Anxiety can be one of those things that is crippling to a person. You can wake up feeling normal and then anxiety hits you out of nowhere. While it’s hard to live with anxiety from day to day, there are some things you can do to help your anxiety. Making these small lifestyle changes could be the key to helping you deal with your anxiety.
1. Put Your Phone on Silent
This may seem like a crazy idea but for myself, I get such anxiety with unexpected phone calls or texts. Having it on silent gives me PEACE.
2. Make To-Do Lists
The one thing that helps me control my life is making lists, lists, lists! Having a daily planner or using a calendar on the fridge to write your schedule is so beneficial. Check off the things you've done and see exactly what is to come in your day. This helps my anxiety so much!
3. Limit Screen Time
The first thing when you wake up, what do you do? Do you look at your phone, check your emails, Facebook, and see all the drama in life? Get up and enjoy a cup of coffee. Give your kids a hug good morning. Have a refreshing long hot shower. Or at night; put the phone, computer, cable tv, etc. away. This gets your mind racing and it's not worth it when it's time to wind down. Grab a good book in bed to distract your thoughts.
4. Get More Sunshine
It's likely sitting inside looking at the same scenery will make you over-think and have your mind race. Get outside in natural sunlight for at least 10 minutes a day. Get your Vitamin D levels up, which help in decreasing anxiety symptoms. A brisk walk will make all the difference.
5. Stay Away from Caffeine
If you have panic attacks, the first thing you should do is cut out the caffeinated drinks! They make your body tenser and bring on the anxiety attacks. Stick to drinking ice water or herbal teas such as chamomile.
6. Remove the Negativity
This is easier said than done but you need to remove the toxic people and things out of your life ASAP. Political crap on facebook? Unfollow. Drama-filled friends? Delete. Family members making you feel bad about yourself? Done. Having a constant disappointment in life will never help you succeed.
7. Exercise
Don’t think for one minute that you have to wake up at 5 AM and head to the gym to workout for two hours, in order to help your anxiety. That’s not where this tip is headed. Exercise can help you with anxiety for many reasons, but it doesn’t have to be strenuous. Getting up and walking or doing yoga in the morning can help your anxiety. The reason exercise can help your anxiety is for a few reasons. You have to find a form of exercise you enjoy though, otherwise you may just be adding fuel to the fire. Studies do show that exercise relieves anxiety by helping your body handle stress better. Exercise also gives your mind something to focus on, other than what is happening around you.
8. Change Your Diet
No one wants to be told they need to change their diet. However, if it can help with your anxiety, then it may be worth a shot. Some people need to remove carbs and sugar. Talk to your doctor to see which diet could actually help you and your anxiety. What we put in our body can determine how our body reacts. If you’re dealing with anxiety, a diet change might be just what you need to help you get back on track.
9. Get More Sleep
Another lifestyle change you can make to help with your anxiety is getting more sleep. Getting the right amount of sleep is what is important. You can get too little or too much and this can result in your anxiety skyrocketing. Try to get yourself in a routine. Get to bed on time and wake up at the same time every day. Your sleep schedule will become more predictable and hopefully this will help eliminate some of the anxiety you experience during the day. Some people think that sleep doesn’t affect our day to day lives, but it does! Sleep is everything!
10. Find a Meaningful Hobby
Work and life in general can be stressful. When you have downtime, this can result in your brain starting to panic. A hobby can help you stay focused during your downtime. Idle brain time isn’t good for anyone. Take some time to create a hobby for yourself. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s relaxing and enjoyable. Finding something to help you relax is truly a great way to deal with anxiety. Painting, art, yoga, gardening, and meditating are very therapeutic hobbies. What hobby will you choose to help your anxiety?
11. Focus on the Task at Hand
If you are a worrier, than you are likely going to have more anxiety. One way to combat this type of anxiety is to focus on the task at hand. If you are at work, you need to focus on work. When at home, focus on being at home. This takes a lot if mind training. After a few weeks of focusing on the tasks on hand, you will see an improvement in your anxiety. You’re only one person and can’t continue to focus on every problem you have at one time. Give this tip serious thought and see how it can impact your life.
Talk to Your Doctor
As many lifestyle changes as you’d like to make, sometimes it’s best to talk to your doctor. You and your doctor can come up with a plan that helps you feel less anxious overall. Sometimes just having someone to talk to and explain how you feel, without judgement, is one of the best tools we have!
Changing your lifestyle is never easy. Anxiety can hurt you in more ways than just one. It can affect your job and your day to day life. Using these tips may help you in more ways than you thought!
