7 Effective Ways to Manage Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety and stress are words that have become regular fixtures in the collective pandemic and post-pandemic vernacular. While anxiety and stress are normative human experiences, these feelings are meant to be transient and fleeting, observed and allowed to pass through us without necessarily adding judgment or intervention. With that said, lingering concerns about health, economic stability, political division, climate change, and global relations have created a sense of chronic stress that has prompted Americans to seek psychotherapy and counseling services in record numbers for alleviation of symptoms, comfort, coping strategies, and tools. While a blog is never a substitute for tailored mental health advice, I wanted to help by sharing seven of my favorite anxiety and stress busters.
1. Walk It Out
Carving time out of your schedule to get out for a walk or hike in nature can help anyone to feel peaceful and grounded! I prefer to do this in the morning, when I can set an intention for the day, and get to experience an immediate sense of accomplishment for having prioritized self-care. Jim Rohn famously said, “either you run the day, or it runs you.” By taking time for yourself at the beginning of your day, you start some good feelings flowing, and set a precedent for creating pockets of unwind, where you can observe and take pleasure in what is around you. Walking, hiking, trail running, and trail biking also offer the additional benefit of my favorite feel-good chemical- dopamine! Studies have very conclusively found that individuals who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who don’t exercise. Invite a friend, neighbor, a family member, or even a family pet to walk or hike with you and enjoy the double benefit of feeling connected. We at LIFT do regular “walk and talk” therapy in all four seasons (both in-person and telehealth!) to stimulate fresh thinking and processing, change up a routine, and encourage our clients to “move a muscle, change a thought.”
2. Make a Gratitude List
This is a personal favorite way to center, and like #1, it’s a practice best engaged during the morning. With that said, it’s never the wrong time to write a gratitude list! You can write in a journal, in the sand, in a text to your therapist, on a diner napkin at breakfast, in the corner of a book, in your head, or on the notes section of your iPad. A terrific way to keep our minds off of a worry path is to focus thoughts on things that are good, beautiful, and positive about ourselves, and our lives. When we are grateful, we appreciate the value and importance of the people, places, and things who make up our world. I include small, ordinary things in my life on my list (my morning coffee, a book I’m reading or show I enjoy on TV, a joke I heard,) as well as big things (health, my family, my profession, my home.) I encourage clients to try to be as specific, and to include self-appreciation in the list! This can include personal appreciation that you took the time for a self-care ritual (a fresh manicure, a haircut), or even compliments on aspects of you that you are very glad to possess (a good sense of humor, a talent for cooking, a kind heart, a warm smile, a heart for social justice.) It is NO secret that what we focus on increases! Each day brings new problems and obstacles, so we must train the mind to pay attention to the good things. By focusing our thoughts on things that are good, beautiful, and positive, we can keep our minds from dwelling on what troubles us. Make a habit of appreciating your life! Challenge yourself to write down 3-4 pages of gratitude a day. Play some music and write in pretty or artistic handwriting. Include illustrations and exclamation points. If you do this practice daily, try to write different things every day! And, if you’re stumped on what to put down, talk to your therapist and ask her for some ideas. In fact, while you’re at it, put her on your list!
4. Chew Gum
Surprised you with that one, didn’t I? In fact, an intervention study was carried out to examine the effects of chewing gum on occupational stress and related outcomes. 101 volunteers from Cardiff University completed the study. The results showed that chewing gum reduced stress (both at work and outside work), reduced fatigue, reduced anxiety and depression and led to a more positive mood! Fascinatingly, chewing gum was also associated with perceptions of better performance (both at work and outside.) I don’t chew gum every day, but sometimes, on days when I remember to or am very busy, organic/natural gum can serve as a focus enhancer, helping me to stay in the moment and take one task at a time. *Gum is not intended to be over-used, and if you have a history of compulsive gum-chewing and feel this could be a trigger, you can skip right over this step and move straight on to #5!
