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10 Feb 2023
2 Min Read

8 tips to reduce anxiety

Combining some daily habits with some instant stress beaters can dramatically reduce stress and anxiety levels. Try any, or all of these.

  1. Hold up a stop sign

 Repetitive, negative thoughts or worry ramp up stress levels. When you start to go into this pattern, hold up an imaginary stop sign in your mind and break the cycle by doing something else, even if that’s going for a glass of water, or taking a short walk.

  1. Get up within 10 seconds of waking up

Anxiety can peak first thing but rising, and shining – and making a cup of tea, coffee or juice – is an action-orientated way to start the day that robs your brain of ruminating time.

  1. Treat yourself to relaxation

Ten, 15, or 30 minutes of total relaxation can switch your nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight) or parasympathetic (relax or heal). Try the Relaxation Rescue or Gratitude relaxation in the Elladex app.

  1. Get “in the flow”

Doodle, colour, or do a hobby that completely absorbs you. In the flow state, we simply can’t stress out.

  1. Schedule offline time

Try turning your phone off for one hour, or one day. At the very least, don’t take it with you to the table, or to the bathroom. You’ll be surprised how your anxiety levels decrease.

  1. Focus on one thing at a time

Multi-tasking ramps up stress levels and, guess what? It hasn’t been found to be more effective than concentrating on one thing at a time.

  1. Use stoplights to breathe

Don’t see red lights as a hurdle. While you wait, sit upright and still and take four slow, deep breaths. You’ll continue on your journey with new calm.

  1. Live in the moment

Practice mindfulness, or being here, right now. We can’t control tomorrow, and we can’t change yesterday but every bit of focus we put into today is a way to build ourselves a better future.

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