Finding the right tools and resources for managing anxiety can require a lot of trial and error. It took me quite some time to build up my own anxiety toolkit. I often still explore potential resources and strategies as I suspect that my anxiety will be around for life and so it doesn’t hurt to be prepared! While I know there is definitely no one size fits all solution to coping with anxiety, I wanted to share some of my favourite tools and resources with you. My hope is that some of these will work for you too, or at least give you some direction and inspiration for building your own toolkit.
Reflexology/Acupressure Ring
One of my newest discoveries is the reflexology or acupressure ring. This is the one I got from Saje and it was fairly inexpensive! You use this little gadget to massage up and down your fingers, really paying attention to how it feels. I first learned about this in a video by Sukie Baxter, who walks you through how to use this ring to calm anxiety. Supposedly, doing this helps to activate your vagus nerve, which is a key part of our nervous system and the relaxation response. The who/what/where/when/why of this belongs to a now popular theory in the world of counselling called Polyvagal Theory. If you are interested in learning more about this specifically, check out this video that explains polyvagal theory really well (trigger warning: the video does talk about trauma).
Mindfulness.com App
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t highly recommend mindfulness as a key tool for managing anxiety! I think that mindfulness can be such a beneficial practice for anyone and everyone. However, what that practice looks like for you might be very different from what it looks like for me. Enter the mindfulness.com app! What I loved about this app immediately was the incredible variety it offers. While there is a subscription fee to access a lot of the app’s content, there is a free 7-day trial available. Plus, they still offer some quality content even if you don’t want to pay for the subscription.
I have relied on this app a lot to manage my anxiety and sleep issues. But the one guided meditation that proved to be an absolute game changer for me was their Befriend Your Anxiety meditation. In just 5 minutes, this meditation allowed me to separate myself from my anxiety and intentionally check in with what it needed. I highly recommend checking it out, or at the very least checking the app itself out!
Essential Oils and Diffuser
I’m all about using the senses to help soothe and ground your mind, body and nervous system. When it comes to sense of smell, my diffuser and essential oils have been super essential (pun intended) in managing my anxiety. Even if you don’t have a diffuser, just having some bottles of your favourite scents could be helpful! If I’m travelling or out of the house somewhere, I often have a bottle of essential oil with me that I can take a whiff of when needed. I even keep some bottles by my bed so I can quickly soothe my senses if I am not able to sleep and can feel myself spiralling into anxiety.
I encourage everyone to play around with some scents and find what works for them. Personally, I find woodsy smells to be very grounding, so some of my favourites are cedarwood and vetiver. When my anxiety is really heightened and causing stomach upset, peppermint really comes in handy. And when I need a quick mood boost, a friend gifted me a blend called Liquid Sunshine, which is a lovely and uplifting citrus blend.
Matcha
I would be nowhere without matcha. I may or may not even be sipping a matcha latte as I write this post (and again while editing it). It is what has kept me going following sleepless nights caused by my anxiety. Now I know that it is actually recommended that we cut back on caffeine to curb anxiety. But I personally feel that matcha is the exception for me. I just find it to be a very soothing and warming drink, which is so comforting when I’m coming out of the grips of an anxiety attack. Plus, the caffeine in matcha hits different than in other caffeinated drinks. Rather than hitting you all at once, it has a gentle, slow-release effect which is much needed following a sleepless night.
Another bonus of matcha is that it is a natural source of l-theanine, which is an amino acid found to be helpful in the treatment of anxiety. Does a matcha latte provide enough l-theanine to truly make a difference? No clue, I’m not a scientist. But at the very worse it is an absolutely delicious placebo effect that I will continue to drink religiously.
Ginger Candies
As I mentioned earlier, my anxiety often causes stomach upset. Beyond smelling some peppermint oil (or even chewing some mint gum), ginger candies have been super helpful. On top of being great for settling the stomach, the strong taste of ginger can be super grounding when you feel yourself gearing up towards an anxiety attack. The best part is, it’s super easy to carry some candies around with you since they’re so small. I even leave some in other places where I know they might come in handy, such as around my office or in my car.
A Journal
Another simple yet effective tool in my anxiety management kit is a journal. Never underestimate the power of writing to help you process your emotions. I’ve picked up a simple morning journaling habit that allows me to quickly check in with my emotions and set intentions for the day ahead. Beyond that, journaling has really come in handy during those times when I felt panic settling in. Free-writing whatever is worrying you is a great way to get it out of your system. Following this, I never re-read what I write because then I’m just starting the cycle over again. Instead, it’s better to close the journal and go do something else that is soothing. Or even better, you can tear the page out and rip it to shreds – this is a great practice in releasing whatever is causing you anxiety in that moment!
Weighted Blanket
Often when we feel anxious, we just need to feel soothed and comforted. Enter the weighted blanket (this is the one I have). A lot of people use these for better sleep, although I personally haven’t found that it made a difference in my sleep. That being said, I find it really helpful for calming my nervous system when I am feeling anxious and worked up. My favourite way to use my blanket is to essentially cocoon myself in it, making sure I can feel its soothing weight on my shoulders and legs. Bonus points if you sip some soothing tea, watch a good comfort show or engage in some mindful meditation while doing this.
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook
A huge part of my anxiety journey has involved working on my self-compassion. Turns out we can really start to beat ourselves up when we’re feeling anxious or coming down from an anxiety attack. Spoiler alert: this never actually makes anything better. In fact, beating myself up and feeling ashamed always extended my recovery time and even ramped my anxiety right back up. So instead, I’ve been working on offering myself more compassion in these moments. It’s still a work in progress, but it really has made a huge difference!
My favourite tool for cultivating more self-compassion is The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. This workbook is super user friendly and I love that you can take it at your own pace. It’s full of great tools and strategies for learning more about yourself and developing a more compassionate mindset.
Health Professionals
Last (but definitely not least) on this list is reaching out to health professionals for help! It’s so important to have a support network in place. While friends and family can be a crucial part of this network, it’s equally important to have some health professionals on your side who can help you to navigate your anxiety. This is what also helped me to ensure I was managing my anxiety holistically.
Which types of health professionals are on your team is going to look different for everyone. For me, my therapist, naturopath and massage therapist have been indispensable parts of my network. But you might also consider reaching out to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, psychiatrist, psychologist, dietician/nutritionist, community support group, etc.
CONCLUSION
So there you have it, some of my favourite tools and resources for managing my anxiety. Just knowing that I have these resources in my back pocket reduces my anxiety in and of itself. I’ve also found it very helpful to have a written list of these resources or else a literal toolkit of my more tangible tools at the ready. Often, when we are heading towards an anxiety or panic attack, we can no longer think straight and rational thinking might go out the door. Having a plan in place ahead of time makes it so much easier to actually rely on our resources when we need them. That is why I am now challenging you to make a list of your own tools, strategies and resources for managing your anxiety. You’ll probably be surprised at how many you already have. And don’t forget to share below – what’s in your anxiety toolkit?
