Are you an over thinker? Because we all know those uneasy feelings of anxiety. The situations may vary from taking a test to taking a lecture or a presentation, but the symptoms are the same – our fingers are sweat, our hearts race, and our breathing is labored and shallow. We experience racing negative thoughts and worries about a perceived threat we fear will be too much to face or too much to handle. These feelings are because our fight or flight response has kicked in, resulting in a sympathetic state and a narrowing of attention and focus on avoiding the threat. And we seem to like to be locked in that state permanently, unable to focus on our daily chores or longer-term goals.
Below are some strategies that you can use to help soothe your anxiety:
Get enough sleep: Not having a proper sleep pattern can cause some severe consequences. Not only it affects one’s physical health, but lack of sleep can also be the reason for your stress and anxiety. And sometimes, it turns into a wicked style since stress and anxiety often lead to disruptions in sleep schedule. Especially when feeling anxious or in a stress state, try to schedule a full 7 to 9 hours of sleep time and observe what a few nights of sleep slumber do for those anxiety levels throughout the day.
Declutter your brain: Physical clutter means easy mental clutter. A messy bedroom or workspace can make it more complicated to relax and make it seem like you have been trapped in a never-ending work loop. So take enough time to tidy up your work area or living space and make a habit of keeping things clean and tidy. This will help you think more rationally, and there won’t be as much room for any negative thoughts or bad feelings.
Learn to control breathing: Breathing is a useful tool to prevent anxiety and panic attacks. Breathe is also an excellent indicator of understanding where your anxiety level is at throughout the day. Shallow, short breaths signify anxiety and stress in the body and brain. On the flip side, consciously deep breathing, plus longer and strengthening of breath, helps you to relax.
Smile more: Most of the time, anxiety got us by unknown people, unknown situations, or unknown reactions, following a plethora of what-ifs. And in those situations, try to keep up your smile. Maybe work, an upcoming presentation or a school project may have got us down, to relieve those tensed moments it’s always a good idea to take a quick break before the event to get some giggles on. Researches show that laughter is the best remedy for almost every health condition, and it can reduce anxiety and depression, so consider checking out any funny YouTube clips to calm those jittery nerves.
Create a vision board: If your future seems scary and big, try changing your thoughts about what lies ahead. Sometimes the mere act of setting goals can take the edge of depression and anxiety about the unknown future. Take an hour to create your vision board that creates excitement about activities and possibilities to come. And for those who aren’t into DIYs and crafts, try making an e-vision board using some other apps such as Pinterest for some Pinspiration. While making the vision board try using the T.H.I.N.K. method: Are my thoughts true? Are they helpful? Are they inspirational? Are they necessary? And are they kind?
Meditate: By now, most of us have already heard about the fact that meditation is relaxing. Researches are showing that meditation acts as an essential field to increase the amount of grey matter in the brain, basically rewriting the brain cells to stress less. Along with this, a number of recent studies highlight the positive effects of meditation on stress, mood, and anxiety. And meditation is a great way to control our calmness, letting us figure out how our mind generates anxiety-provoking thoughts.
Visualize anything positive: When confronted with negative, anxious thoughts, take a moment to visualize yourself handling the situation with a clear, calm, and easy mind. Try not to pay attention to your negative thoughts or current mental state; just focus your thoughts on something positive, like if you’re a puppy person, adopting a puppy or planning your date with your favorite person, etc. This method is called guided visualization or guided imagery, and it can help you reduce your anxious thoughts.
Play 5-5-5 game: This may sound simple and easy. But playing a 5-5-5 game can actually help you calm your mind during emergency situations. The rules are as simple as follows:
- Look around yourself and find 5 things you can find. Or you can take this step as, choosing your favorite color and look around and name 5 things with your favorite color on it.
- Listen clearly and name 5 sounds you can name.
- Last, move 5 body parts, which you can feel, such as nodding your head up and down, rotating your leg, etc.
This might sound silly, but the idea is distracting your mind from certain situations.
Eat right: Anxiety can really change your diet and cravings. A person with anxiety may observe that the change in his appetite, sometimes they might crave certain foods, and sometimes they don’t eat at all. But to give your body the support it needs, one should follow a diet containing more nutrients such as Vitamin A, B, and C, omega-3’s, and some healthy whole-grain carbohydrates. Researchers have linked vitamin B with good mental health and omega-3s with their ability to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Whole-grain carbs help to regulate levels of serotonin; and the feel-good neurotransmitter, which allows us to remain calm. Our cravings may be telling you to have more sugary food products, which should be avoided because sugary and processed foods can increase symptoms of anxiety.
Sniff lavender oil: Lavender oil has a lot of healing and soothing abilities. It fosters a sense of calm and supports very deep, restful sleep. It can also be used as a remedy for headaches. To help you reduce your anxiety, keep a bottle of lavender oil at your desk.
After all, your first step must be booking an appointment with a mental health treatment center. And they will guide you through your recovery steps as well as proper aftercare methods. These above tips will often help you to take your mind away from the source of stress. Mindfulness, exercise, and positive thoughts can all work to relieve anxiety – and they will improve your overall lifestyle.