If you deal with frustrating anxiety symptoms on a daily basis, you know that this condition can hold you back from living your life fully. Maybe you’ve found it difficult to deal with anxiety at school or work, and your chronic stress makes it hard for you to uphold your responsibilities. Or perhaps anxiety has been interfering with your personal relationships, and you’re struggling to maintain your friendships or meet new people due to your symptoms.
Even if you haven’t sought professional treatment, there are habits and techniques that you can adopt to reduce your anxiety levels. Here are a few natural tips and tricks you can use to alleviate your anxiety.
1. Get Grounded With All Five Senses
Grounding yourself in your environment can help quell your anxious thoughts. To do this, tune into your senses. Try to identify what you can see, smell, taste, touch, and feel. Concentrating on your physical environment and the specific sensations that you’re experiencing can help shift your attention from anxious thoughts to reality. This can also reassure you that you’re physically safe.
2. Slow, Measured Breathing
Sometimes, anxiety can lead to shortness of breath. If you feel like you’re having trouble breathing, you could end up experiencing a panic attack. Slow, measured breathing can help you calm down and relax. You may want to count to five as you inhale and again as you exhale. You don’t have to force yourself to take very deep breaths—just pacing your breathing can have a positive effect.
3. Regular Meditation
Anyone can start meditating! You don’t need any special training or instruction. All you need to do is sit or lie down in a quiet, comfortable place, close your eyes, and turn your attention to your breath. It’s okay if your focus wanders a bit—when you find yourself getting distracted, slowly bring your focus back to your breath.
You’ll get the most benefits out of meditation if you do it on a daily basis. You don’t have to commit extensive time to this practice. A few minutes of meditation in the morning and evening can have powerful benefits for your mental health. If you need help getting started, many free apps provide guided meditations you can listen to.
4. Going For Walks
You can achieve a meditative state by going for walks! Some people don’t get much enjoyment out of sitting still for meditation. Plus, moving your body can help you burn off the nervous energy that builds up with anxiety. You might want to start your day with a walk or go for a stroll in the evening after you’ve had dinner. This can help you wind down at the end of the day, which is especially beneficial if your anxiety tends to keep you up at night.
5. Writing In A Journal
Getting your thoughts down on paper can help you work out the roots of your anxiety. Journaling can feel freeing if you tend to ruminate on the same anxious thoughts. Sometimes, even if journaling doesn’t lead you to a clear “solution” for your anxiety, you might feel lighter after you’ve gotten your thoughts out.
6. Doing Yoga
If you want to improve your mental and physical health at the same time, yoga is a great choice. Yoga sessions can help soothe your anxiety while releasing physical tension. You may want to try out a class, or you can follow beginner yoga videos online.
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Are you struggling to deal with anxiety symptoms? Working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for anxiety therapy.
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