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In 2011-2012 I woke up nearly every morning before work with a panic attack or severe anxiety for several months at a time. A combination of therapy, quitting my job, and exercise helped me a ton. Therapy: The focus was on techniques from cognitive behavior therapy. Job: Don't do this if it doesn't make sense for you. I crunched the numbers and found I could last 2 years on my savings without much struggle (I was young, single, and debt free, this was not as much as it sounds as my apartment was cheap). I got another job immediately, though. Exercise: I found that being healthier reduced my general anxiety and depression symptoms right off the bat. But running, for me, is also incredibly relaxing as it is "mindless". 30-60 minutes of "move a leg, move a leg, breathe, move a leg, move a leg, breathe". Whatever anxiety I left work with disappears after a run. I've maintained a pretty consistent (except for last year, and a couple periods with injuries) exercise routine since discovering this. For me, creating that clean break at the end of the workday did wonders for my general anxiety but also for my sleep (and poor sleep itself exacerbates anxiety and depression). I was going to bed thinking about technical problems or other work issues (frustrations with project directions, with poor management decisions, etc.), and consequently slept poorly. Letting go of work with my after work runs meant my evenings were mine again, and my sleep significantly improved. Being fitter also improves sleep, at least for me. I kind of let myself go last year, but started exercising again in December. I have been falling asleep faster and sleeping more soundly than any time in 2020. |