Anxiety can be a touchy subject for a lot of people. There is a stigma around it as if it’s a bad thing to be anxious or nervous about something. Everyone deals with it and it manifests in many different ways that can be very debilitating. Dealing with some anxiety myself, I see a mental health counselor on a weekly basis, and below is a list of ways I lower/deal with my anxiety. 

## Starting off the day right

One of the best ways of dealing with anxiety is to get ahead of it before it shows up. Anxiety tends to compound for me. If I’m stuck dealing with an episode of anxiety during a high-pressure situation, it means I’m going to have even more anxiety trying to deal with it which in turn, makes it harder to deal with. It’s a great thing my mind does to itself 😅. I use three main things to help reduce anxiety before it manifests: Daily Meditation, Words of Affirmation, and Radical Acceptance.

### Daily Meditation

Being ahead of anxiety means it’s going to take less time to deal with it during an episode of anxiety. One way I get ahead of it is through Daily Meditation. I take around 20 minutes every morning to sit, listen to calming instrumental music, control my breathing, and empty my mind. If any thoughts come into my mind, I acknowledge them and then dismiss them. You can write them down if you feel they are important. It calms me down and allows me to focus on the important things to start off my day.

According to the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, meditation has been linked to: 

- A decrease in heart rate
- A decrease in blood pressure
- A decrease in oxygen consumption
- A decrease in metabolic rate
- A decrease in the concentration of lactic acid in the blood (associated with anxiety reduction)
- An increase in forearm blood flow and hand temperature
- An increase in electrical resistance of the skin (associated with deep relaxation)
- An increase in alpha brain wave activity (also associated with relaxation)

### Words of Affirmation

The other way to get ahead of anxiety is through Words of Affirmation or just non-negative self-talk. Words have power, especially when said out loud. Every morning, when I sit down at my computer to work, I say nice things about myself. It definitely felt weird at first, but after a while, I start to believe those things. 

An example of non-negative self-talk I use every morning: 

*I’m going to have a good day today.*

*If I encounter a problem, I can solve it.*

*If I can’t solve the particular problem, I’ll just ask for help.* 

*One way or another, I’m going to have a good day!*

It honestly helps me to have a good day and when I can encounter a roadblock, I can deal with the roadblock, one way or another.

### Radical Acceptance

The last way I prepare for anxiety ahead of time is through Radical Acceptance. 

*“Radical acceptance means accepting things for the way they are in the present.”* - [uwmedicine.org](https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/mind/mental-health/radical-acceptance) 

It doesn’t mean that if you are in a bad situation just accept it and not do anything about it. It means understanding that bad things happen to everyone, accepting that bad things happen, and having the ability to continue moving forward with your life. A saying I like to stick to is “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” 

If you’re doing meditation and words of affirmation already, then you should be prepared to come at these situations with a clear and logical mind. Think about what, truly, the worst situation is and how you would deal with it. 

## Anxiety in the moment

Now, getting ahead of anxiety drastically helps but doesn’t eliminate it. There are a few tools that I use to help deal with anxiety in the moment when I don’t have time to spend 20 minutes of meditation or work my way through radical acceptance. I use Backward Counting, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Deep Breaths, and Setting Boundaries. 

### Backward Counting

To be more specific, counting backward by sevens. You might be thinking, “How would counting backward help with my anxiety?” Anxiety is an emotional response centered in the limbic system of your mind. Counting backward gets you out of the limbic system and puts you into your prefrontal cortex which “*intelligently regulates our thoughts, actions and emotions*” - [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907136/#:~:text=The%20prefrontal%20cortex%20(PFC)%20intelligently,brain%20regions%20(BOX%201)). It helps you to think logically instead of emotionally. 

### Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Deep Breaths

These two go hand in hand. Both are good techniques for relaxing your body when dealing with anxiety. I feel anxiety in my shoulders more than anywhere else. Deep breaths help to relax the tension that I feel in my shoulders. Try it yourself. Take a very big deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and slowly release it. I literally feel the tension leaving my shoulders

I use progressive muscle relaxation when I’m dealing with anxiety when trying to sleep. Progressive muscle relaxation is tensing up different parts of my body and then relaxing them, starting from my toes and then working my way up to my forehead or the other direction. When I lay down at night, I tend to go over my day and I can focus on negative things and then get in a loop of self-pity.  This technique helps me to focus on relaxing my body instead of whatever happened throughout the day. I recommend following along with a YouTube video that will walk you through it. 

### Setting Boundaries

It’s very easy for me to be drawn to negative things, especially when browsing social media. There is a lot happening in the world and there always will be. Pinpointing things that induce my anxiety, helps me to prevent it. I don’t use Facebook, except for Messenger, and I only use Twitter for work. You’ll see that I don’t follow thousands of Twitter accounts, and those that I do follow, are mostly developers, writers, and streamers. Most of these accounts post either informative or fairly positive content. I also have a list of words blocked so I can avoid content that I don’t want to see. 

Now there are times when things fall through the cracks or major events that happen I should spend some attention to that aren’t necessarily positive things. It’s important to know the major things that are happening around me and not completely live inside a bubble. Setting time limits or setting time aside in my day are the main things that help me to regulate viewing this type of content. It’s all about setting boundaries for myself so that I have the best chance to succeed. 

### Conclusion

Anxiety happens to everyone, it’s impossible to avoid it, and it’s a completely normal response to extreme situations. **YOU** are an amazing person and your feelings are valid. It’s important to tell yourself that. Bad things happen. It’s important to keep your head up and keep on moving. Lean on your support systems. This too shall pass. Have a wonderful day. 

### Resources:

[The Limbic System](https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/limbic-system)

[The Prefrontal Cortex](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907136/#:~:text=The%20prefrontal%20cortex%20(PFC)%20intelligently,brain%20regions%20(BOX%201))

[The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook (PDF)](https://www.academia.edu/36879275/The_Anxiety_and_Phobia_Workbook_5th_Edition)

[Radical Acceptance](https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/mind/mental-health/radical-acceptance)

A list of actions I take to help lower my anxiety

Dealing with Anxiety

As someone passionate about web development, I find it essential to understand what it's like to work in this field. While between jobs, I had the opportunity to speak with several people in the web development industry, including developens about their workdays, what they found most challenging and enjoyable, the number of hours they worked, and whether there was a season that was toughest n their job. Additionally, we talked about the state of the industry, the effects of mass layoffs on the industry, and the future of web development.


## What Is Their Work Like? 
One of the most enlightening parts of my conversations with these web developers was learning about their typical workdays. The freelance trainer, for example, spends his days training developers, building functional prototypes for startups, and coding most of the time. For him, the biggest challenge is wearing many hats, including business development, but he enjoys the freedom and control that comes with freelancing.

One Developer Advocate spends his time doing daily standups to get feedback and ask questions, breaking down work, and working on implementing tasks and conducting code reviews. The other I caught in the middle of working on launching some new integrations. He has a lot of autonomy to work on his tasks, which include reviewing copies, docs, and blog posts, documenting confusing subjects, making outlines, and recording/reviewing videos.

The web developer I spoke with mentioned that he has a lot of tasks, from strategizing projects to writing tests, and that there is always variety in his work. He goes through all of his notifications a couple of times a day and works on PRs and merges.


All of these developers work about 30-45 hours per week, with varying levels of difficulty throughout the year. The freelancer struggles around the holidays as companies tend to focus on saving money and spending time with their families. Developer Advocates can see the Spring or Summer since kids are out of school, life gets in the way, and there are a lot of conferences to go to. It varies for the Web Developer as their main focus is on products. Whenever a new product is getting released, it's usually a push for the deadline.


## Opinion on the State of the Industry
When it comes to the state of the industry, the developers had different opinions. The Web Dev said the biggest change he has seen is the rise of ChatGPT, which he uses for rubber ducking and pair programming. Meanwhile, a developer advocate said there are still many traditional methods in use, such as Next.js, PHP, and WordPress being very popular.

