Anxiety and daily habits go together like peas and carrots.
Or like oil and water, depending on which habits you are implementing in your daily life.
If your habits are mostly unhealthy and reckless, your anxiety will likely heighten over time. Whereas, if your habits are healthy and consistent, your anxiety will likely decrease over time.
When it comes to managing anxiety, there are many daily habits that you can implement to help reduce its adverse effects. If you live a life full of unhealthy and unpredictable habits, then reducing anxiety will be much more challenging. However, if you have a healthy foundation of habits already in place (sleep, nutrition, exercise, breathing, and so on), then you should already notice the effects on your anxiety.
But which daily habits should you implement?
The answer depends on the person.
We all are “built” differently with varying needs and health concerns, but the techniques I write about below may not work for you. But they are tried and true methods that have been used for years, with scientific research backing up the claims. I have personally sought out each of these methods and have successfully managed my often out of control anxiety levels.
Here are the seven daily habits I use frequently.
1. USE MINDFULNESS AS A TOOL
Mindfulness is “The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.” You are trying to stay hyper-focused in the present moment instead of letting your thoughts wander to the future or ruminate over the past. Mindfulness can teach us many lessons and also, help us manage our anxiety because it helps us become more aware of our unconscious patterns; cuts down on worrying about the future and ruminating over the past; helps us to respond instead of reacting, and enhances focus, and brings more joy.
2. GO TO BED AND WAKE UP AT THE SAME TIMES
Optimizing sleep to help reduce anxiety is a biggie! Poor sleep and lack of sleep have detrimental effects on the human brain. Studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep or sleep poorly (sleep apnea) have trouble with memories, difficulties concentrating, and poorer health in general. Getting to bed and waking up at the same time is crucial in developing a healthy sleeping pattern. Also, monitoring your REM sleep is essential, as it helps with memory and replenishing neurotransmitters. Researchers have found that more REM sleep is associated with lower reactivity in the amygdala. So practicing good sleeping habits is crucial.
3. OPTIMIZE YOUR BREATHING
A number of studies show that breathing techniques are an effective way to manage anxiety. These breathing techniques impact both psychological factors by diverting attention away from thoughts and psychological factors by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS).
These breathing techniques are safe and easy to use and should be recommended more to people struggling with anxiety.
Breathing is a vital part of every relaxation, calming, or meditation technique, and it may be the most crucial denominator in all the approaches to calming the body and mind. Research into basic physiology and into the effects of applying breath-control methods lends credence to the value of monitoring and regulating our inhalations and exhalations. Controlled breathing can help induce relaxation in the body, which is essential as it relates to emotions.
4. REFRAME NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS
Reframing or reshaping negative thought patterns is one of the cornerstones of cognitive-behavioral therapy. The basis of this technique is to identify those automatic negative thought patterns and then reframe them into something more realistic and balanced. Often we get caught up in negative thought loops such as thinking of the worst-case scenario, over-generalizations, and placing too much importance on smaller details.
Examples of reframing negative thought patterns:
Reframe “I always seem to fail!” to “I gave it my best shot, and things won’t always go my way.”
Reframe “I just KNOW they heard me when I stuttered” to “I don’t know who heard me, but even if they did, it’s not that big of a deal!”
5. USE A THOUGHT RECORD TO CHALLENGE FEAR-BASED THINKING
Thought Records are used to challenge negative our fear-based thinking. Anxiety can produce a heavy dose of negative thoughts that seem to repeat over and over. These negative thoughts directly affect our moods; they tend to reaffirm some negative beliefs, propel a fear, or stir up more anxiety.
A thought record starts with writing down a thought or situation that triggers us. The first thing you do is write the thought or situation down on a piece of paper. Then, you run it through a thought record, a series of questions geared towards deconstructing the thought and getting to the root by challenging the thought with logic. You start by rating how strong the emotion is associated with the thought feels and then answer questions that either prove or disprove the thought’s core belief. Then, you rate the emotion attached to the thought to see if there has been any mood improvement.
6. PRACTICE GRATITUDE JOURNALING
Gratitude journaling, or keeping track of everything you are grateful for in your life, can be a game-changer on days that you’re struggling. Gratitude can have many positive effects, including improving sleep quality, reducing stress, and enhancing empathy. One of the more popular gratitude journaling methods is keeping track of three things that you are grateful for every day and writing them down before you go to bed.
7. GET OUT INTO NATURE
A Harvard article has highlighted that research is starting to show the effects of nature on the brain.
One of the growing scientific fields called Ecotherapy has revealed a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.
According to the Harvard article, “In a 2015 study, researchers compared the brain activity of healthy people after they walked for 90 minutes in either a natural setting or an urban one. They found that those who did a nature walk had lower activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that is active during rumination — defined as repetitive thoughts that focus on negative emotions.”
Dr. Jason Strauss, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard affiliate, explained that “When people are depressed or under high levels of stress, this part of the brain malfunctions and people experience a continuous loop of negative thoughts.”
IN REVIEW
Managing anxiety is never an easy task, but performing healthy tasks every day, even as little as just taking a walk outside, can reduce the effects anxiety has over our lives. The techniques and methods listed above may not be suitable for everyone, but they have worked for me and are backed by research and testimonials. See what works for you, play around with various techniques, and don’t be afraid to mix things up.
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior-to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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