I’ve talked about anxiety some times now, but I realized I never thought about tackling it. You have to have simple tricks that help you feel calmer, more relaxed and almost anxious free. It’s not an easy thing when you get stressed about what hasn’t even happened – like going on a plane in four months or having had a fight with your closest friends. I torture myself psychologically and it tends to make me stress out a lot. So I’ve been developing some techniques which I found helpful in tackling anxiety:
1. Checklists: this is quite important to me because I can easily obsess over things I have to do. I hate forgetting something so I’m always writing down my tasks. Even if it’s grocery shopping, finishing a project, writing a post or just an idea. This helps you keep track of the things you have to do without constantly thinking about them.
2. Exercise: exercise releases endorphins, which naturally make you feel better, happier, more relaxed and eventually tired. I try to exercise five to six days a week, even if it’s just running for half an hour. Because I work in a desk, I’m sitting down all day and can easily be consumed by all my problems instead of focusing on simpler things.
3. Drink tea: chamomile tea is known for having a soothing effect on our nerves because it has some similar compounds to Valium. Green tea has a small amount of caffeine but its effects are healthier long term; it tends to lower your blood pressure and heart rate, which naturally spike when you are having an anxiety attack.
4. Healthy diet: eating the right ingredients and amount of food can have long lasting benefits when it comes to your nerves. When you eat junk or processed food, the ingredients in them have a level of addiction that will make you feel hooked when you don’t have them. On the other hand, if you’re eating healthy, you will feel more energetic, focused and will have the energy to do all you have to.
5. Yoga and/or meditation: yoga is a combination of several stress relieving exercises that are known to release tension. Mainly, you have to focus on your breathing and stretching but also yourself and what you are doing. It’s a great practice to quiet down your head for a while and focus on controlling your thoughts.