What do you do to make yourself feel better when you suffer from anxiety?

[IamJeff]

I have a long history of anxiety which has led to eating disorders and self harm, cutting, scratching etc.

I know we are never ever fully recovered, we only manage to control ourselves. However, as I approach my 40s I have noticed the things info to deal with every day difficult feelings and stress.

We all feel stress. I often grit my teeth and grind them, I nip myself and scratch, not realising I am doing it. I exercise compulsively. I scrub myself in the shower very hard. Then I massage body lotions in very roughly. I mentally berate myself. I crack open the wine.

I was just thinking, is this ok? Is this normal? Because I know full well that every single person has difficult feelings and ways of coping with these feelings. Everyone has stress, everyone has horrible, negative thoughts attacking their lives.

Are there better ways to cope?