Tips for Dealing with Anxiety During Hard Times
Stress and anxiety is something everyone suffers from at least at some point in their life. Small or big, it's never fun to feel anxious or overwhelmed. For some, it can even cause problems in our everyday lives; to an end, we're just searching for solutions. Here are some tips and tricks to help calm your mind and cut stress while dealing with anxiety.
Move your body:
Exercise is not only an essential part of your physical health, but it is also vital to your mental health. Moving your body can ease your anxiety, while also boosting your sense of well-being. Set reasonable and attainable workout goals for yourself to help you feel more accomplished. If you do not work out at all, you can start with 30-minutes three times a week. Then you can always go up from there. Also, be sure to choose exercises that you enjoy doing, so it's not so much of a "chore." Have fun with it, and you'll see your mental attitude change before you know it!
How much sleep are you getting:
It's not just about the number of hours you are getting, but it's also about the quality of sleep. It's recommended that you get an average of 8 hours of sleep a night, but sometimes anxiety can make that difficult. Either with falling asleep or staying asleep to get quality sleep. The easiest way to help it create a routine so your body gets used to it and knows what to do. Basically, go to bed around the same time every night. Next, and argumentatively one of the most important is no screens. First, because you might see something upsetting on social media or the news, and that's not what you need to see right before bed because it'll be stuck in your head all night. Second, because the blue screens will really mess with your sleep. Try to have no screens for an hour before bed. Last, make sure you have a comfortable place to sleep and your room temperature cool. Both of these things will help provide the ultimate sleep and being well-rested helps lower anxiety. Check out some of these other articles that have great suggestions to help you get better sleep:
Does Diffusing Essential Oil Help You Sleep Better?
How Melatonin Improves Your Sleep and Health
Limit Caffeine and Alcohol:
Caffeine is an upper and alcohol is a downer, so both of these things in excess whether together or separate can up your anxiety in no time. So to help try and control your anxiety, try and cut back or entirely avoid when you can. Caffeine isn't just in soda and coffee. It can also come in some pain or headache medications, tea, chocolate, and even diet supplements. Make sure you are checking the labels and try not to consume these items before bedtime.
Schedule your time to worry:
As crazy as it sounds, it really can help. Instead of randomly thinking about all the things that can go wrong, schedule out 15-30 minutes of your day or week to identify all the things that are bothering you or make you worry. Pick a time to think about your fears on purpose. Write them down, say them out loud, whatever you need to do to get them out of your head. It's important to not dwell on all the "what-ifs" in life, so if you have a specific time to have your "worry sessions," it lessens your anxiety overall.
Deep Breaths:
If you're feeling a lot of anxiety and overwhelmed, try taking some deep breaths. When you take deep breaths, it sends a message to your brain that you are okay and will help your mind and body relax. To get the most out of it, lay down on a flat surface and put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Breathe in slowly and deeply, hold for a second, then let it out slowly. You should be able to feel your belly rise. Try to clear your mind and only think about what you are doing and be in the moment. It will only take a minute or two and will calm you immensely.
Do something for someone else:
Take the focus off yourself for a bit and try and do something to help someone else. Maybe help out in your community by volunteering. Take a meal to a neighbor having a hard time. Donate to a local charity. Spending time doing good things for others can help your personal anxiety. It can help you get out of your own head to think about others. Not only will it feel good to give back to others, but you'll make connections that might end up being a great support system for you.
Avoid Triggers:
If you're not sure what your triggers are, think back to times and places where you felt the most anxious. What was going on? Where were you at? Maybe even write them down, if needed. Look for any patterns that might be the cause of your anxiety. Once you know what your triggers are, you can start trying to figure ways to avoid or confront your feelings of panic or worry. If you can find the source of your anxiety, it can help put your worry into more perspective. A lot of time, understanding your fears can make them less scary, plus next time one of your triggers pops up, you'll be better prepared when it affects you.