For most of us, our life on a weekly basis may be, and probably will be, pretty stressful for one reason or another, and if we’re not careful, this stress and anxiety may manifest itself in the ugliest way possible, at the worst possible times. There are all sorts of various triggers for stress and anxiety, and it’s pretty safe to say that some of us are far more prone to stress than others. Some of us cope well under stressful situations and circumstances, whilst others crumble. There are many different causes of stress for us to be wary of, and no two are exactly alike. Generally speaking however, we may find ourselves feeling anxious and stressed as a result of our jobs, or perhaps due to money worries. Sometimes problems in our relationships may cause us to feel stressed and anxious. Whatever the causes may be, stress and anxiety can make us extremely ill and can potentially ruin our lives if we’re not careful. If you’re finding yourself increasingly stressed and anxious lately, take a look at our 8 simple yet effective ways of beating stress and anxiety and you’ll be amazed by what a difference they can make.
1.Try to take your mind off the problem
If you find yourself feeling increasingly stressed and /or anxious, there’s obviously going to be something causing you to feel this way in the first place. If you do indeed know what the problem is, try to take your mind off the problem and find something positive to distract yourself with instead. Of course the problem is probably not going to go away by itself, but worrying constantly about it is only going to make things worse, so find something positive to do to distract yourself. Try going for a walk, to the gym, or out with friends perhaps?
2. Try to steer clear of caffeine
Though some of us claim that we can’t function until we’ve had our morning cup of coffee, if you’re feeling increasingly stressed and anxious lately, you may want to avoid caffeine altogether. Caffeine is a natural stimulant that also boosts natural adrenalin levels within the body, which is a hormone that actually plays a big part in stress and anxiety, so naturally you want to reduce adrenalin, not increase it. If you do feel tired in a morning and need waking up, finish your morning shower with a 30 second burst of cold water and when you step out you’ll feel more awake and invigorated than ever before.
3. Set aside a daily “worry slot”
To some of you, this may sound counterproductive but worrying is a key part of recovering from a certain problem because without worry we would find no solution. Of course you shouldn’t spend every waking hour obsessing over whatever it is that is making you feel stressed and anxious, but if you set aside a daily “worry slot” in which for a set amount of time you allow yourself to worry about your troubles, you can then think clearly and come up with methods of making them better.
4. Address any physical symptoms head on
Of course stress and anxiety are very much psychological issues as they affect the mind, but there are also a number of physical symptoms that manifest themselves when we’re feeling anxious and stressed. Typically these consist of: rapid heartbeat, tense muscles, heavy breathing, increased sweating etc. To help calm yourself down and get these symptoms under control, take 5 minutes, find a quiet and calming environment and focus on slowing down your breathing and calming yourself down.
5. Take up calming hobbies and pastimes
It doesn’t matter whether you know the root cause of your stress and anxiety, or if you’re not exactly sure yourself, a number of studies have revealed that by taking up calming hobbies and pastimes, the symptoms of stress and anxiety can be greatly reduced, or even cleared up altogether over time. A few examples that immediately spring to mind are walking, cycling, knitting, cooking, baking, reading, puzzle solving, even gardening and cleaning.
6. Try to laugh more
This is probably easier said than done if you find yourself constantly feeling anxious and/or stressed but if you can, try to laugh more as laughter is indeed one of the best medicines. Laughter helps increase natural endorphins within the body, that are often referred to as “happy chemicals” because they help us to feel happy and content. Try reading funny material, reading jokes, spending more time with friends, or even watching more comedies on the TV and you’ll be amazed by what a difference it will make.
7. Get more exercise
Exercise is crucially important for a number of reasons, as it assists with health and well-being in a variety of different ways. One of the main ways in which it benefits us is that it too helps increase natural endorphin levels in the body, helping us to feel healthier, happier, and calmer. Over time, as we begin to see the benefits of the exercise on our bodies, we tend to look better and so we feel better about ourselves as well, which is great for mental health and well-being as our confidence levels increase higher than ever before.
8. Address the problem head on
For some people, it’s the not knowing that causes them so much grief and aggravation as they drive themselves wild worrying about hypothetical scenarios in their heads that have not yet actually happened at all. If you’re worrying and feeling stressed about a certain issue, rather than wasting all of your time worrying, why not address the problem head on and try to find yourself a viable and effective solution instead, or at the very least try to put your mind at ease by knowing for sure what it is that’s bothering you.
