Tips for Managing Anxiety & Maintaining a Healthy Mindset

I am prone to anxiety, and over the last few weeks, it has been repeatedly triggered. The impending election and the turmoil surrounding it has got many of us nervous and on edge. When I find myself lying awake well into the night with ruminating thoughts running through my head, it’s a sign I need to dig deeper into my toolbox and tighten my wellness practices. When anxiety sets in, it feels overwhelming and scary…but over time, I have also come to see it as a reminder to prioritize my mental health & wellbeing. By expanding or going deeper with some of these simple practices I am able to regain a sense of control and find my place of peace amidst the chaos.

Here are a few of my favorite and most effective tools that help me manage my anxiety, and I hope you find them useful:

Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing exercises are the easiest and quickest way to restore your nervous system and reduce anxiety. You can do them in the car, at work, on a plane, in the bathroom – ANYWHERE! One effective technique is diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing. To practice this, sit or lie down in a comfortable position, place one hand on your chest or heart and the other on your abdomen, and take slow, deep breaths through your nose, ensuring your abdomen rises more than your chest. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Close your eyes and repeat this for a few minutes whenever you feel anxious. Find some other breathing exercises here – they all work, it’s really about what feels best for you 7 deep breathing exercises to help you calm anxiety — Calm Blog.

Reframing Thoughts

Reframing thoughts or cognitive-behavioral techniques (CBT) are widely used to manage anxiety. This process helps you identify and challenge negative thought patterns that contribute to and can quickly spiral anxiety. For example, if you find yourself thinking, “I can’t handle this,” or “This is so overwhelming,”, you can challenge the thought by asking yourself, “What evidence do I have that I can’t handle this? Have I managed similar situations before?” “Am I really overwhelmed or is this just hard right now?” This is a great short video by Brene Brown explaining why language is so important when naming emotions Naming our Emotions. By reframing our thoughts, we can slow or stop the rumination of thoughts, reduce anxiety and build a more positive mindset and outlook.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness allows you to fully experience and appreciate your current surroundings and activities, which can significantly reduce anxiety and improve overall well-being. For example, if you are taking a shower, take note of the temperature of the water, be conscious of the scents of the products you are using, notice how good the water feels on your skin and feel grateful that you are able to take a hot or cool shower with clean water. So much of the time we experience anxiety because we are not living in the present; we are living in the past or the future. We are worrying about things and creating stories about what might happen, and often doesn’t or we are ruminating and replaying relationships, conversations and situations from the past while also assigning guilt, shame and regret to ourselves and others. Living in the past or future is wasted energy and by practicing mindfulness, we learn to anchor ourselves in the present, reducing the power these worries have over us.

Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is a natural anxiety reducer. Exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and mood elevators. Whether it’s a walk in nature, a yoga session, Pilates, a swim or a vigorous workout, incorporating physical activity into your daily routine can help alleviate anxiety and improve overall mental well-being. Sex is another great way to exert physical activity, manage anxiety and improve quality of sleep. It has emotional, mental and physical benefits too!

Limit exposure to social media and news

Constant exposure to social media and news, especially during stressful times like an election, can amplify anxiety. I find it helpful to set specific times for checking news and limit my social media use. This way, I stay informed without becoming overwhelmed. Turning off notifications and curating my feed to include positive and inspiring content also makes a big difference. By controlling the amount and type of information I consume, I can stay informed and also honor my mental health and reduce anxiety.

Practice Gratitude

Having a gratitude practice has been a highly effective tool in managing my anxiety and for maintaining a healthy mindset. It feels great to be mindful of all of the blessings I have, especially when there is so much “negative noise” happening around us. Start by taking a few moments to reflect on three things you are grateful for today. You could do this around your dinner table with your family, write them down in your journal, write them in your tablet or just say them in your meditation. This simple practice shifts our focus from what is causing anxiety to what brings joy and contentment. It helps reframe our mindset, making it easier to see the positive aspects of life even during challenging times.

Journaling

Journaling is a therapeutic way to process our thoughts and emotions. Writing about our feelings can help us gain clarity and insight into what triggers anxiety. It can also be a space to practice gratitude by noting positive experiences and achievements. Set aside a few minutes each day to write in your journal, allowing yourself to express your thoughts freely without self-censorship. If you aren’t sure what to journal about, or where to get started, start with Deepak Chopra’s Soul Questions and see where it goes.

• Who am I?
• What do I want?
• What is my purpose?
• What am I grateful for?

Meditation

Meditation is a powerful tool for managing anxiety and yet so many of my clients get stressed out at the thought of meditating! They find it hard to quiet the mind and be silent and want to be “perfect at it” from day one. This is why we call it a “practice”…it gets easier and comes more naturally as we continue to do it over time. This practice involves finding a quiet space, perhaps lighting a candle or incense, closing your eyes and focusing on the present moment. There are many apps that offer guided mediations, such as Calm or Headspace, you could repeat a mantra to help pull you back to present moment awareness when your thoughts take over. This is a nice article for beginners that explains different Types of Meditations. By regularly practicing meditation, you can reduce the intensity of anxious thoughts and create a sense of inner peace. Start with just a few minutes twice a day, gradually increasing the duration as you become more comfortable.

If you need help managing your anxiety or are interested in exploring ways to improve your overall life experience, feel free to reach out. Peace out and stay zen – You deserve it!