When anxiety infiltrates someone’s thoughts, one of the best ways to deal with it is to speak out. Whether that’s a friend, family member or counsellor, being able to talk about your anxiety is important. But there are other ways to reduce those negative emotions and here are our top seven natural methods to help you feel less anxious.
1. Accept your anxiety
It might seem like a strange notion but taking the time to acknowledge your feelings of anxiety can be the best course of action. Accepting how we are feeling and allowing that to take its course can help to reduce the time we are affected by our anxiety.
It’s also important to avoid ignoring what is making you feel anxious for too long. Whenever you feel anxious or stressed one of the first things you should do is to acknowledge it and gauge how intense the feeling is. Will it pass, is there something else you can do to take your mind off it or do you think it’s intense and you need someone to help you? Knowing and understanding what level of anxiety you are feeling can be difficult and you may wish to consult with a professional therapist to help guide you.
2. Share your feelings
Talking is one of the best ways to reduce feelings of anxiety as getting what is troubling you out there is a sense of relief. Not only can that relieve some of the pressure you may be feeling but avoiding anxious thoughts can make them worse. Sharing your thoughts with a family member can help to put them into perspective and set the wheels in motion to help you overcome what is making you anxious. If talking to someone you know feels like too big a step, consider contacting a counsellor or therapist who is trained to help you overcome negative thoughts and feelings.
People processing trauma are often advised to have a talk with a qualified professional who can provide guidance and support. Patients can call a PTSD crisis line where they can vent their feelings without fear of judgment, creating a safe space to process overwhelming emotions. These conversations can help them feel less isolated and more connected to others who understand what they are going through. Over time, such support can become a foundation for building healthier coping mechanisms and regaining a sense of stability.
3. Breathing exercises
Whether it’s simply counting to 10 if you are beginning to feel overwhelmed by anxiety or taking deep breaths to control your breathing, we can regain some control over our emotions by taking in and letting air out of our lungs.
Breathing exercises don’t have to be any more complicated than that. However, if you would also like to try something new consider the belly breathing technique. This begins by assuming a comfortable position, such as sitting or lying on the bed and placing one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
Take a deep breath in and hold it inside for four seconds before exhaling slowly while focusing on the sensations you are feeling in your hands, chest and stomach. Repeat this as many times as you feel comfortable. Like this technique, the benefits of breathwork can enhance relaxation and promote better sleep
4. Music therapy
Music has a powerful influence on our feelings and emotions and can be an effective way to help reduce anxiety – as long as you choose the right piece. Acting as a form of stress relief and mindfulness, we can positively use music to help calm and relax us during moments of anxiety.
This might be through something mellow or instrumental that isn’t seeking to evoke strong emotions from its listeners. You may also wish to consider relaxation soundscapes or podcasts specifically designed to relax and calm you.
5. Low-impact exercise
Exercise is effective for boosting your mental health, from the release of feel-good hormones like endorphins to increasing your social interaction with others. But engaging in exercise doesn’t mean you have to burst a lung while running or lift three times your body weight. Instead, you can gain plenty of positivity from low-impact activities and exercises.
For example, setting achievable goals and making small improvements to your golf game through practice helps give you a sense of accomplishment while also engaging some of your core muscle group. Similarly, swimming or walking are great ways to raise your heart rate and take your mind off your worries without adding too much strain or stress onto your body.
6. Mindfulness activities
It can be beneficial to redirect some of your nervous energy into doing something else. If you are worried about something you can use that energy to go for a walk, do some exercise or small bursts of activity like cleaning or tidying.
You may also find mindfulness activities such as yoga or tai-chi help to reduce anxiety as they are heavily focused on your breathing. By their very nature, mindfulness activities are calming which means they are perfect for helping to reduce anxiety or feelings of negativity.
Here are some examples of mindfulness activities:
- Gardening
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Colouring
- Cooking
- Meditating
- Mind mapping
- Journalling
- Walking in nature
- Photography
7. Connect with nature to de-stress
The restorative power of nature is the perfect way to reduce feelings of anxiety you may be experiencing. Being in a lush green environment or de-stressing with a face mask inspired by nature is known to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and it generates positive emotions like calmness, joy and creativity.
Furthermore, nature helps to improve concentration, allowing you to focus on what you are doing while outside rather than dwelling on what is making you feel anxious. If you would like to talk with someone about anxiety, depression or any other negative emotions you may be experiencing consider doing so while walking.
Walking is a great way to open up to someone as you can avoid the intensity of face-to-face eye contact when sitting opposite someone. Naturally, you will feel more relaxed being outdoors but talking and walking is a great way to make a conversation feel more casual and big topics less difficult to bring up.
