Anxious feelings are a natural response to stress. Heart rate quickens, blood pressure elevates, muscles tighten and breathing becomes shallow and quick. A small amount of anxiety and stress is healthy as it provides motivation, helps you meet deadlines and emphasizes important tasks in life. Too much anxiety and stress compromises physical and emotional health and increases the risk of depression, social withdrawal, feelings of irritability, fatigue and muscular tension. Naturally reducing stress and anxiety reduction helps a person return to a healthy state.
Stress Journal
During a stressful or anxious situation, it is common to feel a loss of control over the situation. Helpguide recommends keeping a stress journal as a way to regain control and identify different stressors that cause anxiety or heighten stress. Writing down when you feel stress or anxiety and what triggered the feelings will help you assess situations, relationships and thoughts that provoke anxiety and stress. Jotting down what you do with the feelings will help you learn and change any unhealthy coping mechanism. For example, if you record that anxious thoughts trigger overeating, write down healthy ways that you can combat anxious thoughts in the future. Listening to music, taking a bath or going for a walk are all healthy coping mechanisms.
Relaxation Techniques
According to Mayo Clinic, yoga reduces stress and helps decrease anxious feelings. Muscular tension, headaches and physical fatigue are symptoms of stress and anxiety. Yoga relaxes the muscles and the mind, helping you return to emotional and physical calmness. Massage, a hot shower and sitting in a sauna all relax the muscles, slow down the mind and ease symptoms of stress and anxiety. The National Institute of Health recommends tai chi, guided imagery and meditation to reduce anxiety, while the Mayo Clinic advocates exercising on a daily basis to reduce stress levels and relax the body.
Support Networks
Social withdrawal is a common symptom of stress and anxiety. Talking to a friend, family member, church staffer or a therapist may help reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. Joining a local support group for anxiety and stress provides an outlet and resources for stress reduction.
Hobbies
Participating in something enjoyable each day lowers stress levels and contributes to reduced feelings of anxiety. Finding an activity that brings joy, relaxation and happiness into your life will help combat the negative feelings associated with stress and anxiety. Whether your find reading, drinking tea, playing with a pet or some other enjoyable activity, incorporate it into your daily routine.
Attitude Readjustment
Stepping back and viewing the bigger picture helps reduce stressful and anxious feelings during certain situations. If waiting in line at a store is stress-provoking, stop and ask yourself how and if waiting in line will affect your life. Letting go of small stressors that don't really impact life helps lower stress and anxiety.
