Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders, affecting almost 30% of adults at some time in their life. It’s always best to seek the help of a mental health professional if you’re experiencing any form of mental health disorder, but there are some simple steps you can take to relieve symptoms of anxiety on your own.
Take a quick break from looking into REI BlackBook, and let’s get into 6 natural and simple ways to ease anxiety.
Get Your Body Moving
One of the easiest ways to reduce anxiety is to simply stand up and go for a walk or head to the gym. Exercising, including walking at a moderate pace, releases feel-good hormones in your body called endorphins. These chemicals are powerful catalysts when it comes to getting rid of repetitive, anxious thoughts.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice that has been around for centuries, and it’s becoming increasingly popular in the Western world – and for good reason. Mindfulness practices are effective at reducing stress, anxiety, and negative feelings. If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to practicing mindfulness, there are plenty of free guided mindfulness meditations online to help get your foot in the door.
Spend Time in Nature
Sometimes all it takes is spending a little quality time in nature to help relieve symptoms of anxiety. Researchers found that spending as little as 20 minutes in naturehelps to lower stress hormones, like cortisol, which is often experienced in high levels by people who struggle with anxiety.
Make Quality Sleep a Priority
Mental health professionals around the world agree that quality sleep is one of the most effective and easiest ways to combat symptoms of anxiety. When you prioritize getting quality sleep each night, you’re allowing your body and mind to get the rest they need. In turn, this helps to prevent spikes in symptoms of anxiety. While it’s not a cure-all for anxiety, it is incredibly important that people looking to reduce symptoms of anxiety ensure they’re getting adequate and quality sleep each night.
Give Yourself a Mental Health Day
People often wait until they’re incredibly overwhelmed and anxious to do anything about it. That’s why allowing yourself mental health days is incredibly important to reduce anxiety. When you frequently give yourself time and space to practice self-care and acknowledge your mental health, you’re much less likely to experience panic attacks or overwhelming anxiety. Try and aim for at least 2 mental health days a week, and this can include your weekends.
Take a Cold Shower
Research continues to explore the benefits of cold showers, and one of the most important findings is that it’s been shown to help people who struggle with anxiety. Cold showers decrease cortisol levels (the stress hormone) which allows for a decrease in stress and anxiety. When it comes to the benefits of cold showers, you only need to aim for 2-minute cold showers every other day.
