We all experience anxiety at some point in our lives, and it’s important to educate ourselves on the different ways that can help us cope with this stressful emotion. Anxiety is a feeling that we can’t easily explain. It’s hard to know when you are just anxious or when it crosses into the territory of panic disorder. Some people might prefer to distract themselves and not think too much about it. A wide variety of techniques can help you reduce your anxiety levels and find your balance again. This article will explore some of the most common techniques!
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Meditation
Meditation not only provides physical health benefits, but it can also act as a way to reduce stress and anxiety. Doctors suggest that you start with short five-minute meditation sessions when you first begin practicing. Meditation is most effective when combined with deep breathing, so try integrating mindful deep breathing into your meditations.
Studies have found that meditation can help reduce anxiety levels by up to 25%, so if you’re someone who is constantly dealing with heightened anxiety, then it might be worth giving a try. Practicing meditation for approximately 20-30 minutes every day to see significant results. Meditation will allow you to gain some distance between your thoughts and how you react to them, which is important because our thoughts often trigger emotions. You might be surprised by how much more relaxed you feel after just a few sessions!
Pets
The unconditional love that animals can provide is nearly impossible to replicate. Spending time with pets increases endorphin levels, lowers cortisol levels (associated with stress), and increases serotonin levels (the happiness hormone). Some people might feel like they don’t have time for a pet or their lifestyle wouldn’t suit one, but there are now more options than ever before. For example, you could volunteer at an animal shelter or care for a friend’s pet. If you feel like your anxiety prevents you from living the life you want free of worry and panic attacks, then having a furry friend bet could be worth trying!
Exercise
We all know that working out can act as a stress reliever, but the benefits of exercise extend well beyond that. Exercise can help improve your sleep patterns, increase your energy levels (and therefore decrease boredom), and help you feel like you’re in control of your body. Many of us crave a sense of control, so this will likely be a positive side effect for most people. If you have been dealing with heightened anxiety lately, try going for a walk or hitting up the gym before your usual bedtime. You might notice that these workouts have even more of a calming effect than usual!
Reading
Reading is another common technique that people often don’t realize works as an effective anxiety reliever. There are two major types of reading: informational and fictional. It might seem like the latter will be more calming, but it’s the opposite. Fictional books immerse us in a fantasy world where we can lose ourselves and forget about any issues we’re dealing with on our own time. Non-fiction books allow us to learn something new and expand our knowledge base, reducing stress levels (even if you didn’t enjoy what you were reading). Many people feel like they don’t have time to read every day, but even just taking 10 minutes out of your day can make a massive impact on your mental health!
Sleep
It’s pretty standard for anxiety to interfere with our sleep, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way around it. Getting enough sleep (between 7-9 hours each night) can help reduce cortisol levels in your body. Cortisol is the hormone associated with stress and anxiety, so this means that getting plenty of sleep will help you avoid feeling anxious all day long. People follow many rituals when implementing good sleeping habits, like avoiding caffeine after 3 pm (or earlier), creating an evening routine, and making sure their room is pitch black before they go to bed. If you’re someone who struggles to get quality sleep on a regular basis, then implement some of these tips into your daily life!
Positive Affirmations
Although it sounds like something your grandmother might have told you, positive affirmations are pretty helpful for reducing anxiety. When we tell ourselves that things are going to be okay or that everything is under our control, we can act in ways that will give us more confidence (and, therefore, less anxiety). The most important thing with positive affirmations is to ensure they’re believable. You could try choosing 3-4 affirmations about yourself (or how you want things to be) and focus on them for a week or two before switching up your list.
Write Your Thoughts Down
We all have those days where our minds are racing, and we can’t even hold a single thought for more than 5 seconds. Racing thoughts are pretty common when someone has anxiety, but it’s also something that can be alleviated by writing things down.
There is something about putting pen to paper that seems to allow people to access much more profound thoughts and feelings than they could through just thinking alone. If you’re going through a particularly stressful period, try making a list of everything you’re worrying about or any problems that seem too big for you to deal with alone. It might not solve your problems immediately, but being able to look back on this list in the future should help remind you how far you’ve come!
Yoga
Another physical exercise that can help reduce anxiety is yoga. Many different types of yoga focus on different parts of the body, but all of them will be beneficial to you (and your anxiety levels). Yoga isn’t just about physical exercises. It’s also about breathing techniques and meditation.
These aren’t things that people typically associate with anxiety relief, but they are instrumental in helping people to calm their minds and keep any stress or fear under control. Give yoga a try even if you don’t think it sounds like something you’d enjoy because there is no risk involved!
Conclusion
Anxiety is a complicated emotion from our fight or flight response, which has been programmed into us over countless generations. As much as we might want to rid ourselves of this alarm system, it’s unlikely that will ever happen. That’s why we need to understand the best ways to reduce anxiety levels so that we can lead productive lives despite feeling overwhelmed at times.
The most important thing you should take away from this article is that everyone experiences anxiety in some form, and there are plenty of things you could try if you’re starting to feel stressed out! Anxiety cannot be defeated overnight, but there are many different ways you can learn to cope with it.
