Mental Health March is the month I have dedicated to writing HC articles solely with the purpose of bringing awareness to different aspects of mental health! Today’s article; managing anxiety.
Anxiety is an evolutionary survival instinct that helps us make decisions. Everyone experiences anxiety because without it we wouldn’t know to run from a bear, or to not jump from really high places. Anxiety is normal, and it is expected to occur in healthy and acceptable amounts, but the problem is that in today’s day and age we no longer need to run from bears or worry about survival. Instead, we focus on paying our bills and filing taxes. Because we lack such danger in our daily lives, our brains and amygdalas sometimes mess up our fear responses because they are trying to react to danger that doesn’t exist.
We don’t want anxiety to go away – anxiety is an important part of our lives! What we don’t want is too much anxiety, so instead of trying to get rid of it, we just need to focus on learning how to manage it.
1. Learn new coping strategies
When you feel yourself getting more and more anxious it can be very hard to bring yourself back down. An easy thing you can do for yourself is to memorize and practice coping strategies so that you have tools at hand to help you when you find yourself anxious again.
- Take deep breaths
- Count to 10 or 20, however long you need
- Try grounding exercises such as naming objects around you that appeal to all your 5 senses (e.g., Something around you that you can feel, touch, taste, etc.)
2. Mindfulness
Many people find that practicing mindfulness helps them to better control their emotions, worries, and overall anxiety. You can do this through different forms of meditation. Many people find it effective to practice living in the moment and practicing self-love. Guided meditation and yoga works for many others as well.
3. Exercise
Your physical wellbeing is an aspect of self-care commonly overlooked. Exercise and physical activity are actually extremely effective ways to help manage and decrease symptoms of anxiety. It can also help improve your overall mood!
- Go for a walk
- Follow along to a dance workout
- Do some chores to keep yourself moving (vacuuming, gardening, etc.)
4. Sleep
Sleep is extremely important to your body and it is vital for health. Research has been able to find a connection between insufficient sleep and higher levels of anxiety, which emphasizes the importance of adequate sleep. Your brain and body need to rest because without it, you are not able to function properly. Treat yourself nicely and go to bed a little earlier, or take a nap in the middle of the day.
5. Lay off caffeine and alcohol
While caffeine is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant, they both have the ability to worsen anxiety symptoms and can even trigger an anxiety attack in high amounts. Although you may reach for a drink to destress from a hard day of work, you may find you’re better off sticking to a nice warm bath or a cozy night in. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
I hope this article has helped enlighten you on mental illness! Everyone must take care of their mental health, and often at times that is not easy to do. If you need immediate help, please reach out to emergency psychological services. You can call 1-866-925-5454 to reach Good2Talk for Ontario residents or you can call Crisis Services Canada at 1-833-456-4566. If someone is suffering from anxiety, whether it be someone close to you or even yourself, there are always people willing to support you. You are never alone.