How do you deal with anxiety attacks?

Question

As someone who has suffered from anxiety almost all of my life I have found that being in quarantine is pure hell. I am unable to go out as much as I used  because my anxiety starts up the moment I put a mask on. I find myself losing sleep, suffering from headaches and just lacking the motivation to clean my house. So how do deal with anxiety attacks?

Dawkins Delisa · Answer

One day at a time.. I suffer from anxieties And overthinking constantly.. I too am a work in progress. I cannot continue to watch the media and I guard my thoughts. Meditation and prayer are gifts.. being at home is tough. Another strategy is to make lists of what you have completed and  to do lists to keep your mind busy. I am a single empty nester which amplifies issues. My significant other reminds me to revisit simple pleasures and that too has helped.

Krista Coutts · Answer

I'm sure you are having sleep issues too.  I keep reading that many folks are experiencing weird dreams as well!  My advice...breathe...take a walk...walk your dog...call a friend!  It's easy to let this isolation take you to a dark place.  Not to sound trite...but we ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!  I have talked with more friends and family than ever before, and I know coming out of this...that will always be a priority for me!  Take care!

Rebecca Lee V · Answer

I self quarenteed prior to the order by the local government and it was hell. My anxiety was through the roof. I was in a dark mood and suffered from night dreams. What helped me was finding a routine with my WFH job, exercising daily (especially long walks outside) and doing hobbies that I enjoyed. My life before COVID was a grind but I'm resting and enjoying myself.

Katie Henderson Ladyboss752675 · Answer

Wow! You have gotten some great, do-able suggestions. All the best to you, and please share what works, because we need to help each other. Blessings.

Kristen Dauer · Answer

Girl I am so with you. I have struggled with anxiety all my life and lately it’s been out of control. I don’t sleep well. I’m scared to death. I have family members dying from this and what’s worse, my boss said in a zoom meeting that our company is thinking about slowly moving people back into the office. I live in Florida, and we just had 1400 additional cases this morning- and that’s the people they actually tested. I’m thankful that for now I can work from home but even that has been difficult. I feel equally alone in all of this and o want you to know that I’m praying for you- and yes stay off of social media if you can help it. I love everyone’s an expert on Facebook.

Mandy Trouten · Answer

I deal with them by focusing on the facts of the situation and how to resolve the problem. I used to have bad anxiety about running into a past abuser. It was bad enough when I was just having nightmares/flashbacks about him. Then, I actually saw him again--as a drive-thru customer, while I was the order taker/cashier. I got through that by reminding myself that 99% of my anxiety was due to the nightmares/flashbacks and that I could face him before and I could face him then. Once he was gone, I resolved to not let him control me in any sense of the word. I messaged him on social media to not come near me again, then put him on trespass notice the next time he did. In between and afterward, I dealt with my recurring anxiety issues by reminding myself of the facts and how to solve individual potential problems.

That was in 2008. Today, I have semi-frequent, albeit much milder, anxiety about life in general--whether my business will ever go anywhere, whether I'll be able to handle it if it does, what I'll do if it doesn't, the fact that my mom can't live and work forever and whether these things will be resolved before we get there, etc. Then, there's general anxiety about doing things that I'm not a paid expert at doing. I know that I know how to do them and I know that I can learn anything that I don't know; yet, there remains the occasional nagging about being a pretender. For that, I remind myself of the facts--that the only major difference between me and a paid expert is that I'm not being paid. My knowledge/skills are not less, just because they're mine. Then, here too, I focus on how to resolve individual problems. Sometimes, meditation and/or breaks help too.

Judith Reboy · Answer

Destiny,

I guess I have been suffering for years, although my formal diagnosis came a week before quarantine, which started here in New York on my birthday.  Thank you for bringing this issue to light.  Music has been my major escape, as well as walking and working out with weights.  But the answers in this thread have given me many more outlets to try.

Lalitha Janakiraman · Answer

Maybe Gratitude Journaling and practicing 'Affirmations' can go a long way in reducing your anxiety. Gratitude Journaling is writing down every single day about what you are grateful for, thanking the superpower, and apologizing for any wrong-doing. Affirmations improve our confidence levels, boosts our morale/ethics, and increases our self-esteem. Try these two every single day and find if you could see positive changes.

HEATHER · Answer

Hello Destiny,
Please check out Maria Nemeth's work on dealing with anxiety. I just attended a Webinar today on this very topic. Her approach is called the 'Gratitude Protocol', and it's all about disrupting anxiety. Take very good care.

Victoria Crispo · Answer

I started the Unwinding Anxiety program almost two weeks ago and I'm finding the tools and lessons to be REALLY helpful (I'm a life-long anxiety sufferer as well, with 'health anxiety' being my mind's weapon of choice long before this pandemic even started :-/ )

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