Table of Contents:
1. Exercise Daily
2. Practice Relaxation Techniques
3. Get Enough Sleep
4. Eat a Balanced Diet
5. Caffeine and Alcohol should be avoided, especially cigarettes and other forms of Nicotine.
6. Organize Your Time
7. Realism is also an important element of goal-setting and should always be practiced.
8. Talk to Someone
9. Laugh and Use Humor
10. Challenge Anxious Thoughts
1. Exercise Daily
It is essential to engage in physical activity regularly to maintain good health of both body and mind. Exercise increases the production of endorphins which are natural chemicals in the brain that help one to relax and have a happy feeling. The goal should be to engage in some form of physical activity for at least 30 minutes daily, this could be a daily walk. Any movement counts! It will also reduce stress levels which will enable you to sleep well at night.
2. Practice Relaxation Techniques
Methods such as yoga, breathing exercises, meditation or guided visualization, tai chi, and progressive muscle relaxation assist in inducing the restorative response of the body. This automatically reduces heart rate and blood pressure to their lowest levels. If you do not know how to do it, you could search for a guided visualization video on YouTube or in the Calm app. The study shows that even if one spends 5-10 minutes of the day practicing, anxiety levels will steadily be reduced.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Stress and anxiety are worsened by lack of enough sleep. It concluded that humans required between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. It is advised to avoid changing the wake-up time and reduce the screen exposure time before going to bed to get better sleep. Also, listening to some quiet music, or reading something before sleeping also puts your mind in the right mood for sleeping. It is critical to get quality rest so that your mind stays fresh and strong to handle everyday demands.
4. Eat a Balanced Diet
Food intake has a direct correlation with the mood and energy of the body. Avoid foods that have a lot of sugar, and specially processed foods which increases blood sugar levels and then drops them, making you feel weak. Take in lots of omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, walnuts, chia and flax seeds that reduce inflammation and modulate mood regulating brain chemicals. Drink at least 6 glasses of water a day and consume as many 5 portions of fruits and vegetables.
5. It is also important that the patient should stay away from Caffeine, Alcohol and Nicotine.
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that cause the stress response to occur. Alcohol is a type of depressant that has the net effect of increasing anxiety. Avoid consumption of these products that they all affect sleep and puts much strain on both physical and mental health. Select healthy social events or herbal teas to relax. You will be surprised to find that this single thing reduces anxiety levels so significantly.
6. Organize Your Time
Lack of time and disorder negatively impacts daily stress levels. A well–timed schedule helps you share your time with work, people, yourself, hobbies, etc. Get a calendar app, planner or bullet journal to plan your week and days. The use of checklists will ensure anxiety is kept at bay as one marks off the completed tasks. Avoid overscheduling yourself.
7. Have Realistic Objectives and Performance Standards
You will always be bound to fail when you set high expectations of how you want to perform. This leads to more critical self-talk and defeat which is not good for your self-esteem on the other side. Replace negative messages with positive messages about self-acceptance and learning to be patient with oneself irrespective of the results achieved. That is why I never emphasize on getting a perfect score but always aim at moving forward.
8. Talk to Someone You Know
Just expressing one’s self and speaking out irritations, concerns or anxious thoughts reduces their severity. Counseling from people who are close to us is essential when going through tough times. It is a reminder to leave those doubts behind – the people that love you want you to come forward for assistance in carrying the load. Let them!
9. Laugh and Use Humor
Indeed, humor plays a crucial role in minimizing stress levels and anxiety among individuals. Always look for good funny videos and cheerful people that can make you laugh. Lighten up, buddy! Use humor as often as possible – crack a joke or make a humorous meme based on your stressful scenario. It only serves to improve your mood by helping your body produce the feel-good chemicals called endorphins.
10. Challenge Anxious Thoughts
The essence of managing anxiety is to recognize and challenge abnormal and negative thinking patterns. In case you find your mind dwelling on worst-case scenarios, learn how to switch off the negative thoughts. Evaluate the situation as you ask yourself, “Is this concern real or imaginary?” Anxiety distorts the assessment of potential outcomes into dramatic worst-case scenarios. Learn how to argue with those alarm signals using sound logic and reason. In the long run, it will change the way you’re thinking and help you overcome anxiety.
Adapting some of these lifestyle changes helps in eradicating the overwhelming pressure of constantly feeling anxious and stressed. Small things such as increasing the amount of fun leisure time or involving your support network will enhance your capacity to succeed. It is crucial to focus on what specifically helps to avoid regressing and maintain using healthier ways of coping. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself and acknowledge the micro-wins!
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