When the Waves of Anxiety Hit

As someone who suffers from anxiety I can tell you first hand that a “wave of anxiety” feels more like a tsunami sometimes than your average rolling beach waves. Anxiety can come in many forms and be triggered by a multitude of things. One moment can set you off into a downward spiral even if it doesn’t seem like that big of an issue. Worrying about every little detail in life gets tiring and you end up making situations worse in your head than they really are. When these tsunamis hit don’t spiral!

Learning to cope with anxiety is a long and treacherous road but sometimes this road is best run, or walked on a slight incline, on a treadmill! The thing about anxiety is that it’s all this built up energy you have been holding inside and when you let it all go it hits too hard too fast. Nobody can withstand all these emotions consuming them at once. So what I do to help ease the waves are to get all the energy out of my body prior to the meltdown.

Going to the gym requires dedication and a lot of time but having a place to go and de-stress is important to live a healthy life. I have found that it’s extremely difficult to “lose it” when you have nothing left to lose. Running out your work frustrations or family issues can seem daunting but trust me it helps. There’s nothing to focus on when you’re pushing your body to its physical limits except your physical limits. Getting in the gym clears your mind and gives you one centered spot to place your attention. After you’ve run it all out, lifted it all out, or wall sat your way into exhaustion your energy will not be so pent-up inside you. This leaves you with a little ripple of anxiety rather than a wave.

Anxiety is different for everyone making it difficult to cope with. There’s no, “one size fits all” solution when it comes to calming your thoughts but,  giving every option a try can only increase your chances of finding that magical fix for at least some moments of zen.

Put good energy into the world, and turn anxiety waves into ripples.

xS