Anxiety and stress are becoming common mental health issues among adults and youngsters. Being stressed out about work or studies might give you no particular reason to worry, but experiencing panic attacks can be a cause for concern. Anxiety can then seep into other things in your life, causing disruptions to the work-life balance.
Learning to manage stress can help you lead a mentally healthy life. There are a few habits you can adopt to cope with the anxiety in your life.
Get moving
Exercising is a great way to combat anxiety. The more physical effort you put in, the greater is the pressure released.
Whether your goal is to tone down or stay fit, the benefit that exercise provides in terms of alleviating anxiety will be there.
If you don’t like exercising for the sake of staying fit, then there are activities, like boxing, running, dancing, playing tennis, etc. that might interest you to get moving.
The reason physical activities work so well for lowering anxiety is because it lowers the stress hormones and helps in releasing endorphins – the feel-good chemicals responsible for improving mood.
Surround yourself with loved ones
Spending time with friends and family, people who support you and put an effort into understanding you, is a great way to relieve stress.
Having a sense of belonging can help you cope with anxiety and panic attacks.
When a close one is getting treatment for a particular mental illness, the support group, comprising of friends and family, acts as a treatment guide and can help the family member or friend power through in overcoming mental issues.
Study proves that women who spend time with their children and loved ones tend to have a higher level of oxytocin – a natural stress-relieving hormone in their blood.
Adopt Pets
Pets are great pals to have when you are having stress and anxiety. If you are feeling low, playing or interacting with the pets for even a little while can boost mood by the release of oxytocin. Pets are great companions and can also help you stay active. They can make you feel wanted, and by caring for them, you own up to responsibility which help in shifting your focus from a victim’s mentality. Walking your pet in the local park is also a great way to meet people who are also interested in pets.
Practice mindfulness
There are several ways to increase mindfulness, including mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, mindful yoga, and meditation.
A recent study also suggested that mindfulness helps increase self-esteem, which decreases anxiety and depression. Mindfulness teaches us to respond to stress with a sense of awareness, rather than simply acting on autopilot, it is advised to act fully aware of ourselves.
Mindfulness encourages you to accept your feelings without judgements. As a result, you can identify, experience, and process your emotions in a healthy manner. Mindfulness helps you see stressful situations from a different perspective. For example, you are aware of the reason your spouse might have snapped at you instead of being irrationally anxious about it.
Practicing mindfulness is no rocket science, but it does take time to master. For now, all you need to do from here on in is to be mindful of your surroundings, what you say, and what you do.
You can practice mindfulness with whatever you happen to be doing in the moment. The biggest benefit of practicing mindfulness for anxiety is that it helps you stay in the moment. Anxiety arises either because of worrying about the future or ruminating over the past.
Learn when to say ‘no!’
You don’t have to say ‘yes’ to all that your friends or family ask you to do. One way to bust anxiety is to say ‘no’ more often. Especially if you find yourself taking on more than you can handle, juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities, all of which can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
Reach out
One of the biggest reasons why anxiety turns into depressive mood disorder over time is when people don’t say anything. Reaching out means sharing your struggles with your loved ones and professional therapists to help you overcome anxiety.
Study shows, ‘talking it out’ is the best strategy to bust anxiety. So, call up a friend and talk to them about what’s happening in your life.
Bottom line
Adopting health positive habits is the best way to bust anxiety. The ideas discussed above are just the kind of habits you need when trying to eliminate anxiety. Talking to a therapist, friend, or a family member is a must when you are going through anything in life that you can’t seem to mentally process on your own. Apart from good communication, it is important to get moving, spend quality time with a loved one, interact with a pet, and practice mindfulness.
