Occasional or periodic anxiety is a part of our daily life. But frequent stress, fear, and worries which are above normal limits lead to anxiety disorder. This disorder can be of several types- generalized anxiety disorder, social disorder, panic attacks, and many various kinds of phobias. The various symptoms of anxiety may include feeling restless, sweating, stomach aches, headaches, and many more. People with anxiety or depression cannot get rid of this quickly. The right way to carry out anxiety management involves keeping an eye on your regular habits. Your daily habits are the first things that can either help cure anxiety or increase it. Let’s explore the best and worst habits for anxiety management.
Worst Habits for Anxiety Management
Certain lifestyle habits can trigger anxiety issues in individuals. Let’s find them out!
1. Having Too Much Coffee
If you are looking forward to the answer to the question of how to reduce stress and anxiety, then the first thing you need to check is whether you are consuming an excessive amount of caffeine or not. Cortisol, a hormone released when you are stressed, is triggered when you drink coffee. This, in return, makes you more anxious and depressed. So, try to manage your coffee intake by swapping it with an alternative such as tea or juices.
2. Skipping Meals
If you are concerned about the management of anxiety disorder, then do not ever skip meals. Skipping your meals means you are not getting all the vitamins, minerals, or any other nutrients that are good for your health. Thus, you will not get enough energy and feel tired and stressed every time.
3. Unhealthy Sleeping Schedule
Anxiety and depression are common nowadays and not getting enough sleep can worsen your anxiety. It can result in hormonal imbalance, which will increase your stress or anxiety levels.
Lack of sleep operates as a constant stressor, which can cause your body’s systems to become overloaded. So, it is reasonably necessary to have a healthy sleep schedule; otherwise, you will experience lower self-esteem and panic attacks.
4. Consuming Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol is not suitable for your overall health. Consuming excess amounts of alcohol will weaken the production of certain chemicals, especially those that help manage stress or anxiety. If you can’t quit drinking, try to drink in small amounts, so you don’t worsen your mental health.
5. Excessive Use of Social Media
Social media is helpful to us in many ways but overusing it can worsen your mental health. Unhealthy social media habits can leave you feeling lonely, stressed, and depressed. To stop this kind of feeling and manage panic attacks, try to limit the usage of social media. This will also help you with having proper sleep.
Best Habits for Anxiety Management
A few lifestyle changes can be truly beneficial for your mental health in the long run. Following are some good habits that can help you combat anxiety issues and help you live a stress-free life:
1. Exercise
If you are one of those who are suffering from anxiety disorder and wondering how to stop anxiety, then exercising daily is an effective way to reduce it. Physically active people tend to have lower anxiety rates than those who do not.
You can engage yourself in aerobic exercises, walking, pilates, cycling, or biking, to improve your mental health. Exercise helps regulate your brain’s response to stress and reduces the feeling of anxiety immediately.
2. Meditation
Depression or anxiety can cause mood swings or you could get excessive negative thoughts if you suffer from anxiety. Meditation is the key if you don’t know how to stop anxiety thoughts or how to manage your anxiety. Meditation helps you in changing your response to negative thinking.
Sit down in a comfortable or cozy place to perform meditation and close your eyes. Then start taking deep breaths slowly a few times. Focus on how you inhale and exhale and how your breaths are shifting to various parts of your body. Try to meditate for around 10 minutes every day to lead a peaceful life.
3. Journal Writing
If you are the one who remains constantly stressed about something and doesn’t know how to stop feeling anxious, then writing it down is the best option. When you are dealing with anxiety, your mind is fully occupied with a jumble of ideas or thoughts. Keeping a diary or journal or putting your feelings and thoughts down on paper will help you in managing stress and anxiety.
Writing down your feelings helps identify or understand what triggers you and gives you a chance to face your crazy thoughts.
4. Keep Your Surroundings Clean
You might be thinking about how keeping things neat and clean helps in anxiety disorder stress management. It can help you with stress management because cleaning is a form of meditation. It allows you to stay in the present and provides you with something to concentrate on. Having a neat and clean room or apartment will give you a soothing feeling, which will, in return, calm your mind and reduce stress.
5. Hang Out with friends
Even if you have a hectic schedule, try to make plans with your friends and spend time with them. Getting outside for a little bit of time with a good company will help you handle your stress or anxiety. Talking to your friends about your thoughts and fears will help ease your anxiety.
6. Dancing
Dancing daily for at least 15 minutes can help individuals release stress and feel happy from within. The music makes you feel free mentally and increases the overall energy level of the body.
Conclusion
Identifying what kind of anxiety you are dealing with is the primary thing you need to do. But along with that, you will have to keep an eye on your regular habits as they play a significant role in anxiety management.
