Managing anxiety is all about trial and error of different methods until you find the combination that works best. Bigger steps like medication, seeing a psychologist or talking to friends and family about your struggles are definitely a huge help, but seemingly small steps can be equally as helpful.

One “small” step I have taken is meditating. I was quite hesitant at first because I simply didn’t understand the complexity of the practice. I always thought meditating was just sitting quietly to better understand yourself, but it is so much more than that. Meditation is working towards training your mind to deal with everyday struggles like anxiety.

Meditation is the kind of method that doesn’t necessarily help with anxiety itself, but it helps to redirect anxious thoughts to a more calm, manageable state. It has not eliminated my anxious thoughts or panic attacks but it has most definitely reduced them which has made me a happier and more relaxed person in general.

When I started meditating I used a mindfulness app called “Calm” recommended by my psychologist who also meditates daily. Calm has different categories depending on what you would like to work on in five minute to 35 minute sessions. With my daily schedule I typically do a 10-15 minute anxiety or sleep-focused session right before bed to help alleviate any racing thoughts that would typically keep me awake at night.

My original goal was to fall asleep faster at night and incorporating meditation into my routine every night really did just that. At this point I have a much easier time falling asleep because my brain has essentially trained itself to relax as soon as I go to bed.