George K.
If you feel anxious most of the time, or even just some of the time, it can significantly impact your daily life. From preventing you from going to certain events to causing you to feel constantly overwhelmed, anxiety can dictate your life. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. There are a variety of simple ways to reduce anxiety so you can live a fuller, happier life.
1: Exercising Regularly
The Anxiety and Depression Association of American recommends exercise for those who struggle with stress and anxiety disorders. As you know, exercise is necessary for your physical health, but it can also help curb anxiety. When you exercise regularly, you can enjoy the benefits like reduced tension, more quality sleep, and a better overall mood.
How to get started: If you don’t typically work out, start simple—even as little as 10 minutes can make a difference. Then, you can work your way up to longer periods of exercise whether that’s brisk walking, jogging, weightlifting, or classes. There are virtually endless options to try in your workout routine.
2: Using CBD Products
CBD is used by many people who tend to feel anxious because it provides feelings of calm and focus, which can help with many of the day-to-day challenges you face. As an anxious person, you likely become stressed easily and often avoid dealing with small tasks that seem insurmountable—CBD can help with that. While you might not realize how much these challenges impact your productivity and peace of mind, you will definitely see the difference when you try CBD.
How to get started: From CBD oil to CBD water, there are virtually limitless options for trying to introduce CBD into your diet.
3: Listening to Music
Music therapy exists for a reason, because it can significantly impact the brain. That’s because music can affect all the different areas of your brain and your emotional state. While you might not be ready to dive into music therapy, you can create playlists that provide many of the same benefits, including helping with feelings of anxiety.
How to get started: Create a therapeutic playlist that you can listen to when you begin to feel anxious or when you are going to be in a situation that typically triggers your anxiety. Choose songs with slower tempos that will help keep you calm and even songs that you enjoy, which can help evoke more positive emotions.
4: Meditating
Meditation can help you gain more control of your emotions, including anxiety. Practicing meditation regularly can help you learn more about your anxiety and what causes it. This allows you to gain perspective on how anxiety impacts you, and how you can overcome many of these feelings.
How to get started: While meditation does take some practice, it’s easy to get started with the many apps that can guide you through the process. Start with shorter sessions that are aided by tutorials and then work your way up to more advanced techniques once you become more comfortable.
5: Journaling
Getting your thoughts down on paper can be a powerful thing. By writing down your feelings and experiences in an unfiltered way, without the worry that others will hear or read it, you can be honest with yourself and start identifying patterns. Then, you can take action to help curb your anxiety.
How to get started: Choose a personalized journal that you will be inspired to use, there are plenty of formats to choose from. Spend a few minutes at the beginning or end of each day writing down what made you feel anxious and how you responded.
6: Limiting Caffeine & Alcohol
It might seem impossible to go without your daily two cups of coffee or your pre-bedtime glass of wine, but these substances can actually be fueling your anxiety. The effects of caffeine and alcohol can heighten the symptoms of anxiety and affect your sleep, further fueling the issue.
How to get started: Gradually reduce your caffeine or alcohol intake, doing so too quickly can have negative effects if you’ve built up a habit. You also want to avoid consuming them late in the day.
7: Increasing Sleep
Anxiety and lack of sleep are closely related—struggling with anxiety can lead to reduced sleep and lack of sleep can contribute to feelings of anxiety. Not getting enough sleep can also impact other areas of your health so it’s essential that you prioritize this tip if you aren’t already.
How to get started: To improve your sleeping patterns, set a strict bedtime for yourself and stick to it. To help with this, you should also remove any immediate distractions like your phone or TV.
Final Thoughts
Trying one or more of these methods to reduce your anxiety can help you find relief from the discomfort that anxiety can bring into your life, like nausea, feelings of dread, or debilitating stress. These solutions are easy to implement and can make a positive impact on how you feel, so what are you waiting for?
If you suffer clinical anxiety, a professional can also help guide you through the best treatment plan to manage your anxiety and how these coping mechanisms can complement your treatment.
