The journey of life is not always rosy. It is infested with different challenges and setbacks which aim to throw you off balance. Maybe your business has not been functioning as it should, or you have relationship problems or maybe yours is suffering from one heartbreak to another. Know that all of these are meant to happen. It’s only meant to test your resilience. The point here is that no fierce the stormy water blow, you will only survive if you keep your head on your neck.
In a nutshell, this piece will help you see how you can navigate through your depressions and anxiety so that you can bounce back again.
What’s anxiety and depression?
Briefly defined, anxiety is a state of perpetual worry, nervousness, and panic. It’s that point when all you are not able to focus on anything because your mind is agitated. Worry or fear are words that are used interchangeably with anxiety. It is a condition that no man is beyond as it could happen to anyone from time to time.
Now, the deal is, IT is usual to feel anxious. Of courses, when making a decision or you’re you are being expectant of something, it is only being human to be anxious. However, when anxiety begins to persist or you find it difficult to rid your mind off worrying, it is gradually becoming a condition that needs to be attended too. If it lingers further, it transcends into feeling sad, down or upset, and eventually into depression.
Succinctly, the physical symptoms of anxiety will include the following; muscle tension, racing hearts, sleeping difficulties, and fatigues while the emotional symptoms of anxiety will include; panic, restlessness, irritability, and difficulty controlling worry or fear.
Now, it is important to point out that there is a very thin line between anxiety and depression because when you worry too much, it could lead to depression.
Depression, on the other hand, entails a mental state that is actively characterized by pessimism and the loss of confidence in one’s ability. It is that state of mind when you become tired of everything and everyone. 
Depression also has its physical symptoms and behavioral changes which include the following; loss of appetite; weight loss; pain, ache, cramps, or gastro-intestinal problems without any clear cause; waking early, oversleeping, or having difficulty sleeping; chronic fatigue; and feeling sluggish frequently. It also has emotional symptoms, they include; anger or restlessness, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempt Feeling hopeless or pessimism.
Effects of depression and anxiety
Its effect is devastating. Anxiety and depression can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure which can further lead to a cardio attack and untimely death. Socially, anxiety and depression may lead to ostracizing oneself from friends and loved ones or disconnecting socially. It also makes one begin to lose trust in relationships, hence, becoming paranoia.
How then do you manage stress and anxiety?
Now if you’ve found yourself in this situation, you just have to brace up and face the challenge head-on. It’s your life and you are in charge. Nobody can do this for you except you. You have to be deliberate about the process. It is only then you can get positive results. Here are some tips that can help you better manage anxiety and depression.
Confide in those around you
Do this by talking to the people around you. Don’t ostracize yourself. Although, you’d desire to be left alone. Fight this feeling. Go on a date, visit a friend, or engage a random stranger in a conversation. By doing this, you take your mind off worrying or anything else bothering you. The mind cannot multitask, it can only focus on one thing at a time.
Actively engage yourself
Don’t shut down on work, develop a routine where your activities are clearly spelled out. Work with this plan. In no time, you’d conquer anxiety.
Feed fine
Good food can do you a whole lot of good for you at this point. You may not have an appetite to eat and your buds might taste bad, nevertheless, you still have to eat to avoid being underweight.
Stay in touch
Don’t shut people out of your life. Stay in touch with those that matter. Socializing can improve your mood, have someone you talk to when you feel low.
Get help
Don’t fix the problem on your own. Visit a therapist, seek counsel. Don’t just go ahead to use anti-depressant drugs, get a therapist to recommend one for you as self-medication can kill.
