Any of us will rarely get through life without experiencing anxiety at some point. But some people have the burden of dealing with anxiety every day. Whether it’s over something big or insignificant, anxiety stops us from living a normal life full of joy and potential.
Here are 5 ways you can begin reducing your anxiety:
- Acknowledge your feelings
Do not hide what you feel. There is nothing wrong with you. Acknowledge your anxiety. This is an important step toward reducing anxiety. Facing and accepting your emotions can be empowering. It will help you take control of your anxiety.
2. Breathe
This physical strategy is very helpful for relaxing in stressful situations. While breathing, focus on breathing into the belly while keeping your shoulders down and relaxed. As opposed to expanding your chest, focus on letting your abdomen expand while inhaling.
3. Move Your Body
Exercise is a great way to alleviate the muscle tension that goes along with chronic anxiety. Plus, exercise releases feel-good chemicals in your body like serotonin. But don’t sweat it; you don’t have to do a grueling workout at the gym to gain these benefits. Just a half-hour a day of walking, biking, swimming, or yoga can significantly help reduce your anxiety.
4. Start a Gratitude Journal
Get into the habit of writing down three to five things you are grateful for each night before sleeping. This is a simple way to train your mind to focus on all of the good that surrounds you.
5. Speak with a Professional
The cure for any physical or psychological ailment is to get to the root cause of it, not simply manage the symptoms. A therapist, like us, can help you access your inner world to uncover what triggers your fear and offer coping tools and strategies.
These are just a few ways to reduce anxiety. There can be times when these ways are not enough to reduce your anxiety. If your feelings/emotions continue to worsen and affect your daily functioning, this is the time you need to seek help from a mental health professional. You can message us here and we will help you manage your anxiety.
And if you know a loved one who needs or wants to talk about their mental health, please do not hesitate to refer us and tell them to message us here. We would be happy to speak with them about how their mental health is now.
Reference:
How to reduce anxiety. Headspace. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.headspace.com/articles/how-to-reduce-anxiety.
Brown, J. J., & Wong, J. J. (n.d.). How gratitude changes you and your brain. Greater Good. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
Six simple habits that defeat anxiety. Mental Health Association San Francisco. (2019, December 25). Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.mentalhealthsf.org/six-simple-habits-that-defeat-anxiety/.
