Anxiety is high. Spend any time online, on social media or even at your local grocery store these days, and you can begin to feel debilitating stress. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to cope when you feel anxious.
- Meditation: Focusing on relaxation is a good practice to tune out anxiety and ease tension. Try meditating for 5 minutes and build up to 20 or 30 minutes.
- Exercise: Movement is a great, healthy way to release stress and burn off stress. When anxiety hits, take a walk, ride a bike or get in a mile or two of running.
- Limit screen time and social media exposure: News and social media are designed to evoke emotion in viewers. When the emotion you feel is negative, turn off the television and put down the phone and pick up a good book. Play a board game, paint or color, or even complete a jigsaw puzzle to soothe your mind and spirit.
- Center yourself: When anxiety arises, stop, be still, close your eyes and take deep breaths. Find your center by focusing on your breath. Once you feel relaxed, open our eyes slowly and move forward.
- Create a routine: Having too much idle time can send your mind and energy racing. Start a routine that will keep your focus on those things that keep anxiety at bay. Begin your morning with meditation and movement. Journal or write down positive thoughts to recall throughout the day. Then start your day.
- Schedule quiet time: As you plan your day, schedule a few minutes of quiet time 2-3 times each day to reset.
- Get outside, if you can: Spending time in nature can literally turn your day from negative to positive. Sit on your patio or take a walk around the neighborhood. Let the sun beam on your body and breathe in fresh air. Listen to the nature around you to release the stress of the day.
- Stay positive. Remember, nothing lasts always.
