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James Donaldson on Mental Health – Coping With Anxiety – 5 Strategies For Everyday Life
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Are you living with anxiety that’s starting to affect your day-to-day? If so, keep reading for some helpful tips that can make coping and living with anxiety easier.
Limit Caffeine
If you love caffeine, then this entry may be a little disappointing. However, there’s a likelihood that if you’re living with anxiety, that morning cup of coffee is making your anxiety worse.
The reason why is that coffee mimics the natural state the body goes in when it’s in a fight or flight mode. This includes feelings of nervousness, increased heart rate, sweating, and faster breathing. It also can lead to insomnia, which if you’ve ever drank coffee late at night and couldn’t sleep, you certainly know this to be true.
Quitting coffee cold turkey isn’t the right call. Instead, gradually lower your intake over a few months so you’re not experiencing common caffeine withdrawal symptoms. With time and perhaps, a switch to decaf, you can experience reduced symptoms of anxiety and an improved quality of life.
Identify Your Triggers
If you have anxiety, avoiding things that make you uncomfortable isn’t a long-term strategy. But, in the interim, it could be.
Per the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a trigger refers to “…something that brings on or worsens symptoms.” This leaves the definition of a trigger wide open, as what worsens your symptoms may not be the same as what worsens someone else’s.
That being said, the most common emotional triggers that bring about anxiety include but aren’t limited to social events, the death of a loved one, specific personality traits, moving, the birth of a baby, making small talk, working stressful jobs, and going through a divorce.
Triggers can be anything stressful or life-changing, as mentioned above, or simply hearing a song, a word, or seeing an object that triggers a painful memory. Regardless of what causes it, triggers can be scary and overwhelming. That’s why identifying them is so beneficial.
By knowing what is bound to trigger a painful memory for you, you can learn to either avoid situations that will affect your mental health or set boundaries that limit your exposure. For example, if your mom died of cancer and it triggers a lot of pain and anxiety for you, shutting off a TV or radio commercial that talks about treatment may be helpful while you’re working to address the root of the anxiety.
Over time, and with therapy, you’ll be able to expose yourself to triggers more easily. However, when you’re starting out and learning to cope, reducing your exposure to things that will worsen recovery is a smart idea.
Identify Your Support System
You may have a huge group of friends or people you know, but not everyone will be the right support system for you. That’s why, if you have anxiety, you should identify a support system that can help you through it.
This person or these people should be sympathetic to your struggle with anxiety and be open to listening about it without dismissing it or offering unwarranted insight. Sometimes, when your anxiety level is high, the last thing you want is to hear someone else’s opinion. Instead, what you need is to vent.
Venting will untangle your anxious thoughts so you can think more clearly. Find a friend who will allow this process to unfold naturally, and then when it’s time, offer supportive suggestions or practices you can do together, like breathing or grounding techniques.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Do you have some essential oils lying around? Maybe something lavender or bergamot scented? If so, you may want to turn to them next time you’re feeling anxious.
When inhaled, essential oils help regulate mood by sending signals to the brain that activate serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters that help improve and stabilize mood. The most successful scents include those mentioned above, as well as rose, lemon, and sandalwood.
If you don’t have essential oils, you can also try lighting a candle or using a room spray of a similar scent. Keep in mind that the practice of aromatherapy shouldn’t be relied upon as the only coping mechanism for treating anxiety. Instead, it should be used in conjunction with the other methods listed here and therapeutic treatment.
Practice Better Sleep Hygiene
Last but not least, one of the best everyday coping strategies for addressing anxiety is to practice better sleep hygiene.
Sleep is when your brain goes to work, helping to maintain your cognitive skills and regulate emotions. Without it, your brain can’t perform these necessary actions, and the result is going to be increased anxiety and worsening mood and cognitive function.
Of course, when you’re living with anxiety, practicing good sleep hygiene may be easier said than done because being in a consistent fight-or-flight mode makes it hard to fall and stay asleep. That’s why you have to take proactive action.
Here are some steps you can take:
Power off your phone or stop using it at least an hour before you go to bed
If you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t try to fight going back to sleep; instead, get up and read some pages of a book in another room
Limit both caffeine and alcohol intake, especially before bed
Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, limiting naps, if possible
These tips aren’t foolproof, but they can offer some immediate help to get you back to sleep. Try them out and see what works for you.
Remember, dealing with anxiety is stressful and often overwhelming. However, with the right everyday coping strategies, you can help reduce symptoms, so you enjoy a happier and healthier quality of life moving forward.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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