[SilhouetteStation]

I've always been pretty open about the fact that I have anxiety, and it's something that I often deal with and (most of the time) am able to calm myself out of. feb was one of the most stressful months I'd had for awhile, and march isn't turning out much better. I get little waves of panic throughout the day, and at night it can become overwhelming and means I'm awake until the early hours of the next day. there's a lot of anxiety tips that seem to assume that it's daytime, and that you have access to different things but ?? that's not always the case. sometimes it's the middle of the night and you want to stay in bed to try and calm down and sleep, not wake yourself up more lol

so I thought it'd be super rad if people shared their calming methods? how they deal with anxiety when there's not so much to distract you, and you're trying to stay quiet, and want to go to bed? things to occupy the mind while the body calms itself back down :>

a few of my favorites are;;
- count backwards from 1000. if you lose your place, start again. eventually you'll fall asleep
- go through the alphabet, name as many fruit + veg you can starting with each letter
- naming dog/cat breeds, see how many times you can cycle through the alphabet (in order; afghan hound, basenji, and so on)
- redecorate on neko atsume (that game is just,, so calming)

[gardog]

I usually act out roleplays in my head (sometimes I'll do small movements as well), usually consisting of characters from either my favorite shows or characters that I've created myself. It puts my mind into a different headspace and makes it so I can create any reality I want at the moment (be it a safe space or just a little distraction).

That's what I do multiple times throughout the day to help distract myself from thoughts that could possibly lead to a panic attack. I also do it when my asthma is acting up, because my anixiety tends to make the situation much worse than it actually is (by making me panic and making my breathing and asthma coughing worse).

If possible, I'll also watch some youtube videos or listen to some of my favorite songs on repeat. Or I'll sing a song or two.

I'll distract myself with anything else than what triggered the anxiety, in other words.

Things that I avoid when my anxiety is higher than normal: Horror films/video games (both on youtube and otherwise), songs with darker themes, shadows/darkness (I'm personally afraid of the dark), and places with excess noise (like the living room).

When all else fails, hug your pet(s). Give your warm-blooded babies a pet and your cold-blooded babies a boop.

Also, don't forget to drink plenty of water and eat! Very important.

[JK341]

for me personally nothing puts me to sleep faster than some of the relaxation videos i have saved on youtube. Primarily ambiance videos of fireplaces or gentle rain (without thunder) ^^

loving the art here as well <3

[JustDucky]

As someone with agoraphobia (an anxiety disorder that makes me afraid of panic attacks/leaving my house) I find yoga to be really helpful. I also find typing/helping others to be calming. I almost always try to redirect my mind, but sometimes I have little success.