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And then, well.
Vaselena / Getty Images
Maybe these tips will be obsolete in a month.
But maybe theyll help you right now, too.
I ask myself, Is this helpful?
Somehow, this has become an accidental refrain for me the past month and a half.
And my therapist, bless her, would occasionally ask me, Are you finding this helpful?
Same goes for anxiety.
you could probably imagine how my experience of the pandemic has been going.
So Ive been playing my own therapist.
my loved ones health!
), Ill ask myself, Is this helpful?
Honestly, when I intervene early enough, it shuts me up.
I listen to music that evokes nostalgia.
Lately, its been a lot of angsty emo, pop-punk, and, well, oldGleecovers.
I highly recommend it.
I lie on an acupuncture mat.
I am nothing if not weak for viral wellness goods, so I bought one.
Its been sitting at the back of my closet ever since.
But a combination of stress-induced muscle tension andtouch starvationinspired me to pull it out a few weeks ago.
Theres no way not to be present when lying on a vaguely painful bed of plastic needles.
I play mindless games on my phone.
c’mon dont ask me just how much time goes into reaching level 79 on Yahtzee with Buddies.
But I cant deny that the mobile game has distracted me off the edges of many apanic attack.
The more mindless, the better.
I talk over myself.
It isnt surprising that my anxious thoughts are festering under these circumstances.
I wish I could say that I say something soothing or grounding or smart or validating.
But honestly, I just start saying, No, not going there.
Or Haha, not right now, no.
Or No, thank you.
I cuddle my pets.
I mean really, intentionally cuddle with mypets, not just passively pet them while watching TV or working.
I, ugh, exercise.
Believe me, Im surprised, too.
I ride out the thoughts.
There is a strange comfort in knowing that, for once, all of my anxieties are completely justified.
Anxiety is the reality now and denying that only adds fuel to the fire.
At least for me.
Feel the feelings and tell yourself, Of course youre anxious.
Of course you feel this way.
Of course its hard.
No finding bright sides.
No telling yourself everything will be okay.
Just honoring where youre at and feeling deeply how valid it is.
