dealing with anxiety

Everyone goes through stressful situations in life, everyone goes through things that make them uncomfortable, but does anyone else know what true anxiety is like? What a panic attack does to your entire body and mind?

I'm no expert my any means, I haven't experienced all there is a body or mind can experience. But I have had my fair share of crap and horror and I want to offer whatever I can to try to ease your pain even just a little.

So here are some tips I go to, if I can, when I need to find peace and rest




* Drink water- I always tell my husband that water is magic, and no matter the illness (physical or emotional) water helps so much. It also helps calm my breathing if I'm having a panic attack and my heart is racing (can we just take a moment to say "anxiety SUCKS," yeah I feel better letting that out, thanks guys). I also recommend hot tea for calming down, I love sleepytime tea, or peppermint (also good for soothing your stomach) or whatever I have on hand; add a little honey and you'll feel calmer in moments. 


*Lie down- sometimes all I want to do is curl up in my bed or on the couch and not face the world, and that's ok. eventually I do have to get up and put my big girl pants on, but we are allowed to have a moment (or a few!) to rest our bodies and honestly just ignore whatever stress is going on. Rest and sleep are important, and if you're like me and have trouble sleeping even in the best situations a few naps a week or rest times are vital! 


*Go for a walk- this is the opposite of the last point, but it can be just as effective. Walking stimulates the mind and the body and can give you endorphins (endorphins make people happy, happy people just don't shoot their husbands!). The fresh air feels good on your face, the movement sets your body at ease, Plus you can take your music and headphones, which leads me to the next point


*Listen to music- I made myself a therapy playlist (check out this post for some of my favorite playlists including that one) when I was dealing with an abusive situation and loss of people I could trust. Music has always been my physical constant, no matter what happens; music gets me through my wide array of emotions and feelings (do you have different music for different moods? I always feel like I'm the only one). 



*Light a candle (or incense)- I'm highly sensitive to smells, which means when I experience a pleasing smell I become so much more relaxed and can calm down. (It also makes my apartment smell fantastic, double win!) If you can't light a candle due to building restrictions like apartment rules or something, try making some coffee or baking an apple. Those smells are wonderful to me :)



*Just breathe- I know that sounds like "duh, of course I need to breathe," but really, try some breathing exercises and focus on that. When I'm having a panic attack I cannot breathe properly in the normal way, so I have to really work at this one, but it helps so so much, seriously. Some of my go-to's are "Count to 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4," or "Count backwards from ten super slowly." Sometimes I just have to focus on inhaling and exhaling, no other system than that. It really helps, I swear. :) 

I hope that some of these tips have helped you a little, even if they're simple and possibly intuitive, they're what I rely on and I am still on this journey every day. Some days are harder than others, and that's OKAY. Your journey is important too, and won't look like someone else's. You're going to be ok, I promise. 

If you need someone to talk to, please don't hesitate to contact me <3 

xoxo,
Alexandra Anne 

New Year, New Post

Hello blog friends,
It's been a while, hasn't it?

I'm learning many new things. And I'm not just talking about school, I mean about life and living it. No, I really mean LIVING it. I'm 20, a young college student chasing a dream that could hold a career someday. And I love my life.

But it isn't always easy. In fact, I know I have it easier than some people, but it still has its struggles every day. Last semester, I dealt with a myriad of health issues that made it extremely difficult for me to get out of my bed each morning. I couldn't drive. I couldn't sing.

I'm a vocal performance major. And I couldn't. Sing.

That was my identity; I was brokenhearted. I wasn't me anymore.

Or so I thought.

A few months have passed, and I am still figuring out my medical mysteries. I still cannot sing an aria or for more than a minute or so.

But I'm happy.

I am so grateful for life. That's all I need. I know I'll get better. I have faith and hope in my future healing.

So I'm getting back to the writing world. I've missed it. Don't need a voice to type something on a laptop ;)

Also, where else am I going to share my thoughts on knitting, books, music, and share my cute cat photos? (Oh wait, my facebook is already flooded with those....whoops!)

I pray that each of you find the healing you need and that 2014 is a year of growth for all of us!

xoxo,
Alexandra Anne

First arm knitted scarf I've done :)

Strength Isn't Easy

I need to be writing again. I firmly believe that it will help me, it has helped me so much in the past.

Also, my friend Austin wants me to blog about him. So, here you go Austin. You're officially on the internet for ever and ever in a documentation on blogspot.

But seriously. I wanted this year to be about strength, physically and emotionally. I've kind of sucked at both lately. (Sorry to whoever reads this and actually knows me, I'm gonna get real on here, that's the whole point of my blog). Some see crying as a solution, and I know that chemically speaking it can be helpful, but for me I would love to cry less.
What?? Alexandra Anne cries a lot? But...she's so perky and smiles and cracks jokes and sings and is just super joyful.

Yeah.
That's the thing though.

I'm an excellent mask-wearer.
Sometimes the mask is my ideal, I'm not just faking happy for other people, I truly *want* to be happy and joyful. So I adopt a persona that reminds me of my happy past. But so often, I just want to hide in my room and not give a mask of any kind to anyone.

I am blessed, and I am doing well overall, I don't mean to sound miserable.
But I haven't been taking care of myself, not truly.
I'd rather take care of YOU and YOUR problems than constructively deal with my own. I would assume that we're all guilty to that to some degree (unless you're just that selfish and egotistical, then all you care about is yourself, so you must be good to go).

I'm in love with music, it's what gets me through my day and is what has taken me all over the country. I think right now I need to focus more on God and my faith walk, while still staying passionate to music.

This post is a little...sporadic I suppose. I'm being raw and real, ya'll, just writing down what's going on in my head.

To keep this post from being entirely self-centered, here's where you come in: I *know* I am not the only person who feels this way. I want to share and connect with my online readers.
And I want to get better.

Read James 1:2. Actually, I recommend reading that whole chapter. I did.

I set out to make 2013 my year of strength. Time to make this happen!

xoxo,
alexandra anne