Living with anxiety is…well, anxiety-inducing!
Every day you are facing anxiety up-front, or it’s lying in the background, ready to come back. Because anxiety is something that you struggle with every day, managing your anxiety requires the same daily commitment.
However, the fortunate thing about anxiety management is that it doesn’t require a ton of extra effort. Rather, these mindfulness techniques are little things that you can incorporate each day into your routine. By doing so, you can manage your anxiety with mindfulness and keep it at bay.
Here’s how.
1. Have a Consistent Wake Up and Wind Down Routine
The moments when we wake up and go to sleep really are bookends for our day. They both set the tone for how we will face the day ahead, and how we process at the end. You can incorporate mindfulness into these moments, and at the same time cope with anxiety. For example:
Use an alarm that wakes you slowly over several minutes, versus a beeping alarm
Practice gratitude by reflecting on what you are grateful for at the start and end of the day
Sit quietly, perhaps with coffee in the morning and tea in the evening
Use this quiet time to journal or read
Go for a walk
Avoid using technology except to read and stay off of social media
Note that this is time dedicated to yourself. You don’t have to be “productive” every waking moment. This is time you need to do all the other things throughout the day.
2. Mindful Physical Activity
One problem with anxiety is that it causes you to get all caught up in your mind while ignoring your body. So, to cope with anxiety, practice mindful physical activity. Some examples include:
Yoga
Walking around the neighborhood
Gardening
Because anxiety takes you away from the here-and-now, these activities will help you be more present.
3. Spending Time Outside
Spending time outside is a powerful way to practice mindfulness and cope with anxiety. Nature has a calming effect. It requires us to be present and notice little details. Maybe it’s watching birds flying on the horizon. Or being attentive to the trail or path you’re walking.
Plus, the rhythms of the natural world help to keep you calm and cope with stress. If you don’t live near a trail or open space, your community park works just as well. Consider scheduling a mid-day break to get outside, even if it’s for just thirty minutes.
4. Breathe Easily
Any aspect of a mindfulness routine is going to include breathing exercises. Breathing is, at the same time, a simple yet powerful activity. When you are calm and centered, it comes naturally and is almost imperceptible.
However, if you are anxious, you notice your breathing rate increase rapidly. To cope, practice breathing in, hold, breathing out, hold exercise. At the same time, clear your mind of other thoughts. However, if one comes up, acknowledge the thought, and then let it go.
Incorporate breathing exercises into your morning and evening routines, but don’t hesitate to practice anytime during the day.
5. Control vs. Appreciation
So often people experience anxiety because they can’t control what’s happening around them. This could be big-picture things, such as events occurring nationally or globally. Or, they are focused on controlling their immediate environment around them to where it becomes all-consuming.
Everyone has a need for control, but lack of control causes anxiety too. You can address this problem by adopting a mindset of appreciation. Yes, it’s stressful when the kids are fighting with each other, or when you face what feels like an impossible workload.
However, you can also find appreciation in those moments too. Perhaps it’s that you have a job and the ability to earn an income. Or the love you feel for your children. These can help you let go of your need of control, and work toward accepting life as it is.
Anxiety doesn’t have to dominate your life. By practicing simple acts of mindfulness, you can cope with anxiety. Over time, these acts turn into a lifestyle that has less anxiety and stress. However, it also helps to have professional support too. Contact me today how anxiety treatment can help.