Daily Habits That Can Help Manage Anxiety

By: Elizabeth Koblenz, LCSW 

Your day to day schedule can be filled with activities and tasks, and running from place to place, which can often feel stressful and overwhelming. You may feel as if you are constantly on the move and may feel you do not have enough time for yourself. This can lead to feeling burnt out, exhausted and even feelings of unhappiness. It is important to find habits that make you feel good to incorporate into your daily routine. By doing this, you will likely see a reduction in anxiety, a shift in your mood and will have energy and confidence to take on the rest of your day. Here are some daily habits that can help manage anxiety:

1. Practice mindfulness: Anxiety leaves you to ruminate on your thoughts and choices. By practicing mindfulness, you are giving yourself time to be present and to not think about all the negative thoughts that may be running through your head. By doing this for a few minutes each day, this can help avoid your anxious thoughts from taking over. You can practice mindfulness through journaling, doing formal meditation or even during regular activities such as walking and cooking.

2. Have a Healthy Sleep Routine: Having good sleep hygiene can be helpful in reducing some symptoms of anxiety as you will feel less tired and feel energized the next day.  It is important to develop a healthy sleep routine by trying to get in bed around the same time each night and setting an alarm for the same time each morning. Not getting enough sleep can cause you to feel tired and can lead to waking up feeling more anxious the next day. It can also be beneficial to turn off your electronics before going to bed (or put on do not disturb) and focus on yourself; this could be a great time for some self-care such as your skincare routine or reading a book.

3. Proper nutrition and exercise: Eating healthy and exercising regularly can improve your mental health in many ways. Eating healthy can fuel your body and give you the proper energy to go about your busy day. Having healthy eating habits can lead to increased energy, which in turn will then help you feel empowered to combat any anxious thought that comes through your mind. Similarly, exercise helps to regulate your body’s response to stress which leaves you feeling better after. Having both ideas in tandem can help lead to feeling more in control of your anxiety.

4. Take breaks throughout the day: Even if you can’t dedicate a lot of time to exercising, try to find time out of your day to get fresh air, or even take a break from looking at your computer and take a walk around your office. Going outside and getting fresh air can boost your mood and happiness. You may feel overwhelmed staring at your computer screen all day, and therefore having time where you are off the screen and enjoying your surroundings can help you feel better. You can also utilize this time to listen to your favorite podcast or call a friend.

Creating everyday habits to help combat anxiety can be hard to tackle. If you want to talk to someone about your feelings of anxiety and how to create daily habits that can feel good for you, please reach out to us at Hello@upsidertherapy.com.