Anxiety Relief for Women
“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.”
— Lily Tomlin
DISCLAIMER:
I am not a doctor and anything on this page should NOT be categorized as medical advice. If you are struggling with anxiety to the point where it is affecting you daily life, please speak to a medical professional
Anxiety Support & Resources for Women
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is defined as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” An estimated 254 Million people have an anxiety disorder worldwide. The anxiety epidemic is spreading and women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, according to AADA.org.
Women know anxiety when they feel it - it’s something that they can’t shake. Something that won’t just “go away” and something prevents you from being able to “just relax.”
What Does Anxiety Look & Feel Like?
Anxiety manifests differently for every woman, but in general it is described as “stress that's out of proportion to the impact of the event, inability to set aside a worry, and restlessness.” (Mayo Clinic). Some women have anxiety to the point where they actually have panic attacks. These can include hyperventilating or shortness of breath, heart palpitations / racing heart, sweaty palms, numbness / tingling in the extremities and chest pain. They are very frightening episodes and can be traumatic when women don’t know what they are (and even when they do know what they are).
DISCLAIMER:
I am not a doctor and anything on this page should NOT be categorized as medical advice. If you are struggling with anxiety to the point where it is affecting you daily life, please speak to a medical professional
You Are NOT Crazy
While the symptoms and side effects of anxiety can make you FEEL like you are losing your mind, it’s important to remember - Feelings are NOT facts. The physical appearance of anxiety is your body’s way of telling you that it feels threatened. Most often, that threat is directly connected to some thought you are having. The brain is incredibly powerful and your head can create your reality, even if it’s not anywhere close to accurate. Your brain and body were designed to keep you safe, so if you’re thinking things that make you feel unsafe, your body reacts. No, you are not a lunatic. You are not losing it. You are struggling. But there are things you can do to feel better both short-term and long-term.
Ways to Relieve Anxiety.
There are a number of things you can do to feel better when you have anxiety. For me personally, getting up and moving and doing something that requires me to focus always helps. My natural reaction when I’m in the throws of anxiety is to lay down and rest, but then my head is spinning and my mind is racing and the anxiety just keeps growing. So distraction is my go-to relief activity. I play some kind of puzzle game. I tackle a project at work. I organize my earrings. I don’t tend to read because my imagination is the last thing I need to spark during an attack.
Once I’m decently calmed down, I can look back at the train of thought and see what triggered the attack. The number one weapon you have against is anxiety is understanding it. When you understand what it actually is and where it comes from, anxiety starts to lose its power over you.
DISCLAIMER:
I am not a doctor and anything on this page should NOT be categorized as medical advice. If you are struggling with anxiety to the point where it is affecting you daily life, please speak to a medical professional
“The greatest weapon we have against stress is the ability to choose one thought over another.”
— William James