5. Connect with Other People!
Clients have been reporting loneliness levels to us higher than ever before. The pandemic brought us inward in many positive ways, but many of us are having difficulty reconnecting with our support systems. Call to schedule time to spend with friends and family, whether to hang out or engage in a structured activity. Doing things in-person with those we have deeper connections with and feel close to grows our relationships, allowing us to feel supported and secure. If you feel anxious or stressed about something, talking about it with someone who listens and cares can help you feel more understood and better able to manage. Through openly sharing with others, you’ll put concrete words to what feels like vast emotional overwhelm, and you may realize that you're not alone. Ever feel like you can over-talk about a problem? Try spending time with others in ways that take talking off the table. Skiing, ice-skating, roller-blading, swimming, horseback riding, jumping on the trampoline, cooking classes, movies, concerts, and yoga classes are terrific ways to do so. Fortunately, many of these activities are also easy to enjoy in the pandemic, even as the weather cools. LIFT offers peer support groups that run throughout the year, with virtual and in person options. If you’re feeling perplexed on how to get involved in a peer activity, speak with your therapist to discern if they can get you connected with one of our safe and structured peer groups, or help you to find one that fits.
6. Take a Break from Social Media!
A 2018 University of Pennsylvania study found that reducing social media use to 30 minutes a day resulted in a significant reduction in levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems, and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO.) You don’t need to completely cut back on your social media use to improve your mental health. I am sure that by now, many if not most of you readers have seen the recent news on social media and its averse impact on sleep and mental health. Social media has now been linked to depression, anxiety, low self esteem, and even suicidality, most significantly in teens. (Although, I don’t know why we are surprised that an app designed to objectify and rank “hot” women against one another on a college campus makes women feel badly about themselves!)
I don’t think that responsible use of social media is all bad. Our Instagram handle, @liftwellnessgroup, features lots of body positive accounts, affirmations, mood regulation tools, inspiring stories, and relationship tips. If you look at who we follow, you’ll find a world of resources that are similar. Our social media accounts are almost all mental health related follows, which sure hit differently than the keeping-up-with-the-jones and influencer posts! Remember, what you focus on increases – so change the lens you’re looking at the world through! Cancel the triggering accounts and subscribe to things that make you smile. Social media will take on a whole new utility for you!
7. Get Enough Relaxation, Nourishment and Sleep!
Sitting in front of the TV or computer typically isn't genuine relaxation…Unless we’re talking about Ted Lasso! Depending on what you're watching or doing, it could even make you more tense. The same is true for alcohol, drugs, or tobacco., which may seem to relieve anxiety or stress, but actually create a false state of relaxation that's short lived. If you’re drinking alcohol in the evening to relax, what your body may really need is a few days off, focused on sleep and hydration. In order to really relax, remember that our bodies crave a routine of relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, yoga, meditation or even tai chi are practices that have an immediate demonstrable effect on the mind. In fact, deep breathing helps to relax a major nerve that runs from the diaphragm to the brain, sending a message to the entire body to relax, loosen up and let go!
Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired?” When we’re any of these things, we’re on the brink of emotional dysregulation and poor decision making. Not eating enough calories for your Body Mass Index and not eating a well-balanced diet WILL amplify or cause anxiety and stress. If you’re presently undereating or engaging in disordered eating behaviors, speak up and get help from a specialist. You will not feel an improvement in mood until your caloric intake is sufficient for your daily metabolic needs.
Foods that are rich in zinc such as oysters, cashews, liver, beef, and egg yolks have been linked to lowered anxiety. Other foods, including fatty fish like wild Alaskan salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids. A study completed on medical students in 2011 was one of the first to show that omega-3s may help reduce anxiety. This study used supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids. I don’t enjoy fish, so I take supplements. In mice, diets low in magnesium were found to increase anxiety-related behaviors. Foods naturally rich in magnesium may help a person to feel calmer. Some examples include leafy greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains. If you’re under the care of a dietitian at LIFT or elsewhere, ask them about your interest in mood-enhancing foods! After all, food is medicine!
I hope these tips are tangible, helpful and constructive. Let me know if you decide to integrate any of them in your wellness repertoire!
Also, please do note: If you or someone you know has stress, anxiety or worry that feels excessive, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. For someone who has an anxiety disorder, getting appropriate treatment from a health professional is important. While these tips are intended to help, personalized and professional treatment is the only way to remedy a true anxiety disorder.
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