While anxiety can be crippling, there are ways to take your power back and control it. With that in mind, Elite Daily has compiled a list of 10 tricks that might help you feel less anxious in 2018. Here they are:
- Meditation. According to Psychology Today, "Beneficial physiological effects of meditation include decreased oxygen consumption, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, as well as long-term beneficial changes in brain electrical activity that result in increased calmness."
- Focus on the present. Stay present and take things literally one hour, or even one minute, at a time.
- Change the way you think about your anxiety. During a panic attack, try to create some space to talk to yourself about what is actually happening.
- Practice visualization techniques. Learn to visualize a time and place where you felt zero stress and anxiety and hold it in your mind.
- Accept that you’re feeling anxious. There is no shame in battling anxiety, and accepting that you feel anxious can actually take away some of its power.
- Write down things you feel anxious about. Writing out your feelings has been found to reduce anxiety, depression and even chronic pain.
- Make self-care a priority. Take back your power by carving out time to get enough sleep, making sure you eat and creating some space to relax.
- Move your body. Moving your body can help quiet your mind.
- Turn to technology. While technology is known to be a factor in inducing anxiety, there are some wearables that can detect physical signs of anxiety before you're aware of it mentally.
- Laugh more. If you commit to laughing more, even when you don't feel like it, you can reduce your anxiety.
Source: Bustle