Healthy Habits That Crush Anxiety

Sometimes, life can feel like a roller coaster of emotions. Anxiety can create tense moments, heart-pounding sensations, and persistent worries that sometimes leave us feeling uneasy. But for some people, anxiety lingers, takes over, and becomes a constant battle, severely affecting their everyday life. That’s why it’s crucial to tackle anxiety head-on with
practical and healthy habits that empower us to take control of our mental well-being. Let’s explore some tips to help you crush anxiety and reclaim your life.

Acknowledge Your Anxiety

Acknowledging and accepting your anxious feelings is the first step towards regaining control. Our attempt to hide anxiety only exacerbates its impact, perpetuating a vicious pattern. Becoming self-aware through journaling or daily reflection enables us to understand the dynamics of our anxiety and its underlying triggers.

Stay Active and Exercise Regularly

Your physical and mental health go hand in hand. Regular exercise improves your overall health and helps alleviate anxiety by releasing endorphins that produce a calming effect. Exercise can help increase self-confidence and serve as an outlet to release stress and negative emotions. From yoga and Pilates to swimming and jogging, different forms of
exercise can improve your health, decrease your anxiety, and boost your mood.

Prioritize Nutrition

As the old saying goes, you are what you eat! The gut-brain connection proves that what you eat can impact your mood and overall well-being. Looking for a mood boost? Opt for foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed, to help regulate the hormones that support emotional balance.

​Remember that excessive sugar, caffeine, and alcohol can worsen anxiety symptoms, increasing feelings of unease and restlessness. Start with small changes like swapping your sugary soda with an herbal tea. Focus on making healthy lifestyle changes instead of falling for fad diets.

Practice Mindfulness & Breathing Techniques

Mindfulness is a powerful tool that can help ease your anxiety by simply focusing on the current moment. Deep breathing exercises can help calm the nervous system, which is excellent for restoring mind-body balance.

If you are looking for a way to calm down fast, try the “4-7-8 breathing technique”. To start, inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This simple breathing exercise can help you regain control during a panic attack to find focus and clarity moving forward.

Set Small, Achievable Goals

Anxiety sufferers often fall into the trap of overthinking and setting unrealistic expectations for themselves. Setting achievable goals and breaking down larger tasks into manageable steps can help alleviate anxiety and foster a sense of self-confidence and assurance.

One way to practice this is to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals within your control. Doing so can enhance your motivation to focus on the immediate task without becoming overwhelmed.

Get Enough Sleep

When we are well-rested, we tend to feel calmer, and our bodies are better equipped to handle any situation that comes our way. That’s because getting an adequate 7-9 hours of sleep helps regulate our moods and manage stress levels. The problem is that sleep disturbances often coexist with anxiety.

Improving your sleep hygiene – including establishing a regular nightly routine, minimizing screen time before bed, and creating a conducive sleep environment – will greatly benefit your overall mental and emotional well-being.

Get Support- We Can Help!

Unfortunately, even the best self-help strategies aren’t enough to overcome some cases of anxiety. Our team is here to learn more about you so we can create a customized therapy plan that addresses the complexities of anxiety.

Our team is committed to guiding you through this process, offering compassionate care and evidence-based treatments tailored to your circumstances. So, take the first step toward conquering your anxiety by booking an appointment with our experts today.