Sharing my tips of overcoming anxieties for makers

Recently, a few friends have told me that they are experiencing anxiety and panic attacks at times. And I've been there before. Making products is hard, especially when you're trying to sell and live off of them. I think sharing it here (where all of us makers are) felt more appropriate than creating a twitter thread that gets lost among a sea of other subjects.

Below are my go to tips on how I try to stay healthy and lessen the chance of having anxieties.

Eat healthy:
Get rid of all processed food in your fridge, including snacks. Eat as natural as possible, with less or NO additives.

Simple breathing techniques:
Focus on your breath, don't try to control it, just notice how your body is doing it — this helps your mind center itself and focus less on stress and "thoughts".

Workout:
Running is great, but weight lifting is better. It helps your body be always in motion and ready to fight any physical/psychological hardships. 3x per week at 30-60 minutes each, does wonders. Monday (Legs, Back), Wednesday (Biceps, Triceps), Friday (Chest, Shoulders) & try to walk as much as you can everyday.

Yoga + Meditation:
I haven't done these in a while, but both these have a tremendous effect in centering yourself. I would add weekly massages to the mix, if you can afford them, since they do tend to be on the expensive side.

Surround yourself with positivity:
Watch comedies and less tragic drama. Don't watch the news! Hang out with friends who talk about things other than coding/design/making.

Distract yourself:
This is my go to technique. Whenever I feel like anxiety is about to peek its dirty head, I purposefully distract myself — direct my focus in something that doesn't have to do with me. Something new — a movie genre I never usually watch, a new music video, help a friend with something they need. Something, that helps me NOT think about myself.

Take care of your appearance:
This goes without saying, but simple things like shower has a tremendous effect in my well being. Also, having a hair cut, keeping a clean skin, visiting your dentist, gives me the confidence to be presentable when living in the outside world : )

Getting away:
Mountains, among trees are the best — where you are away from city noises and pollution. Hearing the birds, leaves in the wind, will bring you back to the core of yourself.

Worrying less:
This is hard to do, but I will explain — I am a big believer in luck — in a sense that no matter how hard we work, you still need that magic sprinkle from the above to make something work. Or, putting it in more concrete terms: A ton of things have to align in order for us to succeed. Meaning that, not everything is under our control. All we can do is do our part, show up everyday, and let the pieces fall into place. It's detrimental to our being thinking that we control the outcome of things. We don't! Knowing this has helped me deal better with failure, and be more grateful for my successes, as I know that credit is not all mine when succeeding and not my fault when failing (given that I have done my part of doing the work, showing up, believing, keeping a positive attitude).

Also, know that not all anxieties are psychological. Sometimes our bodies go through changes and fix them themselves. During these times, our hormones may change and give us sensations that may be new. Try to be in peace with what your body is doing because it knows how to heal itself.

That's all. Hope this helps you in anyway. If you want me to elaborate on anything specific, let me know. I'm no psychologist. I'm simply a designer/developer with a few experiences along the way.

#fyi