Anxiety is a common challenge for many adults. It can feel like a bottle of pressure that slowly builds and builds. If you are tired of constantly being keyed up, it is time to find ways to better navigate your anxiety. If you want this to be the year that you feel more balanced and relaxed, here are some of the best ways to manage your anxiety in this upcoming year.
Take a Break
Sometimes you just need to step away and take a break. While this may sound like a foreign concept, it is an important step in helping you prioritize your wellbeing. Whether you take a break during your workday or schedule a longer break in Island Cay at Clearwater Beach, you need to be willing to step away to prioritize your self-care.
Balance Your Schedule
One of the reasons why anxiety may be taking hold in your life is from a lack of balance in your life. Whether you are working too many hours or deprioritizing your wellness, it may be time to revisit your schedule. Take a look at what you are trying to accomplish in a day, it may be time to reevaluate your schedule and find a better balance.
Shift to Improve Your Sleep Schedule
When you are anxious, sleep is often the first thing to experience effects. Not only can it be difficult to dial down your energy enough to rest and relax, but anxiety can leave your mind poorly positioned for a good night’s rest. While it can be difficult to rest, sleep is also one of the tools that your body and mind use to combat stress. You don’t need to feel like you are on an endless cycle though. There are plenty of strategies out there to help you get a better sleep when you are anxious. You just need to find the right one for you.
Identify Stressors
Anxiety often stems from a particular point of stress. While it can often compound, there is often a particular stressor that contributes to your tension. If you want to better manage your anxiety, identifying what that is can be incredibly useful. Knowing what your triggers are can help you better manage them.
Find Healthy Coping Mechanisms
Once you know what triggers you, finding ways to deal with it is the next step. While healthy coping mechanisms are not fool-proof strategies, they can make stressful situations far less stressful. Techniques like meditation, mindfulness, reading, breathwork and exercise are great ways to help you release tension productively and healthily. While unhealthy coping may seem easier, it does little to support your mental health over the long term. This is why it is far more helpful to outline healthy strategies that you can use to benefit you in the long run.
Increase Your Exercise
When you feel anxious or when your mental health feels off-kilter, it can be jarring and unbalancing. If you want to find ways to deal with your anxiety, turning to physical exercise can be a great tool. Not only can this be a great outlet for your keyed-up energy, but it can also boost your endorphins which can be incredibly helpful when your mental health feels like it is waning. Try to find an activity that brings you joy and add this to your list of healthy coping mechanisms.
Ask For Help
While dealing with stress and anxiety can feel painful and isolating, it is important to know that you aren’t alone. Asking for help can be one of the most powerful tools when you are navigating these situations. Whether you find a community support group or find a therapist, finding help is always a useful path.
Conclusion
When you are stressed and anxious, it can feel like a hamster wheel that you cannot get off of. You aren’t alone in your experience, and there are ways that you can make a positive change this year. If you want this year to be your opportunity to live a more balanced life, try these tips and give yourself the tools you need to thrive.