I do deep breathing while doing my stretches.
I have "monkey mind" while trying to meditate which is very common, so I use guided meditations and I especially like ones with binural beats.
I LOVE Jason Stephenson Youtube meditations.
However, there are several I listen to and change them up daily.
Youtube has a wealth of awesome videos on overcoming anxiety as well as a host of top of the line meditative videos. Pick ones that suit you.

Also, get outside as much as possible and ground yourself.
I hug trees and talk to my plants (hey......they don't judge me....lol).
When it's summer, take your shoes off and walk in the grass or on a sandy beach.

Eat as much natural/unprocessed food as possible. Drink TONS of water too.
Make sure you eat plenty of foods rich in magnesium, B3 and B6 vitamins, and zinc.
Look up recommended doses on google.
Keep breathing deep throughout the day.
Turn off the news and other social media.

Make a gratitude journal. My thoughts come fast and it is difficult for me to keep up, so I do gratitude rants (I walk through my house while doing chores, getting showered and dressed in the morning, etc. and find things to give thanks and gratitude out loud to the universe for. It puts me in a good mood and sets the tone for the day and before bed.

Look around.......who are you hanging out with on a regular basis? are they positive?
I know it is darn near impossible to eliminate peeps at work or family members......so limit your time with them or leave (the room) when they get negative.
I only have a few peeps left in my life. I had to cut the rest out in order to save my sanity and heal myself.

Before bed, set the tone. Review the good things that happened or you did that day.
Use lavender oil and rub some on the bottom of your feet and over your heart. Take a deep breath of the lavender oil. If you have a nice scented spray, put a tad on your pillow. Bath and Body Works has a Lavender Vanilla bedding spray :)

I hope this gives you something that you can put to good use.
Give yourself positive affirmations all day so that you can reprogram your subconscious (it runs 95% of what you do, say, and believe) to become positive and calm.
Your brain created the anxiety and it can remove it as well. Anxiety is a program that your brain created. If you think about it, you are amazingly made and can overcome anything. Your brain can create new neuro pathways by training it. Repetition is the key. I am proof that it works. Suffered from severe anxiety for 47 years....probably longer, but about 47 years is my earliest remembrance.
Hang in there. You can do this!

Thanks for the help. I do most of that currently, but I will work harder at diving deeper into it all and including the ones that I don't do.

MsBlank1- your story is inspiring and gives hope in overcoming all mental weaknesses. Its also encouraging to know that we can reprogram our brains.
Curious, since you suffered for so long, how long did it take you to free yourself?

My mom and I use two B vitamins, Inositol and Niacinamide although we do add prescription propranolol when the anxiety is really bad. GABA is another supplement you could try although I thought it made me a bit groggy. Just experiment with different amounts and combos to find what works.

Thanks LouiseB

I've been an herbalist for over 40 years, and I too like Chamomile and a bit of lavender. The sleepy time teas are great. Just be careful if you are taking any prescribed medication, don't mix it with St. Johns Wort.

It took about 2 weeks before I noticed a big difference, but took about 3 months to turn it completely around.
Every now and then a symptom pops up, but I smile and ignore the symptom becuz I recognize it as a stress that triggered a response in my body. By recognizing it, I start the deep breathing and ignore the symptom and within a minute or two.....I am fine. It doesn't happen too often any more, becuz I am managing my stress with healthy eating, sleep, no news watching, regular exercise, and making better choices in friends and activities.

That's great! Good for you! A very short time frame, especially when you look at how long you suffered.

Chamomile and Lavendar are some of my faves so that won't be hard to include. :)

Hi Sadie, my naturopath said I was magnesium deficient - she could tell by looking at my tongue - she said when I stick out my tongue it quivers. That is a sign of magnesium deficiency she said. This bothered me because my blood test showed I have plenty of magnesium. I am reading more and more about blood tests not being accurate. Plus do you have candida overgrowth? That will take our magnesium and keep us from absorbing what we do get. I have started using topical magnesium oil All to bypass the intestine and get 100 percent absorption. Also started on sublingual b12 that is easier to absorb, and try avoiding folic acid in any processed food or supplement. Get real folate from dark leafy greens. This and juicing dark leafy greens 2-3 times a day - 1/2 dark leafy greens at least - has made my anxiety disappear.

SEvans- I take a magnesium supplement twice a day. B- complex 2-3 times/day.
I was not aware of folic acid. I will put that on my ever-growing list of things to avoid. :)
Thanks for your input.

I am going to start working with a holistic doc so you may want to also think about that

Definitely agree about working with a holistic doc if you have the insurance or money. Just fyi for you Sadie - I had been taking a 400 mg magnesium supplement - raw calcium garden of life - for 2 years. Even with that apparently I have poor absorption. That is why I have started to use magnesium oil to bypass the intestinal tract that is not absorbing my vitamins well apparently. My husband and I started both latero-flora and Ohhiras probiotics yesterday. I had severe bloating, irritability and diarhea! Then I researched online on how this is a normal reaction when your gut has been screwed up for a long time with candida overgrowth! An MD said this is unfortunate that people do not know this, because they discontinue using a good probiotic thinking it is harming them. If a probiotic is working you should feel the difference. I was using garden of life probiotics for a year and a half, and never got any reaction and obviously did not cure candida overgrowth. Today I am happy to say I feel much better - took the probiotics this morning and did not get that reaction at all -

Definitely recommend a good holistic doctor, if not for the naturopath I would never have known that despite the blood tests showing otherwise - my body is deficient in the ability to absorb B vitamins and magnesium for who knows how long. In fact, my b12 blood test last year was HIGH.

Chamomile tea is my go to, esp with honey and half and half.