Yesterday I was really anxious. It reminded me that this was my daily state until 10 years ago, and it was hard.

Wanted to share 8 things that have helped me >>

Curious if others ( @dremilyanhalt @zookmann?) have more tips, thoughts, or threads? Would love to learn more.

1/ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Feeling Good Handbook. Read about the types of disordered thinking. Do the worksheets on paper when you're anxious. Go to a therapist if you can. I did this for 18 months and it's still my foundation.

2/ Breathing. Anxious people tend not to breathe well. Start with a timed breathing app. Move on to breathing exercises (like qi gong). DO NOT start with meditation - too hard to start. Breathe first.

3/ Learn to calm anxiety loops. When my brain starts looping, I sing the song "what a wonderful world" slowly, starting over when I get distracted, until I get to the end. Last night it took me 20 tries to get through, then I fell right to sleep and woke up refreshed.

4/ Sleep rituals. Listen to what everyone says about turning off your phone before bed, setting up bedtime rituals, and the like. It helps.

5/ No metacognition. When anxious, I always want to "figure things out," which usually makes me more anxious. Now I have a rule against pondering life, meaning, etc, while anxious. Go on a walk, watch TV, take a bath, but don't try to figure your life out.

6/ Family constellations therapy (phase 2). Once the basics are under control, this is great for family issues. Can also be combined with trauma therapy. I've done many kinds of therapy, and have found it's great to explore from different angles.

7/ Meditation. After breathing is under control, it can be very beneficial. I personally jumped in the deep end with a 10 day silent retreat. I cried the whole time, but it was transformative.

Beware: calming down brings a lot of stuff up. So be ready to deal with it.

8/ Mental health is not selfish. I realized relatively recently that my mental health is both for me and those around me. I owe it to my family and colleagues to rest, to watch TV, to go on walks, to sit around and do nothing. It makes me more productive and more pleasant too.

9/ Pilates & massage. We store a lot of tension from anxiety in our bodies. Pilates taught me to use my muscles differently, which has allowed them to relax. Shiatsu and other body work has let some tension out to make that possible.