The Tips and Tricks to Dealing with Anxiety

Let’s start by taking a deep breath in and out…Namaste.

3 min readMay 23

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the theme for this month is Anxiety. I am no stranger to anxiety as I have experienced it many times in my life.

I’ve experienced anxiety as a teenager while studying and preparing for major exams. I’ve experienced anxiety as a young adult with dating or getting ready for social events.

I’ve experienced anxiety as a young professional through obtaining jobs, dealing with unemployment, and venturing into different industries.

I understand anxiety and if you have ever faced anxiety in your life, here are tips on how you can deal with it.

I recently spoke to Psychologist Psychologist Oladoyin Idowu from Serenity Wellness in Abuja, Nigeria about understanding anxiety and how to deal with it. Here is what she has to say.

What is Anxiety All About?

Anxiety can be described as an excessive fear or worry over a particular situation. It’s when the fear or worry is not proportional to the situation at hand.

Common life stresses can lead to normal anxiety such as exams or achievements that one is trying to obtain.

Anxiety can become an issue when it starts to impact your everyday ability to function. When it leads to avoidance of situations. When you feel like you have some symptoms such as sweating, loss of breath, and dizziness over a period of time, it’s an issue.

Also, when you can realise that your reaction is not proportional to the situation, then it’s also an issue.

For example, Psychologist Doyin says she has a fear of chickens and she is not able to be around chickens.

What Are Some Different Forms of Anxieties

There are different forms of anxiety such as social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and some specific phobias such as Panic Disorders. They have different variations based on the clusters that they fall in.

For social anxiety, this means that a person perpetually tries to avoid social situations. They are scared of social situations for fear of judgment or embarrassing themselves.

Sometimes, it can be as a result of traumas or experiences you’ve had in the past such as the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job.

How Do You Treat Your Anxiety?

To treat your anxiety, you have to first understand your triggers. You have to understand what type of anxiety you have.

You should then seek a professional’s perspective on this because when you know the root of a problem, it truly helps you to solve the problem.

Another way to help yourself is through breathing exercises. Also, you should consider exposure therapy where you expose yourself to the thing causing you anxiety.

How Do You Deal with Anxiety that Results from Your Country’s Challenges

It matters to first take a deep breath. Also, do not exaggerate the situation of things.

Analyze the situation of things and have a strategy and pathway for moving forward.

There are different ways that you can survive and figure things out by focusing on the things that you can control.

When you have a strategy in place on how to navigate the situation, then you will not be overly anxious about the situation.

If you are based in Abuja, Nigeria and want to know more about dealing with anxiety, visit Serenity Wellness, Nigeria.

Final Thoughts

If you have ever gone through anxiety, know that you are not alone. It is completely normal. First, join me and take a deep breath. Fill that breath in from every part of your body.

As you breathe out, monitor your emotions, situations and the environment that you find yourself in.

Next, find outlets that give you peace and calm. For myself, it’s simply being in nature and listening to a good song.

Finally, be willing to speak to someone about the things that make you anxious. You can speak to a relative, a close friend or a mental health professional.

I’m wishing you so much peace of mind.