Anxiety and depression look different for everyone. Some people may be able to put a smile on their faces while continuing to live their everyday lives while others end up in bed all day with the blinds shut.
After hitting rock bottom last year, I promised myself I wouldn’t let it happen again. That’s when I started to learn how to manage anxiety and depression instead of allowing them to take control of my life.
I want to share these tips with you and I hope practicing them will help you gain control of your mental health!
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Manage Anxiety and Depression:
Write in a Journal
Journaling helps you release everything that’s on your mind in a safe space. You can buy a personal journal or download an app on your phone.
An app that I recommend is called Journey and I also love writing in The Five Minute Journal. Keeping a journal has helped me to easily and quickly write down everything I’m holding back.
I also love writing down affirmations and things I’m grateful for. Doing this helps me realize that my problems are temporary and is a reminder that I have many blessings surrounding me.
I highly recommend checking out this Gratitude Journal. Dedicating a few minutes every morning and night to writing in this journal can help you reduce stress, focus on the positive, and make your wellness a priority.
I’ve always been the type of person to push my problems to the back burner and not talk about them. Journaling has been a game-changer and has provided me with a space to vent instead of allowing my emotions to build up over time.
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Find a Therapist
Realizing that you need help is OK. Many people have a difficult time admitting something is wrong, so you should be proud that you’re taking the steps needed to improve your mental health.
It can feel awkward talking to a stranger about your life, but this has been a blessing for me. Sometimes it’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t know anything about you. It’ll take time and patience to find the perfect therapist for you, don’t give up on your search!
There is someone out there for everyone, however, you must be willing to put in the work to research and make an appointment to go.
Set Healthy Boundaries
Have you ever been around a person or in a situation that suddenly makes you feel some type of way?
Some events and experiences that you’ve gone through may cause your anxiety symptoms to worsen. That’s why it’s important to identify what your triggers are and set boundaries.
Setting boundaries
One boundary you can set is to only be around people who are encouraging and give off positive vibes. Sometimes you have to love people from a distance and keep your mental health a priority.
Limit How Often You Worry
Another way to manage your anxiety and depression is to limit the amount of time you worry. The majority of the time, our negative thoughts never happen. We can start overthinking situations that will cause our mental health to become worse.
My therapist taught me this tip: Set a timer and take 15 minutes each day to worry about any and everything. Once those 15 minutes are up, push it to the side and move forward.
At first, I didn’t understand how this could be helpful, but let me explain it further.
Some days I constantly think about something bad happening from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep. By the end of the day, not only do I feel miserable, but I feel mentally exhausted too. This is why setting a limit on how often you worry is best.
If you aren’t able to change the situation that you’re worried about, then it needs to be put on the back burner.
Challenge Negative Thoughts
The last way to manage anxiety and depression is to challenge your negative thoughts.
At some point, we all struggle with negative thoughts — we tend to be overly critical and talk down on ourselves. When a negative thought pops up in your mind, it’s good to ask yourself whether or not it makes sense.
Challenging your negative thoughts isn’t something that’ll happen overnight, you have to work daily towards that goal. Once you start becoming mindful of
Related Post: How to Get Rid of Negative Thoughts and Emotions
Learning the best ways to manage your anxiety and depression will take patience and consistency. Don’t expect everything to go away overnight.
I hope this post helped you realize you’re not alone and we’re in this fight together!
18 Comments
I’m so glad you shared this! I also battled with depression and anxiety and almost didn’t talk to my doctor about it. I’m so glad I got help! Your tips are very helpful!
Thank you for reading sis! I’m glad you decided to speak up so you could get help. I usually like to keep things to myself but I knew I had to admit there was something wrong and get the help I need! ♥️
This was such a food post with practical tips that could actually help. As someone who works in neuroscience research dealing with MDD and someone who deals with anxiety at times; this post is very helpful and much appreciated!
Thank you for reading! I’m glad it was helpful for you ♥️
Thank you for this. I have been struggling myself and trying to get myself into therapy. I have been trying to write daily speaking positivity into my my day but I have those days where nothing works and have a complete meltdown. I’m working at things one day at a time.
I still have those same days too sis! We will always go through challenges that will cause us to breakdown, but the important part is we shouldn’t let ourselves hit rock bottom and stay there. It’s something we all have to work on one day at a time. Thank you for reading and sharing that! ♥️
Great post Maddie! I’ve struggled with this all year and I’ve been taking these exact steps, still struggling with a little but it’s so good to see others open up about it and be willing to help.
Thank you for reading love! I’m really glad you’re taking the right steps and keeping your mental health as a priority. And we will continue to struggle at times, but just know you’re not alone in this fight and every challenge we go through is temporary ♥️
This is an important subject that many do not want to talk about it. Happy that you continue to speak on topics that need to be in the fore front
Thank you sis! You’re right it isn’t talked about enough. I want people to realize it’s not a bad thing if you need help. People shouldn’t worry about what someone else will think!
This post is amazing! Thank you for sharing the AWESOME TIPS! I’m going to share this with someone who is near and dear to my heart and use it for myself
Thank you sis! And yes feel free to share it with anyone! I know people may feel like they’re alone, but we all have our own challenges. Some people choose not to speak about it out of fear.
this was such a great post . When I use to be a psychiatric Nurse it really made me more of an empath. We are all going through stuff.
Thank you for reading sis! And yes we all have our challenges and we never know what someone else is going through. That’s why I always try to treat people with love and respect.
This post is awesome girl . Talking about personal mental health is very tough and these are some solid tips . I love that you mentioned setting boundaries that has been my main goal this year and it has lead me to attract people who respect and love me in my life .
Really enjoyed the post and your website
Kenya Chestnut
Thank you for reading sis! I was really nervous writing this post but I’m glad you guys have enjoyed it. I’m still working on setting boundaries, they are so important to have and I’m glad I realized that! Thank you! ♥️
Very great and informative post Madisen! Your blog attracted me and stood out from the crowd because you addressed mental issues. I’m so glad I found you and look forward to your emails. Sincerely, Ayisha.
Thank you so much for reading sis! Mental issues are very important to me, especially since I’ve struggled with them for years. I hope I can encourage someone else out there who may need it.