When you were younger, all you wanted to do was grow up. You may have put on your mom’s makeup or played dress up with your dad’s tie and briefcase. Another year older, another year wiser. The best things come with age.
There were certain mile markers you had to hit. You needed to be 16 to drive. You had to turn 18 to vote. And you had to wait until you were 21 to drink.
Your parents kept telling you to slow down, but you didn’t want to listen. How could you? Being an adult seemed so great. Or so you thought. Now that you’re actually an adult, you realize that it comes with a lot of added pressure, struggles, and responsibility. You’re constantly questioning yourself.
Here are 3 ways to manage your anxiety about adulting.
1. Practice Self Care
I know what you’re thinking. How can you have time for self-care when you have all of these responsibilities and tasks on your plate? Before you skip this point and move on to the next one, hear me out.
Self-care is essential for your overall health and wellness. It’s often common for individuals to completely dismiss their own self-care to make time for other things on their to-do lists. Self-care shouldn’t be so easily replaced. When you don’t take care of yourself, your physical, emotional, and mental health declines drastically.
A lot of different things fall under the category of self-care. Here are some things you can do to practice self-care on a daily basis:
Prioritize your sleep. Aim for at least 8 hours each night.
Fuel your body properly with clean, lean, and green meals.
Get your body moving for at least 30 minutes each day.
2. Don’t Become Avoidant
Anxiety can often convince you to avoid certain people, places, and situations. Don’t listen to the lies. Anxiety will make you feel like you’re better off on your own, you aren’t capable of doing certain things, you shouldn’t be social, and you’ll fail. Due to this, it can be easy to avoid certain things.
Try not to become avoidant as it will only fuel your anxiety even more. Get comfortable with being a little uncomfortable. One of the best ways to deal with anxiety is by facing it head-on.
3. Incorporate Relaxation Techniques
In addition to your daily self-care, incorporating relationship techniques can be a great way to become proactive instead of reactive to your anxiety.
There are many different relaxation techniques that you can try out, so you’ll have to test them out and see what works best for you. Here are a few different techniques to try out:
Start Journaling
Starting a journal can be a great way for you to identify causes or triggers for your anxiety. You can also list what you did to try to help you cope. Journaling can be a great tool to use at the moment but also something you can look back on later after your anxiety has passed to learn more about what worked and what didn’t work for the next time anxiety creeps up on you.
Practice Mindfulness
A lot of anxiety stems from thinking about situations that happened in the past or worrying about events that haven’t even occurred yet in the future. Practicing mindfulness allows you to stay grounded and in the present moment. Try to pull those anxious thoughts back to the present moment.
Next Steps
Your anxiety doesn’t define you. Anxiety is a completely normal human emotion. Everyone faces it from time to time. If you’re starting to notice your anxiety consuming you, it may be time to reach out for additional help and support. Working with a therapist can be a great way to help you get to the root cause of your anxiety and help you find ways to help you cope.
If you’re interested in learning more about anxiety therapy, reach out today to set up a consultation.
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