It can be challenging to function when you are afflicted with anxiety. Irrational worries can rear their ugly heads at any time, resulting in nervousness, panic and stress. You may struggle to function in a normal way and find that your sleep patterns fall out of kilter. Many people suffer from anxiety at some point, but this is usually acute and manageable. For others, anxiety can be chronic and debilitating. With the coronavirus pandemic showing no signs of abating just yet, anxieties may be at an all-time high. If you are keen to manage your anxiety in a more effective way, follow these three simple steps. This is a guest post.
Relieve Your Anxiety In 3 Simple Steps
Yoga
If you have never experienced a yoga session before, now might be the ideal time to give it a go. There are plenty of free online YouTube classes offering up some great step by step guides and sessions by expert yogis. Many people assume that yoga is the realm of dreadlocked hippies, incense sticks and chanting. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many medical professionals are now choosing to prescribe a course of yoga and mindfulness rather than medication in the first instance to boost mental health.
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Yoga enables you to practice a range of postures alongside breathing exercises. You will have the chance to strengthen your core while relieving your mind of the damaging intrusive thoughts that can manifest as part of your anxiety. Couple your yoga with mindfulness and you can train your thought processes to remain in the present rather than worry about what may or may not happen in the future.
Time To Yourself
With our lives remaining stressful and busy, we can struggle to find time for ourself. We are busy being moms, daughters, staff members, managers and taxi drivers. What about time to find yourself? Relax by finding a few minutes every day that you can dedicate to your own passions and calming activities. This could be a long hot soak in the tub surrounded by scented candles. It could be some time with one of the many available bubblers online while reading a book. Or it could be some quality time spent in the park amongst nature. Being outdoors is an excellent way to surround yourself with greenery and it will allow you to enjoy the natural light. This will regulate your body clock, forging a better sleep pattern and will help to release the happy hormone, dopamine into your bloodstream.
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Get Creative
By allowing your creative juices to flow, you can enjoy a bit of freedom to paint, sculpt, make or sketch. Even if you aren’t au fait with art techniques, you can have fun and feel free as you start mark making with color and texture. Being creative allows your mind to feel unshackled from your anxieties. Flexing your artistic muscles will enable you to stay calm, relax and focus on something more positive. Dedicating some time to your creations each week will also give you something to look forward to.