Improving Your Mental Well-Being.

PART 1 - ANXIETY.

Before we begin this chapter, I'd like you to do a quick exercise; however, if you have a heart or cardiac ailment, I strongly advise you NOT to do so.

Take a second to scream as loudly as you can; if you're at home and don't want to disturb or alarm your parents, child, or sibling, scream into a pillow. This will assist you in lowering your stress levels. Studies have proven that when we scream, our bodies release chemicals that makes us feel good. Now that we have completed this exercise let's get into this chapter.

Anxiety can be a literal nightmare. I truly hate it more than anything in this world, well except for chocolate ice-cream. Chocolate ice-cream is despicable. Anyhow, anxiety ruins many opportunities and chances that are handed to us in life. You have the impression that all your moves are being watched, calculated then later judged when in actuality none of that is really happening. Do you know how it feels to stumble on a rock and then immediately catch yourself? Anxiety is that same emotion, but it lasts for a long time. Anxiety is not being able to eat in a public setting because you feel like people are judging you based on the way you chew and swallow your food. You feel like you're using the wrong utensil when there's literally only one spoon on the table. Anxiety is second guessing yourself in every thing you do, it's having outbursts which you have no control over, it gives you this constant sensation of being on edge and feeling unsafe in normally stable conditions . You feel suffocated, you tremble at night with heavy breathing, and you sometimes feel like you're going to die. Anxiety is a thief but she doesn't steal your money or your physical possessions, anxiety steals your freedom, your social life, your confidence, your ability to communicate and your belief systems. Anxiety sows seeds of fear and irrationality in every life she steps in. Believe me when I say that anxiety is literally the worst.

Think about a Bottle of Liquid Soap.
You blow a bubble, the bubble floats for a while, then pops after 30 seconds while being in the air.
You could have used your energy and chose to save the bubble by blowing and combining it with another. But you didn't, you allowed it to pop.
After the bubble pops it then becomes insignificant to you, non-existent, gone in the wind; like it was never there.
The Liquid Soap within this scenario represents our Unborn thoughts and
The Bubble in this scenario symbolizes our negative thoughts.
Our negative thoughts, like the bubble, become meaningless when we do not invest our energy in them.
Remember that your negative thoughts are not worth your time so don't let them have it.
When we believe and focus our energy on our negative thoughts, we automatically begin to experience anxiety and "bad vibes". You suddenly become robbed of the peace needed to maintain your overall sanity. Thoughts will always come, some will leave and others will stay but only if we allow them to. I want you to know and understand that our thoughts are simply, just thoughts. They are meaningless, they have no power over us unless we give it to them by believing in them. Our thoughts do not define us, nor do they shape our reality, our beliefs do. We as humans, conjure up 6000 thoughts in an hour, and roughly 80,000 thoughts in a day. Imagine how draining it would be if we focused our attention span and energy on every single last thought that crossed our minds? We would be brain-fried, as that would be a recipe for disaster.
What triggers your anxiety? Is it family, work, school, or is it a particular ex from your past? If you aren't sure, write in a journal whenever you're feeling anxious, you will be sure to find a pattern and within that pattern an answer.

I've compiled a list of tips for dealing with anxiety below.

1)  Remind yourself that you are in control, you are the boss!

2) Take a time-out. Breathe, listen to music, hydrate yourself with water, and meditate. This will help to clear your head.

3) Count to 10 slowly. Repeat, and count to 20 if necessary.

4) Talk to someone. Tell your friends and family that you're feeling overwhelmed, and let them know how they can help you.

5) Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique for Anxiety.
Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. It could be a your palm, the pattern of your shirt, a spot on the ceiling, anything within your surroundings.

Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. It could be your hair, a pillow, or the ground under your feet.

Acknowledge THREE things you hear. It could be music, dogs barking or the engine of a car.

Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. It can be a perfume, Air conditioning or the grass.

And lastly, acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.
- Happiness and peace are waiting for you, hang in there you got this ! -