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In 2018, I came face to face with my own anxiety disorder. My father had just passed away. I was working 50+ hours a week. In a constant state of high stress. I worried from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed. Often, I had many sleepless nights. Completing basic tasks became nerve-wracking. Additionally, social situations filled me with dread.
It was very hard to admit, but I needed help. Nevertheless, I reached out to my doctor. It has made all the difference. My diagnosis was Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD. GAD is classified as six or more months of chronic worry. Admittedly, I had suffered with it since childhood.
Even before I reached out for professional help, I had taken steps to manage my worries. I was utilizing several different coping mechanisms. Some worked well like CBD Oil and self-care. Some did not.
Although I saw some progress beforehand. Working with a medical professional was the only way I saw long-lasting results. So, I compiled a list of resources for you. Learn more about anxiety and how to cope with it below.
The Sunshine Suitcase Resources to Ease Anxiety
- Self-Care the Revolutionary Tool
- CBD Oil, A Beginners Guide
- 30 Journal Prompts for Anxiety and Depression
Disclaimer: The information in this post is in no way an attempt to replace or substitute professional medical advice. This information is not intended to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger please call a local emergency number such as 911.
Facts about Anxiety in the United States
- 18.1% of adults in the United States of America have anxiety disorders.
- Only 39.6% of people with anxiety seek treatment.
- Nearly half of all people diagnosed with depression also suffer from an anxiety disorder.
Organizations
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):1-800-950-NAMI (1-800-950-6264)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA): 1-240-485-1001
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): 1-866-615-6464
American Psychological Association: 1-800-374-2721
Ted Talks
How to Cope with Anxiety- Olivia Remes
Olivia Remes shows what anxiety disorders are. Discusses how they can impact your life. And how they differ from everyday worry. She shares tips for coping with anxiety by changing your mindset.
Living with High Functioning Anxiety- Jordan Raskopoulos
A funny and insightful narrative on life with high functioning anxiety. Jordan’s TED Talk is funny, eye-opening and heart-warming. Learn how Jordan excels in the spotlight but, struggles with interactions in daily life due to anxiety.
Rethinking Anxiety: Learning to Face Fear – Dawn Huebner
Dawn Huebner shares her personal journey raising a son with anxiety. And later using therapy to treat him. Dawn teaches you baby step size tools for facing anxiety head-on.
There’s No Shame in Taking Care of Your Mental Health- Sangu Delle
Sangu discusses shaking off the stigma of mental health. Especially through the lens of African masculinity, where 12 % of the population thinks mental illness is caused by witchcraft. He shows us a way to move past the stigma and reach out for help when it’s needed.
Books to ease Anxiety
Rewire your Anxious Brain
This book discusses the science behind anxiety. It covers how the brain works to create anxiety. And thus, how we can use this information to overcome it.
A Mindful Way Through Depression – Freeing yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
This book teaches mindfulness-based thinking to reduce unhappiness and depression. It will help you shed negative thought patterns and avoid self-blame. Also, included is access to great guided meditations.
Bad Ass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks
This book is a step by step guide to understanding your anxiety. Learn about anxiety triggers and how to prevent them from ruling your life. This book is an amazing start to understand the way your anxious mind thinks.
Apps for Anxiety:
Breathe2Relax
Breathe2Relax will show you all the steps to add deep breathing into your anxiety tool kit. You customize each deep breathing exercise. This process includes selecting the length of each inhale and exhale.
Additionally, you can rate your stress level before and after each session to help track your stress level too. Deep breathing is an amazing grounding practice that can help you to focus on the present. Thus, reducing stress.
Happify
Happify is a fun, colorful app that helps you in a number of ways. Learn to increase your overall happiness and reduce stress.
Happify incorporates games, word association, meditation and more. However, there is a limited amount you can accomplish without paying for additions.
Headspace
A meditation app to help you find your zen. Meditation is a practice that helps to reduce stress thus, improving anxiety. This app is bright and easy to use. There are several programs offered for free.
Otherwise, you can subscribe for a fee. Which includes more advanced meditations and practices.
