I have anxiety. And not the kind you get when employee reviews come around either. I’m talking about clinically-diagnosed, heart-palpitating, mind-numbing anxiety. It sucks. But I’ve learned to live with it.
The reason I’m sharing this is because the transition into adulthood is hard enough without having to deal with a mental defect. And considering that one out of every ten Americans suffer from some sort of depression, there are bound to be a few readers out there snagged by the mental funk I’ve dealt with for awhile now.
When I first started working on Brazen Careerist, I had a serious relapse of anxiety attacks. One thing that’s really difficult about startup culture is that it lacks the structure that most corporate jobs embrace and many people who deal with anxiety need. So to get a grip, I had to make some changes in my life.
But it really doesn’t matter what type of work environment you’re in. It’s easy to become paralyzed in any setting. And there’s nothing we can do to prevent it reflecting on us. Anxiety and depression are not visible handicaps, so we don’t get a reprieve.
The simple truth is I never wanted a reprieve. So I tailored my life to my condition and became a better man for it. Think you’re like me? Then check out what I do to keep myself level. Maybe it’ll change your life.
Easier said than done when you’re sitting in a cubicle, but when I was in a corporate setting, I took every opportunity I could to get up and walk around. If I didn’t, I started to get nervous.
Today, I take a break from the office at midday and walk my dog. If you have an opportunity to get outside during the day, it’s the best medicine for an anxiety-inflicted brain. Between the fresh air, the openness, and the change of focus, it’s a great way to put your head back on straight.
If you choose to stay at your desk and fight the urge to get up, you’re just fighting your anxiety. And you don’t fight anxiety, you suppress it.
Like I mentioned, depressed people sometimes need structure to make things work, especially the anxious ones.
We’re a lot like dogs (seriously). Regularity keeps us happy. Variability means we’re probably going to annoy you. And we’re generally really fun to be around as long as you deal with us in the right way.
So create a life for yourself that’s organized. It won’t always work, but people who make the effort do much better than those who don’t.
While you’re searching for structure, make sure you give yourself little gifts here and there. It doesn’t have to be an everyday thing, and it probably shouldn’t. There’s such a thing as too much structure in everyone’s life, so to compensate you have to throw in some random fun to keep yourself sane.
I personally like doing a Tuesday-night happy hour. And who doesn’t? But alcohol isn’t always the answer, especially for mental conditions. So find some other activities you can turn into a gift and plant them randomly throughout your weeks.
I like to play darts with my neighbors and unwind. I don’t do it every day. But when I do, it’s like free therapy. Even when I lose.
If you’ve never experienced anxiety, depression, or any other form of mental illness, you might not think it’s even legit. And that’s okay. I’ve run into a lot of people like this. I used to be one of them.
The problem is that such thinking makes it really difficult for those who do suffer from anxiety to cope with it. Because nobody really gets what the hell is going on.
What I do is rely on someone like me – a friend who deals with the same crap I do – to talk me through any temporary lapses I may have. Because having an anxiety disorder is a lot like being an alcoholic. Unless you suffer from the disease yourself, it’s really going to be hard to talk someone down from an attack when you don’t know what terrible feelings they’re stuck with.
This person could be family, a friend, or anyone, but whoever it is, make sure they’re reliable. There’s nothing more frustrating than putting your faith in someone who can’t deliver.
7 Responses for "How I try to cope with my own anxiety"
[...] After I delivered the bad news about the barn I immediately offered to pay for the damages and drive an hour outside of Madison to do the repairs myself. I’m still waiting on the bill with fingers crossed that it doesn’t leave me drinking Busch Light for the next month, but the fact that I took ownership over the solution kept me from crippling myself with anxiety. [...]
This is a way old post but I wonder if you've ever tried hypnotherapy or yoga nidra. Both are forms of gudied meditation/relaxtion that can be done via a CD and simply involve lying back and listening to the audio. I find them incredibly soothing when I start to stress. For the hypno I'd recomend Michael Mahoney. If your interested in the Yoga Nidra I use a CD from a local yoga teacher called Lily Goncalves http://www.thebloominglotus.net/yoga-retreat-cont.... If you ask nicely and she still has copies she'll probably sell you a CD – I don't think she's entered the realm of mp3.
I love Yoga! Started doing it a couple months ago and it's had such a positive impact on my mental and physical health. I haven't thought of doing it via CD, but it sounds great. My biggest challenge is finding classes that fit into my work schedule. If I can start doing it at home, now we're talking!
Thanks for sharing such a valuable input here. I think Mind control is a power by using it we can do anything impossible to possible. So I think it is greatest method to give clash with depression by the help of mind power. If anybody will able to struggle with his/her depression by his/her mind influence although success must be gained.
therapist long island
Good article showing just how restricting anxiety can be.
This is really good published article. Such a great yet interesting post. Thank you very much for sharing this useful stuff.
I remember my bout with anxiety. It had something to do with my career going nowhere and I am frustrated with myself for not attaining my dreams. A support group told me that forgiving your shortcomings and re-motivating them will ease up our pain.
Leave a reply