Managing anxiety effectively often requires a combination of therapeutic, medicinal and lifestyle approaches. These can range from learning relaxation techniques and making simple lifestyle changes to seeking professional help for more severe cases. In this guide, we’ll explore effective strategies for managing anxiety to help you live a more quality and fulfilling life.
Lifestyle Habits
Making consistent, healthy changes to your routine can significantly improve your mental well-being and reduce baseline anxiety. Exercise regularly as physical activity can help reduce stress, release tension, and lift your mood by producing “feel-good” endorphins. Aerobic exercises like brisk walking, jogging, or biking are beneficial for managing anxiety.
Develop a relaxing and sustainable bedtime routine and strive to get seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night. Good sleep hygiene improves your mood and energy levels and can improve your resilience to stress.
Remember to eat a balanced diet with nutritious and whole foods to help stabilize your energy and overall mood. Limit or avoid substances that can increase anxiety, such as nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.
In-the-moment Calming Techniques
When you feel anxious, there are strategies you can use to help calm your nervous system. Some popular methods include deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. To practice deep breathing, focus on slow, intentional breaths. You can try the 4-7-8 method, where you inhale for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale slowly for eight.
To effectively use progressive muscle relaxation, learn to tense and then relax various muscle groups in your body, from your toes to your head. This helps build awareness of physical tension and helps you consciously release it.
Mindful and Cognitive Strategies
Your thinking can significantly influence how you feel. Start the practice of identifying anxious or untrue thoughts and replace them with gentler, more precise ones. Constantly ask yourself if there’s any factual evidence to support your fears. This technique can help you build more realistic and balanced thought processes.
If certain situations make you feel anxious, take small steps of bravery to face them. Start exposing yourself to scenarios that tend to trigger your anxiety. For example, if public speaking makes you edgy, consider making a small presentation for family or friends. By starting with a less intense version and slowly working your way up, you can effectively build your confidence and reduce anxiety over time.
Professional Help
If your anxiety becomes persistent, uncontrollable, or starts affecting your relationships, don’t hesitate to get professional help. In addition to therapy, your reliable doctor or psychiatrist may prescribe medication to help control severe anxiety symptoms.
If you’re considering alternative solutions like using cannabis to treat your anxiety, make sure to seek approval from your doctor first to ensure their effectiveness. If you live in Canada, specifically Toronto, remember to search for a reputable cannabis delivery in Toronto that offers high quality products.
Endnote
Managing anxiety is a personal journey, and what works for you may not work for another person. By incorporating these techniques, you can build an efficient toolkit to better manage your anxiety and improve your quality of life.
