How Blogging And Gaming Help With My Anxiety

I’ve been living with anxiety for a number of years now, and there are some things that really help me. Of course breathing slowly and staying calm, focusing on one thing and allowing the moment to pass is the best way. But when I’m struggling there are a few other things that really help me.

Today I will be writing a short blog post outlining what those things are, you never know, they might help someone else get through a hard time too.

Games

Be it Games on my PlayStation or Games on my iPhone, I enjoy playing them and they often help me in times of crisis. Such as when I am feeling overwhelmed, I open apps like Candy Crush for example, and play for a minute or two. It allows my mind to focus on something other than the anxiety that is sending it haywire.

It’s by no means easy, and I have to accompany what I’m doing with slowly breathing deeply and usually drinking cool water as well. I carry water with me everywhere that I go, because I never know when anxiety may strike.

By playing games my mind is occupied on something else, even if it’s just for a moment or two. I also have days where I want to play on my PlayStation and I don’t want to socialise with anyone, those are what I call the bad days. I am glad that I have the option to do this, and games allow me to take out any frustrations I am having with life on virtual reality. When I am focused on a storyline or a scenario I forget what is troubling me for a few moments.

Of course I enjoy gaming generally, and I played a lot before I suffered anxiety. Some days I play a game regardless of how I may be feeling. I may just feel the need to lose myself for a few hours, but either way, it helps me.

Blogging

When I find myself at a loose end I often blog, I have so many ideas floating around in my head that I make notes all the while, on paper and on my phone. Then when my anxiety is bad I try and focus my attention on one idea, and make some headway in the writing part of it. When I am writing I find that everything else in my head dissipates for a few moments because I concentrate so much on what I want to say and about getting it right.

I started blogging as a way to help myself when I was stuck at home recovering from life changing surgery. I needed something to keep my mind active, because I couldn’t leave the house for a time. And my anxiety had already been bad for some time before I needed the surgery, so it was a way of me coping with the long days in the same four walls. It allowed me to write about positive aspects of my life as well, and review things that made me happy. This in turn improved my mood and made my days seem more productive. I had began my blog and website just for me, but when people began to subscribe and tell me they were looking forward to reading my posts, it gave me more confidence in what I was sharing with the world.

Two Years On

So this is where I am up to today, as of February it’s been two years since I started Severn Wishes. Two years on since my surgery too, and I feel I am beginning to take back control of my life. Of course my family and friends have supported me, and this has been paramount in my recovery, but I have also been able to help myself, through doing what I love, and creating the time to do something positive and productive.

I wouldn’t say it’s been an easy road, in fact some days have been very hard. I’m lucky that I have these avenues that are able to help with my current state.

I also have cats, and they are therapeutic for me at the best of times, they really help me to be calm at times. Pets can mean so much more to us and my fur babies certainly are family to us.

Thank you and Advice

This post is a thank you to all of you who support me and my blog and my social media too. You are helping a woman become stronger day by day… you are helping me to feel like me again… slowly but surely…

And I have just one piece of advice. I see anxiety as this, there is no such thing as a good or bad day anymore because I live with these feelings every day. So what I do is remain positive and take something good from each day, focusing on a positive is always the start of remembering the great things in your life. Be grateful no matter how small it is, you’ll soon realise that anxiety won’t win, and that deep down you’re still you, and you do matter.

Be brave and find ways that help you, I did, and slowly but surely I’m beating my anxious feelings. It’s not good every day, and some days I really struggle, but for every one like that I do have, I strive to have less of them. It also helps that I have some understanding family and a few close friends around me, they support me through the bad days. And when I’m alone I use my methods above to bring me back to a calm state.

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Thank you for joining me for this honest post today. I hope that if any of you are going through a difficult time then you can find an outlet that helps you, just like I have.

✩ Sabrina ✩