The Negative Effects Of Anxiety
Left unchecked, anxiety can negatively affect our lives in these ways:
- Interrupting daily life Causing issues at home, school, work and socially
- Isolating us Not wanting to participate in normal daily activities or take new steps in life due to fear
- Emotionally Increasing our risk for depression, suicide and failure to progress in life
- Physically Increasing our risk for physical distress, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, chest pain and tremors
- Mentally Increasing our risk for financial complications, poor decision-making and poor communication
Breathing And Relaxation Exercises
Many people find exercises that focus on breathing and muscle relaxation to be helpful in relieving stress. The playlist below will help you to understand how stress works and start feeling better. These exercises can be done anywhere and are designed to help you feel more relaxed in general, as well as helping you feel calmer if you are becoming stressed.
This playlist is free to download, and you can also stream it using the Soundcloud website or app. You can download and listen to individual tracks if there are particular exercises that work best for you. If you’re listening to it for the first time, it’s best to start from the beginning.
To access a BSL version of this playlist, .
Find out more by checking out these 10 stress busters.
Do A Daily Or Routine Meditation
While this takes some practice to do successfully, mindful meditation, when done regularly, can eventually help you train your brain to dismiss anxious thoughts when they arise.
If sitting still and concentrating is difficult, try starting with yoga, or walking meditation. There are many free guided meditations on apps like InsightTimer that can help you get started.
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Depression Research Conducted At Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital
A study conducted at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital and concluded that Bipolar II Depression patients who received daily treatment with the Fisher Wallace Stimulator® experienced significant reduction in self-reported depression symptoms compared to patients using a placebo device. No serious side effects or adverse events such as hypomania were experienced by patients in the study.
A Study On The Physiological And Therapeutic Effects Of High Frequency Electrical Pulses
Human subjects were stimulated using the LISS Cranial Stimulator . The study showed significant increases in levels of CSF serotonin and beta endorphin were reorded post stimulation. There were also elevations in the levels of plasma serotonin, beta endorphin, GABA and DHEA together with diminished levels of cortisol and tryptophan.
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Insomnia Research Conducted At University Of Illinois At Chicago
We conducted our most recent insomnia study during the height of the pandemic in 2020 when many patients were in lockdown. Our device increased total sleep time in active device participants by 25.8 minutes, whereas participants using a placebo device experienced a decrease in total sleep time of 16.5 minutes – a total difference between active and placebo of 42.4 minutes.
Reduce Caffeine And Alcohol
Caffeine is a great stimulant, and many nonprofessionals believe that it is good for fighting depression. For this, you need to be careful, as Caffeine being a stimulant may worsen anxiety.
On the other hand, alcohol is a depressant. While you may seem to notice that alcohol is helpful in making you fall asleep during the night, it does not automatically mean that you get quality sleep. Instead, it can harm you even more, as alcohol and depression have a reciprocal need and interaction.
For instance, alcohol intake can worsen the symptoms of depression, and depression makes a person attracted to alcohol use.
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Develop A Positive Self
The way you talk to yourself matters. Harsh self-criticism, self-doubt, and catastrophic predictions aren’t helpful. If you’re constantly thinking things like, “I don’t have time for this,” and “I can’t stand this,” you’ll stress yourself out.
It’s important to learn to talk to yourself in a more realistic, compassionate manner. When you call yourself names or doubt your ability to succeed, reply with a kinder inner dialogue.
Positive self-talk can help you develop a healthier outlook. And an optimistic and compassionate conversation can help you manage your emotions and take positive action.
Traveling For Your Well
Having new experiences is beneficial for improving brain function and boosting your mental health. Travel has been linked to stress reduction and can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Whether youâre going to another country or escaping for a long weekend in a nearby town, traveling can have a strong impact on your mental health.
Preparing and looking forward to traveling are also helpful to your mental health. If you want to plan an international trip, try practicing the language beforehand.
Plan a vacation. Having something to look forward to when you make a plan creates happiness and excitement. When you take a vacation, pressure and stress are alleviated and your mental health is boosted.
Make a tradition out of it. There are lasting effects of a vacation. People who travel regularly experience those effects for longer. After traveling, youâre more likely to feel clearheaded and ready to take on whateverâs waiting for you at home. This is why people are more productive after a break. Try to visit a new place every once in a while to help your mental health.
Explore new places. Learning new languages and going new places opens your mind. This might feel counterproductive, but getting out of your comfort zone can be good for your mental health. Your empathy increases when you go to places you’ve never been before and experience other cultures. This helps you feel more appreciative of your surroundings when you return home.
