The Ultimate Anxiety Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About The Guide 3

About Anxious Like You 4

About Micheline + Nadia 5

What Is Anxiety 7

10 Tips For Managing 11

Anxiety

5 Exercises For Anxiety 22

Thank You 28
Welcome to the Ultimate Anxiety Guide! If you have
anxiety, good news! You’re in the right place. As two
licensed mental health professionals, Micheline and
Nadia wanted to provide you with tried-and-true ways of
managing your mental health. That way, you can take the
tools of this document and learn to face your anxiety with
confidence!

In this guide, they’re breaking down what anxiety

is, giving you 10 tips to manage it, and providing 5
exercises to help you get through your hardest moments.
You’re going to walk away feeling like a mental health
professional, yourself! Well, maybe not. But you’re going
to love what’s inside!

Disclaimer
Anxious Like You is pleased to provide you with this document for your
personal education and informational purposes. Nothing found in this
document is intended to substitute for professional psychological,
psychiatric, or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You are
encouraged to confirm any information obtained through this document
with other sources and review all information regarding any medical
condition or treatment with your physician. Never disregard professional
medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something
you have read or accessed through this document. Anxious Like You and
DiveThru are not responsible or liable for any advice, course of treatment,
diagnosis, or any other information, services, or products that you obtain
through this document.

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As human beings and therapists, our podcast hosts,
Nadia Addesi and Micheline Maalouf, understand
how anxiety can consume someone’s whole world. On
Anxious Like You, our hosts pull from their expertise
and personal experience to interview guests about their
experiences with anxiety. Each episode is structured to
remind you and anyone battling anxiety that you’re not
alone. Plus, Nadia and Micheline make sure that our
listeners are not left hanging! They give you actionable
takeaways each time so that you can face your anxiety
with confidence.

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Micheline Maalouf
Micheline Maalouf is a Licensed
Mental Health Counselor from
Orlando, Florida. She’s the owner of
Serein Counseling and specializes in
the treatment of Complex PTSD and
anxiety. She’s also a mental health
social media influencer, advocate, and
speaker.

Micheline is a third culture kid

who loves traveling, learning new
languages, and trying the diverse
cuisines of the world! She speaks 4.25
languages including Arabic, Spanish,
Italian, and some Portuguese. In
Micheline’s free time, you’ll find her
learning about trauma, making TikTok
videos, hanging out with her family,
and playing with her awesome Cocker
Spaniel, Norman!

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Nadia Addesi
Nadia Addesi is the founder of
Evolve and Bloom, a boutique
wellness centre to help transform
people’s lives through a number of
different modalities.

Nadia is a registered social

worker and psychotherapist who
works with clients in a supportive,
compassionate, and nurturing
way. She helps them identify their
strengths and increase their self-love
by defining goals through a process
of active listening, deep empathy,
non-judgment, and acceptance.

Nadia is extremely passionate

about helping her clients recognize,
understand, and manage their
emotions. Whether you’re feeling
depressed, anxious, or stressed
about life’s changes, overwhelmed
with the many demands that have
been placed on you, or simply just
need someone to talk to, Nadia is
here to listen and help!

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If you're reading this, you probably have a bit
of an idea what anxiety is and what it feels
like. But we’re going to give you the rundown
on this bothersome mental health struggle
just in case! We all gotta be on the same
page, right?

Anxiety is our body’s natural response to

stress. It developed as humans evolved in
order to keep us safe and find solutions to
possible threats. We all experience anxiety
and it’s necessary for survival; however, we
can sometimes get stuck in a stress response
and experience elevated amounts of anxiety
for long periods of time. If this happens
consistently, is intense enough, and impacts
our day to day functioning, it may have
become an anxiety disorder.

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Mental (Cognitive) Symptoms

Anxiety is unfortunately one mental health struggle that

feels extremelyyy physical, but it stems from the brain
and it’s response to a trigger or stressor. Here are just
some of the mental or cognitive symptoms of anxiety:

• Excessive worrying that is difficult or impossible to

control or reduce.

• The feeling like there is always something to worry

about or fear in many or all aspects of your life.

• You may have racing thoughts about things that

can feel overwhelming and you may even suffer
with unwanted intrusive thoughts that can be scary,
shameful, and difficult to let go of.

There are various types of anxiety disorders such as

generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and obsessive
compulsive disorder – all of which may have different
types of intrusive or overthinking thoughts that are
usually accompanied by compulsions or avoidance.