Pacifica
A meditation and mood app that includes a progress tracker. Pacifica suggests meditations or actions to take to help improve your mood. Pacifica is also an online community. You can post and connect with others working on their personal development.
7 Cups
7 Cups allows you to send messages to volunteers via there app. Giving you the ability to get help efficiently from anywhere. They also more in-depth online therapy available for a fee. Great if you have a busy lifestyle and it’s hard to make appointments.
Online Counseling and Other Web Sites for Anxiety
Betterhelp
This online counseling platform is based on offering easily accessible counseling at affordable rates. You can get help anytime. Anywhere.
Their counselors are licensed therapists. Help is available through chat, messaging, text and video calling. Get efficient and professional therapy with there services.
Tuck.com
Tuck.com is a
Podcasts
Happier with Gretchen Rubin
The best-selling author of “The Happiness Project” Gretchen Rubin’s podcast is all about good habits and happiness. It’s inspirational and offers great advice for everyone.
The Anxiety Project
Tim JP Collins’ podcast about how to overcome your anxiety. Funny, insightful and real. This podcast is relatable to anyone who has ever suffered from anxious thoughts. And there are over 300 episodes to choose!
Radical Transformation Project
The Radical Transformation project is about depression, anxiety and kicking ass. Faith talks about her personal journey with anxiety and depression. Her tips are insightful and empowering.
Crappy to Happy-
An Australian based podcast by Cass Dunn, a clinical psychologist. The podcast will lead you away from self-doubt. Self-criticism, food, exercise and so much more are covered.
Mental Health Blogs:
Shine Sheets
Shine Sheets contains posts on personal development, mental wellness, and self-care. It’s a great resource for the anxious mind. Their online store also sells high-quality printables for mental health.
Anxious Lass
A candid account of life with social anxiety. The Anxious Lass gives tips on how to navigate life with social anxiety. Her posts are thought-provoking, insightful, and funny.
Demons inside my Head
A thoughtful account of living with anxiety and depression. Her posts are candid and relatable. She offers some great advice on many different mental health-related topics.
Radical Transformation Project
The Radical Transformation Project (mentioned above) also has a blog. Awesome posts on how to kick anxiety’s butt and learn to thrive. Faith voice as a blogger is clear, helpful, and knowledgeable.
The Mighty
The Mighty is a community of authors living with and writing about mental health issues. Connect with them via the Mighty community. The Mighty is a support system to encourage and uplift others.
Youtube
Youtube has thousands of different videos out there to help you de-stress. ASMR, Ambient Music, cat videos and more can reduce stress and improve mood. There’s something on Youtube for everyone. Experiment and find what works for you!
My favorite are power washing videos. Who Knew! It’s addicting and calming for me.
Below I’ve linked my favorite channels for mental health, anxiety relief, and mindfulness.
Kati Morton
Kati is a licensed therapist who produces mental health videos. Her videos come out twice weekly. Learn about different mental illness and therapy types. She also answers viewer questions.
Her video “Anxiety about going to therapy” really helped me feel more comfortable about reaching out and finding a therapist of my own.
Yoga with Adriene
Meditation and Yoga are great add-ons for your anxiety tool kit. She has hundreds of videos on yoga and meditation. There are even videos tailored specifically to anxiety suffers. Try out her videos for a breath of calm, humor and Texas charm.
The Mindful Movement
They incorporate mindfulness, meditation, and yoga into their channel. They teach a positive mindset approach to wellness. That creates an inner calm and reduces stress.
I love their guided meditations, they are great for focus.
Lavendaire
Lavendaire vlogs about creativity and personal development. She gives advice on living a meaningful life. Her motto is “Life is an art. Make it your masterpiece.” Also, she has a very visually calming channel.
Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. Using these resources to manage your worries is admirable. Although, they are helpful tips for living with anxiety. These tools will not cure or diagnose any mental health issues. Reach out to a medical professional if you think you have an anxiety disorder.
Getting help is scary. But, getting help is so worth it. I don’t regret getting help. Granted I wish I had done it sooner. You don’t need to suffer in silence
What's on your mind?