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Practice These Strategies Consistently
While these suggestions can relieve stress quickly, long-term stress relief and management involves developing some healthy everyday habits. If you practice deep breathing regularly, engage in exercise, get enough sleep every night, and make it your mission to laugh more, you can promote healthier stress levels in your life.
The difficulty with stress is that over time, our bodies begin to adapt to our stress levels. Thats why stress relief can feel temporary if we do not take active measures to manage it on a regular basis, Lira de la Rosa says. Its possible to experience long-lasting effects of stress relief, but this comes with continued self-care and practicing stress-relieving exercises.
You dont need to wait until youre at your breaking point to do some gentle breathing exercises or start journaling. Reflect and identify what tends to trigger stress for you, as well as what stress feels like when it hits you. That way you can reach for the right tools at the first signs of stress and prevent more serious, prolonged stress.
Signs Of An Anxiety Attack
These are some of the more common mental and physical symptoms of anxiety:
- feelings of danger, panic, or dread
- nervousness or restlessness
- numbness or tingling in your extremities
- feeling hot or cold
If you notice that quick tips havent been working, you may want to consider seeing a professional for help. Especially if you believe you have GAD and its interfering with routine activities and causing physical symptoms.
A mental health professional can help with streamlining the process of identifying your triggers, maintaining long-term strategies through behavioral therapy, medications, and more.
Anxiety may always be a part of your life, but it shouldnt overtake your day-to-day. Even the most extreme anxiety disorders can be treated so that the symptoms arent overwhelming.
Once you find what treatment works best for you, life should be a lot more enjoyable and a lot less daunting.
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Tips To Manage Stressful Situations
It might surprise you to learn that biological stress is a fairly recent discovery. It wasnt until the late 1950s that endocrinologist Hans Selye first identified and documented stress.
Symptoms of stress existed long before Selye, but his discoveries led to new research that has helped millions cope with stress. Weve compiled a list of the top 10 ways to relieve stress.
It Helps You Process And Understand Emotions
Another critical part of therapy and relieving stress is to be able to process and understand the emotions that may be causing you problems in the first place. Identifying the root of a problem is the only way to accurately begin to treat it. Art therapy helps patients get in touch with their feelings so they can find the roots of their troubles and begin the journey of understanding and processing them.
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How Does Exercise Reduce Stress Surprising Answers To This Question And More
How does exercise reduce stress, and can exercise really be relaxing?
Rest and relaxation. It’s such a common expression that it has become a cliche. And although rest really can be relaxing, the pat phrase causes many men to overlook the fact that exercise can also be relaxing. It’s true for most forms of physical activity as well as for specific relaxation exercises.
Exercise is a form of physical stress. Can physical stress relieve mental stress? Alexander Pope thought so: “Strength of mind is exercise, not rest.” Plato agreed: “Exercise would cure a guilty conscience.” You’ll think so, too if you learn to apply the physical stress of exercise in a controlled, graded fashion.
Try Supplements Or Change Your Diet
Changing your diet or taking supplements is definitely a long-term strategy. Research shows certain supplements or nutrients can help anxiety reduction.
These include:
However, it can take a few months before your body is actually running on the nutrition these herbs and foods provide. If youre taking other medications, make sure to discuss herbal remedies with your doctor as there can be adverse reactions.
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How To Identify The Cause Of Your Stress
The first step to managing stress is identifying the cause. Many reasons can cause it, so it is crucial to determine the cause of your focus to find the most effective way to relieve it.
Some people are stressed because they are unsure of their end goal. Others are worried because they do not feel like they have control over their lives. Stress can also be caused by feeling like you cannot live up to your expectations or that you dont have the skills needed for your job.
To identify the cause of your stress, you need to know what type of stress it is.
Get A Hug From A Loved One
Physical touch can do a lot to relieve your stress. Hugging a loved one can be especially beneficial.
When you hug someone, oxytocin is released. Oxytocin is associated with higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress.
Oxytocin also causes a reduction in blood pressure. It reduces the stress hormone norepinephrine and can produce a sense of relaxation.
So don’t be afraid to ask a loved one for a hug if you need it. It’s good for both of you and it can be one of the simplest forms of stress relief available.
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The Effects Of Stress On Your Body
Stress can be normal, especially that it is already part of our daily lives. When you experience stress, a part of your brain, specifically the hypothalamus reacts, allowing the release of stress hormones. Stress hormones are the same hormones that make you sense the fight or flight response of your body.
When you are threatened, stressed, or having an intense emotion, you will feel that your heart is beating fast, as your heart rate increases. Your breath also becomes faster, your muscles start to shake, and for some, it leads to uncontrollable shedding of tears.
