Anxiety
Tips to manage anxiety and stress
It’s normal to feel anxious sometimes. It’s how we respond to feeling threatened, under pressure or stressed: for example if we have an exam, job interview or doctor’s appointment. Anxiety isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can spur us on, make us aware of risks and motivate us to solve problems. However, anxiety can be a problem if it’s affecting your life. This is where an emotional detox comes in. To address your anxiety you need to process it through an emotional detox. You can create this by taking daily breaks to connect with your body, ask your body how it feels, connect with the breath, activate joy by visualising images that represent calm and peace and also connect with your 5 senses.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety is known to affect your behaviour. You may withdraw from friends and family, feel unable to go to work, or avoid certain places. While avoiding situations can give you short-term relief, anxiety often returns the next time you’re in the situation. Avoiding it only reinforces the feeling of danger and never gives you a chance to find out whether your fears are true or not. Some people with anxiety may appear to be fine on the outside while still having symptoms such as a feeling of dread, feeling on edge and panicky, difficulty concentrating, irritability, restlessness, feeling dizzy, shortness of breath.
What can we do to manage it?
1. Exercise
Jog, walk, bike, or dance three to five times a week for 30 minutes. Make time in your day for any sort of exercise which will do wonders to your anxiety!
2. Set small daily goals
Set small daily goals and aim for daily consistency rather than perfect workouts. It’s better to walk every day for 15-20 minutes than to wait until the weekend for a three-hour fitness marathon. Lots of scientific data suggests that frequency is most important.
3. Find fun forms of exercise
Exercise does not have to be a chore! Extroverted people often like classes and group activities. People who are more introverted often prefer solo pursuits.
4. Listen to music
If you don't like being in silence, listen to a podcasts, or music when you exercise. Many people find it’s more fun to exercise while listening to something they enjoy.
5. Get an exercise buddy
It’s often easier to stick to your exercise routine when you have to stay committed to meeting a friend or colleague. Exercising with someone else ca be loads of fun!
6. Be kind to yourself
There is nothing wrong with feeling anxious. Try not to judge, tune into your body and breathe deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. Use your senses to bring your awareness back into the present.