If you suffer with anxiety you know that when you’re anxious, you’re more stressed out. But it’s not that anxiety causes stress — it’s actually the other way around.
When your body senses a threat, it produces stress hormones. Anxiety is simply a reaction to that stress.
The bad news is that stress is unavoidable. The good news is that there are many things you can do to keep stress at bay.
Ready to learn what they are?
Here are seven stress busters that help keep anxiety away.
Improve Sleep Habits
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more cortisol (aka the stress hormone) than it needs. Higher levels of cortisol increase anxiety.
Getting a solid 7-9 hours of sleep is essential. Sleep refreshes and rejuvenates our brains and bodies. A lack of it makes you more irritable, makes it harder to concentrate, and puts you at higher risk for medical conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Poor sleeping habits can also lead to depression which, for many people, go hand-in-hand with anxiety. If you can improve your quality of sleep you can improve your health and wellness overall.
Exercise More
When we exercise, the body produces more endorphins, and endorphins help to reduce stress. They also relieve pain, boost our mood, and improve our sense of well-being.
If you suffer from anxiety, doing more physical activity can help. Even low-impact exercises, such as doing yoga and walking, can be beneficial.
Eat a Healthy Diet
While sugary and fatty foods may seem comforting, they won’t do anything to reduce your stress levels. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is key, and there are many foods that actually serve as natural stress-reducers.
The next time you fill your fridge or pantry, do so with healthy options, such as:
- Oatmeal
- Salmon
- Blueberries
- Avocados
- Dark chocolate
- Citrus fruits
- Nuts
Checkout this article to discover more foods that naturally help to relieve stress.
Meditate
Practicing meditation helps to reduce negative feelings, be more self-aware, and make you calmer and more present in the moment. All of these lead to reduced stress and improved mental health.
Meditation has physical benefits as well.
Because meditation involves deep-breathing, it can also lower your blood pressure, lower your resting heart rate, and help you sleep better. All of these help to reduce stress and improve your emotional well-being.
Practice Self-Care
Self-care can be anything from taking a warm bath to getting a massage to carving out time to pursue your favorite hobbies. It’s a key element to having good mental health, and it’s something that everyone should find time for.
Taking time out of your day to do things that are “just for you” can reduce stress levels and help minimize anxiety. Creative outlets, such as journaling or playing music, can be even more beneficial, as they offer ways to express your emotions and serve as mental distractions.
Socialize
It’s important to create and maintain a support system, so find time to socialize and connect with family and friends.
When you’re suffering from stress, isolation may be your go-to solution, but that’s not the best course of action. It’s better to connect with people, whether that be via phone conversations with family, meet-ups for coffee or dinner with friends, or volunteering in your community as a way to give back and meet new people at the same time.
Avoid Alcohol and Drugs
In stressful situations, some people turn to alcohol and illegal drugs. This is the wrong way to cope with stress, and these behaviors can lead to a host of other medical conditions, including liver disease, heart disease, and kidney failure.
Do not self-medicate with illegal substances. Instead, speak to a physician to learn about safe and legal treatment options, including the use of medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is legal in most states in the U.S., so if you suffer from anxiety, ask your physician if you should add it to your treatment plan.
If you’re leery of the “high” that can come from using medical marijuana, this site explains how you can reduce the effects of THC on the brain and have more control over a cannabis experience.
In Conclusion
We can’t avoid stress completely, but we can take steps to minimize it.
Find ways to improve your sleep. Get creative and practice self-care. Make healthy choices by eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, and avoiding bad behaviors.
Adding just a few of these practices to your daily routine can reduce stress. And while they might not eliminate your anxiety completely, they can reduce it significantly and give you more control over how you feel and how you manage your life.
