5 Habits to Reduce Anxiety
Anxiety is common. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 31.1% of U.S adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
Anxiety is also on the rise. A CDC survey completed by approximately 5,400 people this past June showed that the prevalence of anxiety symptoms was three times higher than those reported in the second quarter of 2019.
To experience anxiety is to be human. From an evolutionary perspective, the role of anxiety is to identify and protect us from potential threats. Some degree of anxiety is healthy. The problem occurs when one’s level of anxiety is excessive and interferes with their daily functioning.
I am not exempt. Even though I am a practicing board-certified psychiatrist, I consistently employ tools to maintain my level of anxiety at an appropriate range and prevent it from becoming excessive.
Here are 5 habits that I practice to reduce anxiety.
1. Talk to a loved one
There is stigma against anxiety. Even though anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment. There is an association between shame and anxiety disorders because anxiety is often seen as a sign of weakness. As a result, we bottle up our feelings and suffer in silence.
This strategy is counterproductive. Suppressing your feelings will only amplify them as your worry thoughts gain steam. Research has shown that putting your feelings into words can attenuate them.
Give yourself permission to tell a trustworthy loved one that you are experiencing a spike in anxiety. Such disclosure can enhance the quality of your relationship. It allows your partner to better understand what you are going through and how they can help.
As a personal example, I ask my wife if she can sit quietly next to me on the couch when I am experiencing a spike in anxiety. Her calming presence helps me untangle from a sticky web of worry thoughts.
2. Exercise
Studies show that exercise can reduce symptoms of anxiety. This occurs through a number of mechanisms. Exercise has been shown to regulate the stress response through the hypothalamic adrenal pituitary (HPA) axis. It also has potent effects on the hippocampus of the brain, which regulates stress.
From a psychological perspective, exercise reduces anxiety by promoting self-efficacy. This occurs because exercise involves the setting and achievement of goals. Regardless of your level of physical fitness, there is always a goal to achieve. This may involve walking an extra 5 minutes, swimming an extra lap or lifting an extra 10 pounds. Improving your level of fitness is empowering. It serves as a blueprint that you can transfer to other facets of your life.
In addition, exercise teaches us to focus on the “here and now”. Anxiety is defined as not being present in the moment. When we are anxious, we either worry about the future or ruminate on past events. When we exercise nothing else matters but our current step on the treadmill or lift. If our mind wanders, we can stumble off the treadmill or fail to lift the weight.
As a personal example, I exercise 4 to 5 times per week. I lift weights on weekdays and run on the weekends. Due to work and family responsibilities, I exercise later in the evening. This schedule suits me as I use exercise to release stress that has accumulated from a busy day.
To incorporate exercise, pick a routine that you will enjoy. Remember that any exercise is better than no exercise. Even a slow stroll on a treadmill or around your neighborhood is better than no exercise. Set realistic goals and be consistent. The key is to establish the habit of exercise which takes time. Remember to have a time or location that cue your desire to exercise.
3. Practice gratitude
When we are anxious, we tend to lose perspective. We engage in catastrophic thinking and ignore other potential outcomes. We fixate on the worst possible outcome becoming reality even if it has a low probability of occurrence.
Gratitude reduces anxiety by providing a healthy dose of perspective. Gratitude does not dismiss that life is challenging or misfortune occurs. However, it provides a healthy counterbalance to the worry thoughts that run in our minds.
I conceptualize anxiety as fixating on the crooked branches of a tree and worrying whether they will fall. Gratitude reminds us to pause for a moment and appreciate that we are surrounded by a beautiful forest.
Every night I express gratitude for the blessings in my life. No matter how hectic life can be, there is always something I can be grateful for. It could be my children, marriage, health, having a roof over my head or even the gift of being alive. I focus on one thing and soak in gratitude for a few minutes.
4. Journaling
Journaling is a helpful tool to identify and analyze anxiety-provoking thoughts. We often believe that anxiety comes out of the blue without recognizing the role of such thoughts. We even accept such thoughts at face value without questioning their accuracy.
I find this tool helpful when I am feeling anxious but need help identifying the anxiety-provoking thoughts. By writing them on a piece of paper, I can better use my senses to analyze them. I can see the thoughts on the piece of paper. I can say them out loud. The thoughts feel more manageable because they are reduced to a few lines of scrap paper that I can throw away at any time.
There are questions that I ask myself as I analyze the worry thoughts. I ask myself how likely is it that my worry will become a reality. I also explore what steps I can proactively take to further lower the odds that my fear will become a reality. Finally, I search for alternative hypothetical scenarios that have a higher likelihood of occurrence.
5. Sleep
There is a strong correlation between sleep and anxiety. Spikes in anxiety can interfere with our ability to fall and stay asleep. However, insomnia can worsen the symptoms of anxiety disorders and prevent recovery.
I practice good sleep hygiene which consists of habits to promote sleep heath. I maintain a regular sleep cycle by going to bed and getting up around the same time. I do not consume caffeine, alcohol or heavy meals late at night. I stop watching television or using my phone at least 30 minutes before I go to bed.
Please note that this is an incomplete list of habits to reduce anxiety. The key is to identify a few healthy habits and practice them consistently. Also, note that many of these habits are not time consuming. Practicing gratitude only takes a few minutes.
Finally, if your anxiety symptoms are interfering with your daily functioning or are experiencing difficulties with physical symptoms, please contact your local healthcare provider or mental health professional for further help. In case of a mental health emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.