Managing The Stress & Anxieties Of Modern Day Life

| Prefacing (don't worry - I do eventually get onto the topic in hand)

When I first started this process of building my own small business, yes my goal was to make an income (no matter how little/big that may have been) but I also envisioned a platform that would do more than simply promote the products that I have created to make money. If I think about the brands that I have followed over the years, the ones that have always stuck with me do more than just try to make a sale! They share life, personality and they tell a story. They are relatable.

One of the benefits of being a 'smaller' business is that I CAN make everything myself - with love. I check that every product that leaves my door is completely perfect, and I love that I can be this involved in the process. For this reason, it is so important that my followers know that it's me behind absolutely everything and equally that they know who 'me' is. Writing these blog posts is my way of giving back to this little doodle community; my way of showing who I really am and if I help even one person - my rambling reads have done their job!

| Who can relate? 

After the year we have all had, it's not surprising that even the strongest of us have struggled and are struggling to cope with the day to day mundane. Whilst I don't claim in any way to be an expert in managing stress and anxiety, I have spent the best part of five years trying to understand and cope with my own struggles and in doing so, I have found a few techniques that I have benefitted from. I am sharing in the hope that someone out there will get a little benefit from it. 

I'm confident every single one of us have experienced the flutters of butterflies in your stomach when you're starting to feel nervous or worried about something? You're restless, your heart starts to race and you get that breathless, tight feeling in your chest. Most will feel this unease before a job interview, a driving test or even when you see that special someone. But what happens if you wake up with that feeling from the outset of your day and you can't for the life of you work out where it's coming from? How do you shake it of you don't know the cause - or what if you know the cause but rectifying it is out of your control i.e. a global pandemic!

A lot of anxieties may not end in full-blown panic attacks, however this feeling alone is enough to initiate your innate fight, flight or freeze response and make you question whether you should just stay in bed, wait the day out and hope that you'll feel better tomorrow. A constant feeling of worry and stress leaves you unfocused and can be debilitating. Hopefully these few techniques may ease the tightness and allow you to cope a little better. 

| Breathing is EVERYTHING 

In the past, when I have felt the anxiety building, I tended to panic more which would cause my thoughts to become more irrational than normal (lol) - 'am I dying?', 'I can't breathe!', 'I think I'm definitely dying!' which in turn would lead to more panic and in a few cases an attack.

Trust me when I say, deep breathing helps! Concentrating on taking deep breaths not only distracts you from the anxious thoughts by giving you focus, it also causes an increase in your oxygen levels which will allow for a sense of calm throughout your brain and body.

So now, breathe with me...ready?

Breathe 1.....2.....3.....4.....5.....6

Hold 1....2.....3

Softly out 1....2.....3.....4

Repeat this 10 times. Now sit and breathe naturally for another 10 breaths.  

| Chlo's Grounding Technique (who do I think I am?) 

The technique I am about to share with you is tried and TESTED! It sounds too simple but it really works for me and sometimes I think the simpler the better. 

If you're starting to feel anxious or overwhelmed, simply look at your surroundings. What do you see?

Say it in your head.

I see a clock. 

Repeat. What else can you see? Add this on to the list. 

I see a clock. I see a window.

Keep going. Keep adding to your list.

I see a clock. I see a window. I see a door. 

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

I see a clock. I see a window. I see a door. I see a mirror.

This task not only engages your sense of sight, but it also challenges your memory too and for this, becomes the perfect distraction to calm you down. 

The process of grounding uses your senses to focuses your attention away from anxiety and fear. If you find this technique isn't working for you, find yourself any task that engages your senses. What can you smell? What can you hear? What do your toes feel like inside your socks? Talk to yourself. Tell yourself what you can see/hear/smell/feel in that moment...speak out-loud if you need to - no judgement, whatever helps!

| Simple Natural Remedies

Unsurprisingly, throughout lockdown my anxiety hit an all time high as I know it did for most. This led me to research different natural remedies that I could find both in the cupboard and from the shops. Here is a few of the ones that I found more helpful. Would recommend each with a side of sofa and candles!

Teas:

Chamomile Tea

Peppermint Tea 

Hot Drinks:

Honey and Lemon (1 tsp Honey, 3 slices of Lemon, Hot Water)

Horlicks (Is this a weird one?? Oh well...I'm onboard and love it)

Over The Counter Remedies:

Nelsons Bach Rescue Remedy Pastilles (my favourites are the originals - orange and elderflower flavour. As soon as you start chewing these you feel so much calmer. Placebo or not...they help!)

| Self Care Sundays

And last but not least...Self Care Sundays. Whilst this may not be an immediate remedy for calming anxiety, introducing one day a week where I properly switch off from work and life has made a huge impact on my well-being. Take the day, or even just the morning, if you can manage to do something that you love! Lay in a little later, eat breakfast in bed, stick on some junk TV, take a bath, whatever you fancy! Just don't be too hard on yourself to get things done. Give yourself time. 

There is no cure for anxiety, it is an innate coping mechanism that we would have used for survival when we lived in the wild and got chased by lions and stuff - so yes, in some cases it is vital for our survival and we need it! However, when it becomes irrational, overwhelming and unprovoked, it is something that we need to learn to cope with. These little adjustments and aids have made a massive impact and have helped me to deal with my emotions so that living through them becomes more bearable! I hope that they can do the same for you.

Here is a link to the NHS website with lots of different charity helplines that you can contact if you or someone you know is in need of some advice or help. It's important now more than ever to make our mental health a priority and at the very least a topic of conversation so please speak out if you're in need.

Chloe x