Dealing with Anxiety when your Naturally Outgoing

I have always tried to live life to the full, I love to travel, learn new things, meet new people and have always been naturally outgoing but on the other hand I have suffered on and off from panic attacks and anxiety since I was in my teens. I think because I love to be hands on, plan trips and know where I am going I struggle when things don't go how I planned, if I start to feel disorientated I have a tendency to panic or get overwhelmed. This is probably the biggest reason why I don't drink too much or like flying as I find it hard not being in control.

Sometimes I go for months of not feeling anxious at all but with everything that has been going on lately in the world and having children and I do have the tendency to over think things, it's certainly made me feel nervous about the future and visiting busy places like central London for example. I have turned down going to events or meetings due to feeling like I would get overwhelmed, even though most people think of me as out-going, which I am but sometimes this can be made harder if I am feeling anxious. Thats the thing about anxiety if can affect anyone at anytime and it can be the smallest triggers than can cause real uncertainty and worry for one person and not for another.

I find when I have a lack of sleep (which happens fairly often as my youngest seems to no need sleep at the moment) or I feel overwhelmed with work, running the household or general manic nature of having a young family things can flair up a little but I do have a few steps that really do help me put things into perspective and by keeping on top of these steps mean for the most part I can enjoy my normal active lifestyle.

1. Spend time outdoors - I always find getting outdoors into nature and fresh air is a great leveller and the perfect way to put things into perspective as well as maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle and reconnect as a family. Saying that I also like time outside on my own where I can focus on being mindful and stepping away from the online world for a moment.

2. Slow down - taking on too much stuff and feeling rushed and then stressed is simply no good for anyone really so slowing down, stepping away from screens, focusing on the smaller simple things and trying to get a little more sleep is a really good way to practice some self care and will certainly help to make your feel calmer

3. Starting the day right - what we eat can really play a role in how we feel and help keep stress levels down. I find when I am feeling a little on edge, starting the day with a comforting bowl of porridge topped with bananas or apples which are calming foods and a big cup of Chamomile Tea is the perfect way to feel rebalanced for the day ahead.

4. Listen to music - Music is one of those things that can really help calm you down and connect to happy memories. I love to take time out and put my vinyl records one and listen to may favourite albums. Doing this is another act of slowing down and practising a little self care as the world just seems to be more manic than ever and some many are time short but zoning out and listening to your favourite tunes can help take your mind off things.

5. Talk it through - if something is really on my mind then I find talking it through with either John, friends or family members helps put it into perspective. Just having someone listen can really be helpful and is a great way to offload thoughts in a supportive environment.

6. Consider counselling or therapy. I will put my hand up and say that a few years before having kids I went to therapy for a while and it really helped and was certainly a positive experience for me. However with kids and being time short it can be hard to fit this in but you can now access Online Therapy sessions would could be something to look into

There are plenty of natural ways to help combat anxiety and keep it under control so it doesn't start to affect your daily activities. Yoga can be fantastic for learning breathing techniques or perhaps take up a mindfulness course as it might be a manic lifestyle that is affecting you. Staying on top of your Omega oils and eating nutrient dense nuts can help to raise the mood.

Another fantastic herb is lavender which has been used for hundreds of years to help relax, de-stress and lift ones mood. Kalms have recently developed a 100% natural daily lavender pill to simple help aid and provide temporary relief of anxiety when it flairs up. There is not one single thing that will instantly make you feel better but this can certainly add to the tools you can use to create a more relaxed mind. I find I get particularly anxious and stressed when travelling so I'm going to give these a go next time I hit the road and will let you know how I get on.

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