I also got to see how they were each affected by the recent mass layoffs in the industry. The freelancer and one of the Developer Advocates felt that the recent mass layoffs are worrying, and the focus on money over fun could hurt society. Things felt more driven by fear. On the other hand, the other Developer Advocate sees it as an opportunity for smaller companies to rise up, and the result of quick growth throughout COVID was a direct cause of the mass layoffs. All of them agree that networking is essential during times like these.

Regarding the future of web development, the topic of AI came up, and they all agreed that it will have a significant impact on the industry. However, AI won't replace jobs but instead create/supplement different ones, such as delivering results faster or creating Twitter threads. One did raise concerns about AI making it more difficult to get into the development industry.

When asked the question about why they think people leave the Web Dev field, I got two main answers, the people and the work. The people can be super judgmental if you're not in the "boys club." People can seem really underhanded and only look out only for themselves, regardless of how it affects others. The work can be very demanding and time-consuming. There is a lot more out in the world than just work. People want to live their lives and being stuck in an office all day can be very taxing.

## Approaches to Job Searching and Hiring
When it comes to finding jobs throughout the years, they had different approaches. Early on in their careers, they spammed various job boards and emails, prioritizing quantity over quality as the main way. But as they gained experience under their belt, they were able to be more selective. With more experience and connections, they were able to reach out for referrals, and people came to them with job opportunities through mediums like Twitter.

When considering new hires, they value basic fundamental skills, such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. They also look for a willingness to learn, motivation, and the ability to find ways to stand out, such as having a strong Github profile or demo sites. Additionally, they prioritize candidates who stay on top of industry developments and trends. They also seek candidates who demonstrate a desire to learn, show humility, take ownership of their mistakes and treat them as learning opportunities, have an eagerness to build but are not overbearing about it, are good team players, collaborate well, are open to feedback, and have strong communication skills. They also value candidates who are flexible and take ownership of their own responsibilities.

## Conclusion
All in all, speaking with these web developers provided me with a wealth of information about the industry. I learned that web development is a diverse field with many different roles, from freelancing to working for companies. The recent changes to the industry have brought both excitement and worry, but there is always the promise of new technology and job opportunities.


### Credits
I would like to express my gratitude to [Joe Previte](https://twitter.com/jsjoeio), [Colby Fayock](https://twitter.com/colbyfayock), [Kevin Cunningham](https://twitter.com/dolearning), and [Will Johnson](https://twitter.com/willjohnsonio) for taking the time out of their day to participate in these interviews with me. It was an eye-opening experience, and I am certain it will be a valuable asset for me moving forward.

A summary of notes from interviewing well established developers

Informational Interview with Web Developers

How to create a discord bot from scratch.

Create a Book Club Bot using Discord.js v14

Highlights from Sam Julien's book Getting Started in Develop Relations

All Posts

Dealing with Anxiety
Apr 21 2023
A list of actions I take to help lower my anxiety

Informational Interview with Web Developers
Apr 13 2023
A summary of notes from interviewing well established developers

Create a Book Club Bot using Discord.js v14
Mar 22 2023
How to create a discord bot from scratch.

Getting Started in Develop Relations Notes
Jan 21 2023
Highlights from Sam Julien's book Getting Started in Develop Relations

All Posts

Dealing with AnxietyApr 21 2023A list of actions I take to help lower my anxiety

Informational Interview with Web DevelopersApr 13 2023A summary of notes from interviewing well established developers

Create a Book Club Bot using Discord.js v14Mar 22 2023How to create a discord bot from scratch.

Getting Started in Develop Relations NotesJan 21 2023Highlights from Sam Julien's book Getting Started in Develop Relations

Dealing with Anxiety
Apr 21 2023
A list of actions I take to help lower my anxiety

Informational Interview with Web Developers
Apr 13 2023
A summary of notes from interviewing well established developers

Create a Book Club Bot using Discord.js v14
Mar 22 2023
How to create a discord bot from scratch.

Getting Started in Develop Relations Notes
Jan 21 2023
Highlights from Sam Julien's book Getting Started in Develop Relations