Living with tardive dyskinesia can be tough, especially during stressful times. Bethany Chalmers shares her strategies for managing stress and anxiety, which can make her symptoms feel worse in public. Her tips include exercise and curated "mood music playlists," and they help Bethany manage each day with more confidence and composure.

Living well with tardive dyskinesia definitely requires some tools and strategies, especially during stressful times. Stress can increase my anxiety, and when I'm feeling anxious, my TD symptoms become more noticeable (to me, at least).

There seems to be a link between stress and my TD symptoms

One of my biggest anxiety triggers, for example, is visiting a crowded store for work. When on a personal errand, I’ll duck out of places when they get too busy. But when it’s for work, I have little choice but to rely on my anxiety-managing tools.

When I'm stressed and in a public place, I'm not sure if my TD symptoms actually get worse or if I become more hyperaware of each and every twitch.

Either way, I have a few go-to strategies to help me manage my mood and muscle movements in those situations.

4 ways I manage stress and anxiety when my TD feels more pronounced

I typically rely on exercising, deep breathing, listening to calming music, and practicing meditation. These activities help reduce the impact of my involuntary muscle movements on my daily life.

Interestingly, these same strategies also help when I am feeling particularly anxious. I hope one or more of these ideas help you manage your tardive dyskinesia.

1. Exercise has a dual benefit for my body and mind

The benefits of exercise can help me in the short and long term. That is, I experience relief both at the time I am exercising and over time as a result of exercising regularly. My feet don't twitch, and my hands don't shake while I am working out.

I usually walk on a treadmill. However, you may get the same benefits from weightlifting, running, or taking a fitness dance class - it all depends on your personal preferences and capabilities. As always, check with a medical professional before starting any exercise program.

If you are nervous about exercise because you've never done it before or you're wary of dancing in front of a bunch of people, start small. Walk around the block. Park further from the store to get a few extra steps. Try an exercise video at home. Every little bit helps.

2. Breathing techniques can calm me in a pinch

Deep breathing helps me get stress and anxiety under control in the moment. I've also noticed that when my mind is calmer, my TD symptoms, such as facial movements and twitching feet, seem to calm down as well.

My go-to technique is called box breathing. I discovered this technique as part of some gentle meditations my husband had in an app on his phone. You breathe in slowly, hold, breathe out slowly, and hold. Repeat until you feel calmer. You can close your eyes if it is appropriate, but you don't have to.

3. Music – I found a soundtrack to suit every mood

Listening to calming music is pretty self-explanatory. I don't specify the type of music here because it varies from person to person and situation to situation. I know sometimes I need soaring instrumentals and sometimes I need heavy metal!

My go-tos in the soaring instrumentals department are 2Cellos and Lindsay Stirling. However, I sometimes need heavy metal to connect with the more intense emotions I am feeling at the time, such as anger or frustration.

4. Meditation is my gentle way to reset

Regular meditation has a similar effect on me as regular exercise and deep breathing. I often can't remember to do it in the moment when I'm feeling particularly anxious.

Still, when I do remember, it reduces my stress, and my tardive dyskinesia symptoms seem to settle (or I become less hyper-aware of them, anyway).

I use an app in the evening when I’m reading eBooks on my phone, usually with rain or thunderstorms just playing in the background. I don't attend any group meditation classes yet, but I may try one in the future.

Remember: trial and error are part of everyone’s journey

Please don't think you need to use all these tools at once. And don’t be concerned if the first one you try doesn't work for you! You may want to listen to different types of music depending on how you feel in the moment. Or a daily morning walk might work better for you than a high-intensity dance class in the evening.

I invested in a small set of earbuds that I can easily pull out during stressful moments, and they fit perfectly in my purse. I've also taken the time to curate several playlists to suit my needs for various scenarios or moods. It's much more convenient to select a playlist like "Inspire Me" or "I'm Angry" on my phone than to spend ages fiddling with the shuffle button.

Yes, there's a lot of trial and error, but the time invested is for a very important cause: your well-being. Keep trying until you find something that works for you.

The information presented is solely for educational purposes, not as specific advice for the evaluation, management, or treatment of any condition.

The individual(s) who have written and created the content and whose images appear in this article have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions. This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect those of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Similarly, Teva Pharmaceuticals does not review, control, influence, or endorse any content related to the contributor's websites or social media networks. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice or recommendations. Consult a qualified medical professional for diagnosis and before beginning or changing any treatment regimen.

NPS-ALL-NP-01636 OCTOBER 2025