How being kind to yourself can help you calm your anxiety
image by: James Theophane
Anxiety is rough on our nerves, it’s jarring, grating and just plain hard.
To counteract it we need to separate ourselves from the experience of anxiety and be kind to ourselves.
You are not your anxiety. You have anxiety and it is affecting you, but it isn’t your identity.
Being kind to yourself means treating yourself in the opposite way to anxiety: practice being soft, taking your time, resting, being patient.
Start by making time to get to know yourself better.
What do you like to do that helps you relax?
What hobbies, or creative activities do you enjoy? What kind of nature do you like best? Being among trees? Near water? Or something else?
Then start allowing time to be with yourself doing some of the things you love. Or even one of them, and it doesn’t have to be much time, just little and often spaces to be creative, or get a massage, or be in nature.
Notice how you talk to yourself
If your inner voice is harsh, cross, or impatient, practice talking to yourself with more understanding.
Living with anxiety is horrible, you understand that, so show yourself some understanding in your internal dialogue and practice talking to yourself as you would a friend.
Because, to get through anxiety you need to be your own friend.
Tools that can help:
EFT Tapping for self-forgiveness or releasing past painful events