3 Tips For Knocking Out Anxiety
Denver based wellness blogger and fitness instructor, Rae Ehly, is on a mission to uplift and connect with her followers by sharing her journey to emotional and physical health. She takes a raw approach in her content strategy, honestly opening-up to her online community about her mental health and the helpful ways in which she’s learned to cope with anxiety. Her mantra is “live intentionally and be emotionally in tune with yourself.” Like most people during these times, Rae has experienced the anxiety and overwhelming thoughts that have come with the quarantine and the overall uncertainty of what the future holds. “My therapist helped me realize that quarantine didn’t cause my anxieties but heightened what I already wasn’t comfortable with,” she explained to us. Taking control of her emotional and mental health, Rae adopted three practices that help ease her mind when she starts to feel distressed or uneasy, and they might help you too!
- Write down what you’ve learned.
Rae harps on the idea that mindset is everything. Though it’s difficult to always try to see the positive side of things, it’s important to try. She suggests thinking of the good things that have come out of this experience, how it has changed your life or the world for the better. “Write it down! If you can’t come up with positivity and what you’re grateful for, like we all know it’s a good practice to write down gratitude, then just grab a sheet a paper and write down what you’ve learned from all of this and what you can take away,” she advised. Providing yourself with an activity like this can get your mind thinking differently and inspire more positive trains of thought.
- Get to the root of your anxiety.
The wellness blogger also recommended taking the time to get to the root of what’s causing uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. “Ask yourself, ‘what is at the root of why I’m feeling low?’ Once you really understand, in the simplest terms, what the problem is then you can take the right action,” she proclaimed. In her own experience, Rae has found that when she breaks down her frustrations and anxieties, it not only makes her feel more equipped to act on them but also shows her that the reason she may be upset is much more simple then she originally thought.
- Connect with people, differently.
“Social distancing feels lonely but there are ways to connect with people outside of hugging them and talking to them in person…get creative,” she told us, regarding the lack of community in quarantine. Rae recognizes that in these times of change, it’s important that we adapt too. She actively tries to create community and connection in unique ways because she knows that engaging with others makes her feel good. She has a group text with a handful of people that share good news every day, she has a standing appointment to talk to her mom on the phone, and reaches out to people she normally wouldn’t before the quarantine. Maybe it takes more effort and a little more brainpower to create and maintain relationships, but it sure is possible!
Moral of the story, more likely than not, there are a lot of people struggling with the major changes in everyday life and it’s completely understandable. Try out these tips to manage your stress and know that you aren’t alone. We’ll get through this, together!