5 Healthy Ways to Calm Anxiety
Life is stressful. Between work, family, meetings, social commitments, and much more, it seems like we’re always running around. This kind of stress can leave you feeling anxious and upset.
Here are five ways to calm down and ease your anxiety naturally.
Breathe
Deep breathing can help you calm down and re-focus your mind. If you start to feel anxious, step away from what you’re doing and spend a minute taking deep breaths. You don’t need to worry about specific breathing exercises or counting your breaths if you don’t want to. Just focus on slowly breathing in and out. However, if you’re at your desk, Google “take a deep breath” and you’ll find a quick one-minute breathing exercise that might help!
Stay Active
Exercise can help your body deal with stress. Working out lowers your body’s stress hormones and it helps improve your sleep quality, which leads to decreased stress and anxiety. Those who exercise regularly see the greatest benefit, so try to do something active each and every day.
Eat Well & Avoid Sugar
When you’re stressed or anxious, it’s tempting to reach for something sweet or an unhealthy treat. However, this can do more harm than good. Eating too much sugar or salt can cause you to feel unwell, which will make you feel more anxious and stressed. Instead of grabbing a sugary or salty snack, eat a healthier option like some protein (nuts, yogurt, etc.) and drink water. Not drinking enough water can leave you feeling dehydrated, which can trigger anxiety attacks.
Limit Caffeine
It’s understandable that when you’re busy, you may increase your caffeine intake so you can keep going, but too much caffeine can also increase your anxiety. The amount that each person can tolerate will depend on the individual, so know your limit. Coffee (and other caffeinated drinks) can be healthy – and even beneficial – in moderation, but don’t drink too much.
Cut Your Screen Time
Most people use watching TV or reading the internet as a way to relax and unwind. However, being constantly plugged-in and tied to your phone or laptop can increase your anxiety. Not only will you be more likely to check your work email when you’re looking at your phone, which can lead to stress, but too much screen time can make it difficult to sleep at night. This is especially true if you’re looking at a phone, tablet, or computer right before bed.
No Comments