Chronic stress can affect your body, both in terms of your physical health and mental health. If left untreated or unmanaged, it may result in consistent irritability, anxiety disorder, depression or major depressive disorder, insomnia, headache, back pain, shoulder pain, diarrhea, constipation, stomachache, and nausea and vomiting.
For some, stress is diverted to overeating, substance abuse , as well as social withdrawal. It can even lead to certain illnesses and serious health conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, type 2 diabetes, heartburn or acid reflux, erectile dysfunction for males, and irregular, heavier, or more painful menstruation for females.
This Is Like No Other Meditation Technique Youve Ever Heard Of
So…you have a wandering mind? Always thinking? Youre not alone thats not a problem at all with this meditation technique. The way Kelvin teaches it, the meditation is EASY and effortless. There is no concentration, no focus, no trying, and no control of the mind needed. There is no need to clear the mind of thoughts. In fact, the technique works even if the mind is filled with thoughts.
Because this technique is so easy to learn and to practice, Kelvin has taught children from age 4 and senior citizens age 99 to meditate…and everyone in between.
It takes 4 one-hour classes to learn, then you have it for life you never forget it. You do it 10-15 minutes twice a day thats it.
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Music As A Grounding Tool
The sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of your central nervous system are involuntary or automatic, meaning they work without you having to think about them.
Doctors may refer to the parasympathetic side as rest and digest, since it takes care of things when the body is at rest, while sympathetic is fight or flight, in charge of the body in motion.
When we are thrown into a stressful situation, its hard to calm back down and stay grounded. Deep breathing is one way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system to move back into rest and digest.
Erligpowht Light Therapy Lamp
- How it may help with anxiety: Sun lamps help decrease anxiety and improve the moods of those with seasonal affective disorder.
A study found that a sun lamp which mimics natural outdoor light may help to improve mood and decrease depression and anxiety in those with major depressive disorder with seasonal patterns, or seasonal affective disorder.
The lightweight and rotatable Erligpowht Light Therapy Lamp is highly rated on Amazon, with four different time settings and three dimming brightness levels.
Its compact enough to put in a cubicle and has a simple, neutral design that can blend into most home decor.
Before buying a sun lamp, be sure to speak with your doctor. Look for one with an intensity of 10,000 lux, and be sure not to look directly at the light. Try to use it at the same time every day.
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Write Down Your Emotions
When youre full of unpleasant emotionstriggered by stress or causing your stress expressing yourself verbally is a powerful tool to process your thoughts and find some relief. Susan Bernstein, PhD, who provides psychological coaching and support for business leaders, says writing out your emotions is a proven and effective way to reduce stress. Research has found that expressive writing, or journaling, can help reduce anxiety in those with expressive personalities.
When we feel stressed, our mind can ruminate and start weaving stories that are not necessarily supportive, Bernstein explains. I recommend getting a pen and paper and writing out the situation and your thoughts about it. Most importantly, include your feelings in your writing. Writing by hand is most effective, she adds, because it can help you name and tame your emotions.
Tip : Bring Your Senses To The Rescue
To use your senses to quickly relieve stress, you first need to identify the sensory experiences that work best for you. This can require some experimentation. As you employ different senses, note how quickly your stress levels drop. And be as precise as possible. What is the specific kind of sound or type of movement that affects you the most? For example, if youre a music lover, listen to many different artists and types of music until you find the song that instantly lifts and relaxes you.
Explore a variety of sensory experiences so that no matter where you are, youll always have a tool to relieve stress.
The examples listed below are intended to be a jumping-off point. Let your imagination run free and come up with additional things to try. When you find the right sensory technique, youll know it!
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Fitness Tips: Stay Healthy Manage Anxiety Andstress
For the biggest benefits of exercise, try to include at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, 1¼ hours of a vigorous-intensity activity , or a combination of the two.
- 5 X 30: Jog, walk, bike, or dance three to five times a week for 30 minutes.
- Set small daily goals and aim for daily consistency rather than perfect workouts. It’s better to walk every day for 15-20 minutes than to wait until the weekend for a three-hour fitness marathon. Lots of scientific data suggests that frequency is most important.
- Find forms of exercise that are fun or enjoyable. Extroverted people often like classes and group activities. People who are more introverted often prefer solo pursuits.
- Distract yourself with an iPod or other portable media player to download audiobooks, podcasts, or music. Many people find its more fun to exercise while listening to something they enjoy.
- Recruit an exercise buddy. It’s often easier to stick to your exercise routine when you have to stay committed to a friend, partner, or colleague.
- Be patient when you start a new exercise program. Most sedentary people require about four to eight weeks to feel coordinated and sufficiently in shape so that exercise feels easier.