Paint with Light
I have no idea if painting eases your anxiety, because I have no experience in painting. But I can recommend taking up photography as a hobby. It’s such an effective anxiety killer, some people simply cannot live without it. Think about what you’re doing when you’re photographing
Quit Your Presidential Campaign
It’s a cliche´ that politicians resign or stop campaigns to “spend more time with family.” This is a lie, of course, but it’s really good advice when it comes to anxiety. Study [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21200073] after [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
Notifications Can Go Straight to Hell
How many notifications do you need? As many as you need. I need to hear from my family and son’s teacher in case of emergency. All other notifications are costly. Some are needed to earn a living, but they still come at a cost that must be factored. If
Put "You" Away for a While
Anxiety is all about turning inward. It can be narcissistic. The more you worry, the more you worry about being worried. The only room you make for others in a panic attack is when you worry about what they’re going to think about you. I didn’t fully realize
Break Up with Social Media
Did you know that the worst social media app for your mental health is Instagram [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/19/instagram-ranked-worst-social-network-young-peoples-mental-health/] ? Did you know that Facebook has hired a large group of employees with backgrounds in social psychology and anthropology [https://www.cjchilvers.com/facebook-is-delusional/] to
Laugh
The second date ever with my wife, 11 years ago this month, was at Zanies. The headliner was painfully unfunny that night, but the opener (Hannibal Buress) rescued the night and seeing comedians remains one of our favorite date night plans. One of the highlights of my pre-wife life was
Cut the Stimulants
Stimulants and anxiety love each other. It’s a match made in hell. If you’re complaining about anxiety and holding a giant coffee, there’s a disconnect there. Caffeine is an amplifier of anxiety, not to mention the narcotics some take to deal with anxiety that only make it
Collect Your Testimonials
We all have those moments when we feel like imposters, like we aren’t qualified for our work or lifestyles. Anxiety amplifies this. It’s a quick trip from there to procrastination and depression. I keep a “testimonials” folder for these moments, where I save the very occasional accolade I
Apply Constraints
We know creativity thrives with constraints [https://hbr.org/2013/01/how-intelligent-constraints-dr]. But what does it have to do with anxiety [https://www.cjchilvers.com/30-practical-tactics-to-decrease-your-anxiety-intro/]? Have too much information and too many options when making decisions is great trigger for your anxiety. This is why minimalism is so popular
Have a Drink
This one is going to get me into some trouble, but it's an important lesson my doctor taught me that actually works on my anxiety, thus meeting the exact criteria for this 30-day challenge [https://www.cjchilvers.com/30-practical-tactics-to-decrease-your-anxiety-intro/]. If you have a problem with alcoholism, please ignore