Lifestyle Changes for My Anxiety
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It can be a useful emotion that increases your efficacy or in some cases be limiting to your daily functionality.
What are the long-term coping strategies for anxiety?
Exercise
There is good research showing that physical exercise improves physical and mental health, including anxiety and depression. People who exercise are less likely to
have an anxiety disorder, and exercise naturally increases some of the brain proteins that help us learn that we are safe. Exercise appears to help with anxiety regardless of the causes or triggers of the anxiety, so it can be effectively applied to a very wide range of anxiety-related problems.
To improve physical and mental health, the World Health Organization recommends adults should exercise between 75—150 minutes a week depending on the intensity of the workouts.
Social and recreational time
Take time out for family, friends and recreational activities. Most of us know that this is important but we do not all do it. If you find it hard to make time for this, perhaps you need to take deliberate steps to have time out, such as set aside one evening a week where you meet up with friends or enjoy a hobby, or set aside one day of the weekend for relaxing at home.
Healthy eating habits
Eating well can help in reducing your anxiety levels. It also can help with creating a more positive body image and boosting your self-confidence.
Sleeping well
Sleeping for 7-8 hours every night at regular times and following better sleep hygiene tips can be very helpful. If you are sleep deprived you are more likely to not feel good about yourself, have higher anxiety levels, and can also affect your cognitive abilities and decision making. Sleeping for enough hours and feeling well rested can help you avoid that.
Limiting caffeine intake
Caffeine is a well-studied stimulant, and even though coffee has many health benefits, the natural effects of caffeine stimulate a host of sensations, such as your heart beating faster, your body heating up, your breathing rate increasing, all things that mimic anxiety. Psychologically, it's difficult for your mind to recognize that this is not anxiety because it feels the same.
Mindfulness Exercises
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress. It can be used during anxiety attacks and in daily life and it helps you feel calmer.
Maintaining a regular routine
An effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to better mental health, more time to relax and less anxiety. Also, reducing the amounts of decisions you have to take every day which can help you deal better with decision fatigue.
How can we help you in coping with anxiety at Mind Clinic?
Every person is different and with the help of our clinical psychologists in the clinic will tailor a plan fitting to your needs. We can help people struggling with anxiety by teaching them the proper techniques on how to combat it and how to face the anxiety inducing ideas using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
We also provide help with Nutrition, the nutritionists on our team can help you identify foods that you are comfortable with, are healthy for you and help you with establishing a better relationship with food.
References:
Anxiety and exercise. (n.d.). Centre for Clinical Intervention. Retrieved July 16, 2024, from https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Anxiety/Anxiety—Information-Sheets/Anxiety-Information-Sheet—12—Anxiety-and-Exercise.pdf
Northwestern Medicine Staff & Northwestern Medicine. (2022, December 14). Health benefits of having a routine. Northwestern Medicine. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/health-benefits-of-having-a-routine#:~:text=An%20effective%20routine%20can%20help,emotional%20well%2Dbeing%20and%20energy.
Rd, A. L. (2022, August 18). Anxiety and Caffeine: What's the Connection? Health. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://www.health.com/condition/anxiety/how-coffee-increases-anxiety#:~:text=%22Overall%2C%20caffeine%20is%20often%20bad,by%20speeding%20up%20bodily%20functions.