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Physical Symptoms
Even though anxiety comes from the
mind, it isn’t all in your head! It’s actually
very physical. This is because when we
experience anxiety, our body is gearing
us up for the fight or flight response. Our
brain signals that there’s a threat and our
body responds by trying to protect us. This
is really sweet of our brain, but when this
protection results in a panic attack, we
don’t love it so much!
Some of the most common symptoms of a panic
attack include:
• Racing heart
• Hyperventilation
• Shaking
• Dizziness
When we have anxiety, the hormones
cortisol and adrenaline are released into
our body. Because of this we feel shaky,
dizzy, restless, and agitated. These are all
adaptive responses that make it possible
for us to take on or run away from our
threat. When these symptoms get severe
enough, they turn into what we call a panic
attack which can be pretty dang scary!
• Nausea/vomiting
• Body chills or sweats
• Body numbness
• Feeling like you are
about to faint and even
fainting
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Physical Symptoms

People can experience a panic attack for any number of

reasons and everyone responds differently to different
stimuli. For example, we might experience a passing
thought, or smell something that reminds us of a traumatic
experience that can trigger us into having an unexpected
anxiety response. All of a sudden, boom! A panic attack
shows up right out of the blue.

When our body gets stuck in that anxiety

response for a long period of time, we may
experience persistent and chronic symptoms
such as:
• Stomach pains • Dizziness

• Headaches • Agitation

• Neck, shoulder, & jaw pain • Fatigue

But the good news is that panic attacks don’t last forever!
We can learn to face them head on and power through
them with certain tools. That’s why we’re here to help! ;)

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GOOD NEWS!

Anxiety is completely manageable. Trying to

learn about it and cope with it can feel a bit
scary and daunting at first, but don’t worry.
We’ve got you covered! We’ve written down
some of our favourite tips to help you take
control of your anxiety and take your first
step towards coping with it in a healthy way:

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1.
Develop a healthy sleeping schedule:
Sleep hygiene is very important to help your body regulate
hormones, allow you to process information during the day,
and reduce overall stress levels. A good sleep schedule can
include anywhere from 6-8 hours of sleep depending on
your own rhythm and needs. To help you fall asleep faster,
try to turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bed,
light some candles, and go to bed at the same time each
day to get your body to find it’s rhythm and to condition
your brain to get sleepy at the same time every night.

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2.
Well balanced meals:
Nutrition is important for
healthy functioning of our
body and mind. When we
don’t eat well or skip meals
we could be signaling to
our body that something
is off, this can seem like
a perceived threat to our
nervous system and end up
setting off our anxiety. Make
sure you’re feeding your body
nutritious and wholesome
foods. Don’t avoid food
groups as they are all
important and provide
important nutritional value!
And make sure you allow
yourself to indulge in foods
you love! It can be helpful
to stay on track by creating
a meal plan ahead of time
and preparing your food
the night before in order to
always have a meal ready
to go.
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3.
Move your body:
All movement is good
movement! It doesn’t have
to be an intense workout or
a hot yoga class. It can be
move. Workouts are great
of course, so if you are
someone who enjoys a
run or weight lifting make
a light walk with your pet, sure you schedule time for
a dance to your favorite it! But if tai chi or swaying
song, getting up and walking back and forth sounds
around for a few minutes better that's okay too!
throughout the day while Don’t limit yourself when it
working, or anything else comes to movement!
that you can do to ensure
that you’re letting your body
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4.
Limit caffeine:
Sorry coffee lovers! Caffeine is actually a
stimulant and it increases your heart rate
and makes you shaky! Definitelyyyy have
your beloved cup of coffee or tea but if
you are someone who drinks caffeinated
drinks through the day, try switching to
decaf for the afternoon drinks, drink more
water, or naturally decaffeinated drinks
such as herbal teas.

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5.
Spend time in nature:
Nature can truly help us ground
ourselves and feel more present with our
body. Sitting under a tree, hiking, going
to the beach, or just laying on the grass
can be so comforting and it’s really great
way to regulate your nervous system and
reduce overall levels of anxiety.

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6.
Take breaks through the day:
Many of us with anxiety tend to overlook and
be on the perfectionist side because we want
to do well at school or our jobs. Often we
catch ourselves working through lunch and not
moving for hours at a time. Make it a point to
yourself to take a break each hour. Yep! Each
hour! Get up, stretch, look out the window, get
a drink of water, and then come back. It doesn’t
have to be a long break – even just 5 minutes is
enough! Set a timer and try it out!

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7.
Journaling:
Journaling is such a good way to process
emotions. It’s a safe and private space
where we don’t have to worry about
grammar or spelling or even making
sense. Allowing yourself to write down
your thoughts and feelings can give you
an immediate release and help you dive
through your anxiety faster.

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8.
Feel your feelings & allow space for emotions:
One thing that makes anxiety worse if suppressing your
own feelings. Saying things like “I shouldn’t feel this way,”
“I’m overreacting,” or “I should only think positive thoughts,”
isn’t actually that helpful in the long run. There’s no such
thing as a negative emotion! All emotions serve a purpose
and need your attention. The negative and uncomfortable
ones won’t last forever, so allow them to come in, notice
them, feel them, and then go out your day even if they are
still present.

