10 Day-to-day Habits That Will Keep Your Anxiety at Bay

Struggling with anxiety, we may ask? Anxiety is one of the most dominant mental health conditions, affecting millions of people worldwide. This condition ranges in severity, unique from person to person. Some struggle with it consistently, while others can experience flare-ups triggered by outside forces and life events. Still, it all boils down to what we can control. The good news is that anxiety can be managed, and in learning so we can be effective at it. While counseling greatly helps, there are simple coping strategies we can do daily to ease our anxiety. Here, below are the 10 daily habits that will help your symptoms be more manageable; aiming to get you feeling in control of your life again. 

Talking to someone 

Seeing a therapist will support you to overcome your condition; and so is communicating your issues of anxiety with people you trust every day. This practice can help you manage your symptoms. 

You don’t have to suffer silently. It can be surprisingly helpful to tell someone whom you are close with that you suffer from anxiety, rather than keeping it as a secret; or a fearful part of you. When we are less ashamed of having anxiety and courageous enough to admit it; it results in the condition not taking the center stage of our lives. Happily, we are able to share support and often find out that others are similarly struggling as we are. 

Exercising daily 

There is a pile of physical benefits exercise covers, but it can also wonderfully benefit your mental health. Exercise aids in regulating our brain’s response to stress and alleviates feelings of anxiety, almost, always, immediately. 

Practicing mindfulness 

Anxiety often fixates on worries about the past, and fear of the future. By practicing daily mindfulness, you are to learn to ground yourself in the present moment. Focus more on your breathing and notice your surroundings more regularly. Spending a few minutes of mindfulness can help you prevent your anxious thoughts from rushing you over like waves. Aim for a calmer sea. 

Practicing gratitude 

Another wonderful day-to-day habit, Gratitude, can sustain our mental health abundantly, significantly in times when anxiety takes our limelight. By intentionally opting to be grateful, you can redirect your mindset and keep your anxious thinking at bay. It can take your mind away from worry and allows you to focus; appreciate, and take a good hold of the good things in your life, rather than those negative worries and fears.

Journaling 

Another aid in shifting your perspective is by starting to journal. Writing down what you’re thinking and feeling every day will enable you to take the power of your anxious thoughts. Did you know? When you see what you are feeling in a paper, they might not feel as threatening; or as overwhelming as you paint them to be. Bonus alert; you can also look back on your past journal entries, and see how far you have become, see how you are better, and witness how you grow. 

Practicing a Good Sleep Hygiene 

Constructing a healthy sleep routine every night is a vital component of reducing your anxiousness. Not getting enough slumber time can make your symptoms worse, tenfold. While it might seem impossible to get a night of good rest if your symptoms are spiking, going to bed at the same time each night will help; slowly but surely. Consistency is the key! Also practice other good sleep hygiene habits, such as avoiding electronics in the evening; avoiding caffeine late in the day, prohibiting naps after 3 pm, and others as well. 

Treat yourself 

Self-care has been taking over popularity, and it is for plenty of good reasons. By far,  everything that is enumerated so far is all sorts of self-care; but so is treating yourself to small things every day. It can enormously make a cheerful impact on your anxiety. You can go give yourself a face mask; you can pick a bouquet of flowers, or enjoy a croissant that was calling your name in your nearby bakery. These little winks of peace alongside happiness can really put some perspective on your anxious thinking. 

Limiting time on social media 

Social media has become a way of life for a majority of people; and we cannot help it as we become a technologically inclined society. However, it can also serve as an anxiety trigger. Whether you see a news story someone posted; or something a friend says that sparks you to worry, social media is not always the best; and ideal place that fosters a sense of calm. While it is hard, and you essentially do not need to get rid of it completely; it is a great idea to monitor your time and limit how often you check your social media. 

Cleaning and keeping things neat 

Decluttering, picking things up around your room or house and cleaning might not seem like a great; nor a very influential anxiety management strategy at first glance; but they can in actuality work in different helpful ways. First, it helps in making us pay attention to our present moment; as an alternative to spending our time worrying about our imaginary problems, existing in our heads. Second, keeping a clean; well-organized house gives us one less thing to spend worrying about, and subsequently, leads to fewer stressors. 

The sense of order that we create in our living surroundings has a wonderful way of impacting the sense of order we feel in our head, creating a delightful sense of calm. 

Spending some time outside 

Lastly, spending time outside is a lovely treat for our mental health, giving us an immediate boost of energy and happiness. Simply stepping outside can support you to fight back against your anxiousness and offer you, instead, a generous amount of serotonin. No act is too small, as even getting outside for just a few minutes each day makes a difference. 

A happy and healthy mind equates to a happy and healthy life. Share our words to those who might benefit from it. Mental wellness is great, as always.