When fighting stress and anxiety, it can be helpful to take a multi faceted approach. Below are some lifestyle changes to put in place to lead to a relaxed and blissful life.
Exercise: Just twenty minutes a day of vigorous exercise (particularly outdoors) has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety. Both exercise and sunshine help raise serotonin levels.
4-7-8 Breathing: Adding a twice a day breathing routine to your daily routine can greatly reduce your anxiety. To start, completely blow all the breath out of your body. Now inhale through your nose for a count of four. Next, hold your breath for a count of seven. Slowly, for a count of eight, let it out through your mouth. Repeat for at least 4 cycles.
Practice Mindfulness: For many, worries about the future are the root cause of anxiety. Practicing mindfulness, in which you train the brain to stay present in the moment, helps interrupt this focus on worries about future events. Start with as little as ten minutes a day in which you sit comfortably, noticing what is happening in the moment, including your breath, sensations on your skin and noises around you. The free app Stop, Breathe and Think offers short guided mediations that might also be helpful.
Sleep: Be sure to get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night to help reduce stress. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep may play a role in activating brain regions that contribute to excessive worrying.
Improve digestion: If you suffer from digestive issues like loose stools, constipation, gas, burping or heart burn, you may not be getting all the nutrients you are ingesting. Working with a nutritionist or medical professional to improve digestion may increase your absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Light therapy: For people who experienced increase anxiety as the days get shorter in the winter, exposure to a light box, particularly in the morning time might help reduce anxiety.
Epsom Salt Baths: Adding a cup of Epsom salts to a warm bath before bed gives your body added magnesium which is considered a calming mineral.
Foods to Avoid Or Minimize:
Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine