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9.
Engage socially:
We are social beings that thrive on connections!
Friends and family can help us naturally feel safer
and less anxious, be a great distraction, and help us
process thoughts and feelings. You don’t even have
to tell them what you’re experiencing if you don’t want
to. Just you’re helping manage your anxiety simply by
being around the people you love.

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10.
Pick up hobbies:
Try out new activities like learning how to
play the ukulele, painting, knitting, or singing.
Anything that you can do to help your life feel
a little more fulfilled and give your something
fun to “worry” about is helpful. You don’t need
to be perfect at anything, do it for you and for
the pure enjoyment of it!

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Our brains are incredible and complex things.
But sometimes they need to be given direction
and structure to help us get through our
most anxious moments. That’s where these
exercises come in. Yes, exercises! But don’t
worry, these are super easy to do even in your
most anxious moments.

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1.
5-4-3-2-1 Technique
When we experience anxiety, it can be really difficult to stay in the
moment. Our anxious thoughts run around and around in our minds,
making us feel like we’ve lost control of our brain! But the good news is
that there’s a way to ground yourself when this starts to happen. The 5-4-3-
2-1 technique is an effective tool to help ground ourselves and take control
of the present moment. When you’re feeling anxious (or experiencing a
panic attack) try this:

Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you.

Example: Mug, pencil, cellphone

Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around

you.
Example: Material of clothing, feet on the ground, skin

Acknowledge THREE things you hear.

Example: Cars, fan, computer

Acknowledge TWO things you can smell.

Example: Candle, coffee, flowers

Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.

Example: Gum, coffee, candy

It can take a bit of practice and time for this technique to become a
“second nature” kind of response, but we know that you’ll get the hang of
it super quickly!

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2. Thought Record (CBT)
Challenging anxious thoughts is a skill taught and used in Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The purpose of challenging our thoughts
is to allow us to acknowledge that they exist and work on changing
them. But how do we do that? Introducing the thought record! This
thought record should be used after an anxiety-provoking experience
takes place, and should be used multiple times a week (if that applies
to your situation). The thought record will help you develop more
realistic and helpful automatic thoughts which in turn will decrease
your anxiety and change your behaviour.

Situation that How anxious are Facts that Facts that go Alternative/
caused you feeling support this against this more realistic
anxiety (0-100%) thought thought thought

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3.
Cognitive Defusion (ACT)
Cognitive defusion
is a technique used
in Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy (ACT)
that allows us to distance
ourselves from our anxious
thoughts. It gives us the
ability to see our thoughts
as just thoughts rather than
facts.
An exercise used for
cognitive defusion is a
visual technique for anxious
thoughts. The idea is to say
to yourself “I notice I am
having the thought that...”
By placing those words in
front of the thought you are
having, it gives you the ability
to realize that it is not an
ultimate truth or fact. Isn’t it
rude when our brains lie to
us? Ugh!
The next step is to envision
the thought written on a
cloud, slowlyyyy passing by.
Once the cloud is out of our
sight, it’s also out of mind.
Poof! The purpose is to
observe the thought for what
it is and choose to let it go.
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4.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
You might want to get
nice and cozy for this
tip! Progressive Muscle
Relaxation is an evidenced
based technique that’s
used to reduce stress held
both in the mind and body.
It is a form of mindfulness
which focuses on tensing
and relaxing each muscle
in your body while bringing
awareness to the physical
sensations you experience.
Not only does this exercise
help you relax, but it also
helps you understand
where and how stress and
tension is held in your body
when you’re experiencing
anxiety. With practice this
will help you learn about
the signals your body is
trying to tell you in times of
stress or anxiety.
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5.
Ice for Panic Attacks

If you find it challenging to calm down

a panic attack, ice might be the way to
do it! Holding ice in our hands can help
calm down our nervous system during a
panic attack. Ya, we know it sounds a bit
strange, but trust us! It really works!

The next time you’re experiencing a panic

attack (and have ice easily accessible) try
holding it as tight as you can in your hand
until it becomes intolerable, then switch
hands and repeat as needed. While the ice
will immediately distract you, take some
time to draw attention to the sensations
you are experiencing as a way to ground
yourself in the present moment.

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We hope that this helps
you manage and cope with
your anxiety the next time it
stubbornly pops back up in your
mind. We know how hard it is to
try and manage anxiety all on
your own, so we’re glad that we
can be here to help you navigate
the stormy weather!

We’re so excited to have you

join us here at Anxious Like You
and we can’t wait to begin this
amazing journey together. See
you soon!