Anxiety is a part of everyday life for many people and it doesn’t always feel like something that can be fixed.
According to ADAA, over 40 million adults face anxiety disorders every year. One thing that we don’t talk about enough is how to take care of ourselves when dealing with anxiety. This topic is not always a comfortable subject to discuss, but it is crucial to acknowledge it in order to feel better. Even if you cannot eliminate these feelings entirely, there are ways in which you can alleviate their intensity and deal with it more easily each day. Here are some ways to alleviate anxiety in your day to day life.
- Meditation
Research shows that practicing mindfulness can help reduce anxiety. Reaching a state of mindfulness takes time, but the benefits are worth it. Practicing meditation can help lower anxiety and relax your mind. Whether it’s guided, or you are skilled at this practice, it helps you take a minute to pause and be present with your thoughts and feelings. Deep breathing will help you slow down your heart rate and get you feeling relaxed. If you’re a beginner, we highly recommend checking out meditations by Headspace. Taking the time to better yourself, work on your mind, and strengthen your confidence will truly position you in a place that can ultimately fix some if not most of your worries.
Adding a positive mantra like “I am enough” or “I am loved” can also help in bringing yourself into a calmer state during moments when you feel unbalanced.- Exercise
Getting your body moving is one of the most effective things you can do to alleviate stress, and not to mention, it’s a great complementary intervention to therapy and medication. Whether it’s a 10 minute walk or 45 minutes of weight lifting (or anything in between), exercise provides relief, can improve your mood, and steers you away from what is causing you anxiety. Getting up and being active is crucial for your well being. Studies have proven that regular exercise can drastically improve your mental health. By integrating it into your daily routine, you are guaranteed to feel a lot better each day and get yourself back on track.
- Healthy diet
Having a healthy diet is key to alleviating stress! Have you ever noticed how eating too many sweets causes your energy levels to plummet? It, no doubt, leads to ups and downs in our mood. This is what we want to avoid. Cutting back on processed foods will help in making you feel better. Consider adding whole foods into your diet that contain less sugar and more fiber.
Hydrate, avoid alcohol and fuel your body with nutritious foods! - Reduce caffeine intake
Many of us rely on caffeine for a quick pick-me-up, but too much will definitely not help with controlling your anxiety. However, reducing caffeine intake can help alleviate it! Consuming high doses of caffeine are known to increase anxiety related symptoms, such as restlessness, nervousness or increased heart rate. You might also find it difficult to relax or sleep at night. By monitoring the amount of caffeine that you consume each day, you are likely to feel less anxious and have more structure in your day.
- Get enough sleep
Sleep is the time when you recharge and restore your body, and getting enough of it will help with managing anxiety. When you get a good night’s sleep, your stress levels decrease and you’re more likely to wake up refreshed with a clear mind. Feeling well rested is important in order to confidently take on your day and the challenges that come with it. If you’re someone who struggles with falling asleep at night, consider doing these things:
- Avoid using your smartphone while laying in bed
- Read and light candles or use warm lights to unwind
- Set your room to a comfortable temperature
- Avoid eating or consuming caffeine a few hours before
- Take a hot bath or shower before getting into bed
- Meditate or journal your thoughts down to calm down your brain
- Cold showers
Weirdly enough, taking a cold shower is not only refreshing, but it can also help alleviate anxiety. Studies have shown that cold showers increase our endorphin levels, which help in making us feel good. Doses of this natural reliever and mood lifter will leave you feeling refreshed, clear-headed, alert…and ready to tackle the day ahead! If you find this too difficult, try standing in cold water for the last minute of your shower.
- Less screen time
It’s important to unplug and get off your phone more often than you might think. Actively having less screen time will alleviate your anxiety. Studies show that high levels of screen time are not beneficial to our mental health, and over-reliance on your phone can actually worsen anxiety. If you’re scrolling apps for hours and don’t have the motivation to face anything else in your day, it might be time to change your habits. Try using time limits on your phone to ensure that you are not over stimulating your brain with too much screen time.
Stay focused and feed yourself with things that make you feel good and less anxious! - Read or listen to Podcasts
Reading or listening to a podcast is also a way to alleviate anxiety. If you need help relaxing or want an escape from what is stressing you out, these two will do the trick. A lot of people find it very soothing to engage in something other than their thoughts and feelings. Reading or listening to someone speak can do wonders for your brain!
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