Anxiety is the most common mental illness, considering the fact that 400 million American adults alone have it. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in three of teens between the ages of 13 and 18 will experience some form of an anxiety disorder. It goes without saying that anxiety is something that many people have to live with on the daily.
The question is: how? I will use some of my personal experiences as well as some research to attempt to answer this question.
Eat Well-Balanced Meals and Make Sure You Eat Enough
Based on some research I have done and some experiences of my own, I have found that my anxiety is much more manageable when I am eating well and, most importantly, eating enough. Research has shown that certain foods and nutrients can contribute to anxiety reduction.
Make Sure you Are Getting Enough Sleep
This is a tip that is based on my own experience and research backs me up. When I feel sluggish during the day and less focused, I find myself getting much more anxious. Also, anxiety and exhaustion mixed together lead me to stress out even more, which is never good for stress.
Write Down Your Thoughts
When it comes to coping, what better way to start than to understand where your need to cope stems from? Being able to write down your thoughts and understand them makes whatever is going on in your head less terrifying.
Meditate
According to some research I have done online, daily or routine meditation is a great way to help you cope with anxiety. According to heathline, “when done regularly, [meditation] can eventually help you train your brain to dismiss anxious thoughts when they arise.
If meditation is something you aren’t interested in trying out, do some breathing exercises instead! There are some great short ones you can find online that are proven to help lower your heart rate and your stress levels.
Find What YOU Love and Use it as a Coping Strategy
While these tips in and of themselves should be great coping strategies, one of the most important is simply being able to find what you love and incorporate it in your daily routine. This is one of the best ways to calm yourself down, destress, and get out of your head a little bit.
Try to Socialize
In the midst of anxiety and stress, do not let that have an affect on your relationships with the people you care about. Socializing with groups you truly feel comfortable with can also help you get your mind off of the things that are worrying you.
I hope this helped and, in the end, just know that if you suffer with anxiety, you are not alone. There are people who understand exactly what it feels like and hopefully, these tips will help you cope as an individual.
