat and resolve the conflict like the mature grown-ups we are. I’m finally on to the fact that our brains often LOVE to paint a MUCH more dramatic picture than what reality truly looks like 😉
LMK how it goes if you try any of these quick tips (or if you have any special ones of your own) <3
xo, al
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