As Ms. Perry once said, “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind wanting to start again?” Yeah, that is what anxiety feels like. If you understand that feeling, it is okay, and you are not alone. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 246 million individuals worldwide suffer from an anxiety disorder. When it comes to fighting off anxiety, there are many long-term and short-term treatments that you can and should start incorporating into your daily routine effective immediately. 

Learn your triggers:

The best way to defend yourself from anxiety is by identifying what sets you off. This could look something like your stomach tightening in a million knots when you hear a certain name. It could also look like shortness of breath whenever you get behind the wheel. Finding your specific triggers is game-changing because you will know what to avoid and you can develop a plan for when you encounter one. Triggers usually evolve from psychological trauma, which brings you to your next step in combating your anxiety.

The art of therapy:

If you are looking for a long-term remedy, therapy is for you. This option might be frightening at first, but this is by far the most effective because it can help you with more than just anxiety; you will discover yourself like never before. Therapy is more than just sitting in a room with a stranger while forcing yourself to talk about your feelings. It is actually all about getting in touch with your emotions with your therapist, who ends up being one of the most trusted souls in your life. 

Get up and get moving:

When you feel your insides start to tense up and the walls around you begin to close in, get up and move. Any sort of movement is vital to your wellbeing, whether that means doing some relaxing yoga or going to a spin class where you will be too distracted by how badly you are dying to even focus on the previous anxiety. Movement provides you with a release; it also supplies you with serotonin and dopamine (a.k.a. happy and positive feelings).

Music is the key to being the main character:

The next time you feel your anxiety catching up to you, go get in your car. Once you are in the car, roll all of the windows down and turn on your favorite hype song: then, drive. You do not have to have a destination, just turn the music up, feel it in your soul and let it take over your mind. Not only is music good for reducing anxiety, but it also lowers blood pressure, improves sleep quality and enhances your mood. Basically, music is the answer to all of your problems. 

Find your person:

You probably assume that your “person” has to be someone that you are intimately involved with, but that is not the case. The term originated from the one and only “Grey’s Anatomy” and it means someone that you could go to for anything: someone you cannot live without. Therefore, your person could be your significant other, your mom, your best friend or even your therapist. This is vital when fighting off anxiety because your person can act as your shield, which is the most underrated weapon when conquering a demon. 

Remember: Anxiety is not strong enough to defeat you. Sure, it might knock you down, but you are powerful, and you can overcome anything. Do not let this be your identity. You are so much more than your anxiety, and it is time that people see that.