With everything that is going on in the world right now it is essential for each one of us to look after our mental wellbeing and especially focusing on our anxiety levels. Here are some tips to help you navigate through the next few weeks…
Routine – A good routine often helps with making sure you are busy and therefore keeping the anxiety at bay as much as possible. Set an alarm clock most mornings (having a few days off from the routine is good too!) and try to stay on track with your planned routine.
Exercise – Exercise has been proven to decrease overall levels of tension and help you keep a calm and focused mind. There are so many instructor- led videos online from yoga to pilates, aerobics, etc! Going for a walk is also a good way to get some fresh air and try to find a park or somewhere with a little bit of nature but please ensure you keep to social distancing measures.
Eating healthily – Eating a healthy and varied diet does really help you feel stronger mentally. There is definitely a connection between the brain and the gut and according to scientific research when some nutrients are lacking it can cause an increase in anxiety. Asparagus for example has high level of folate which helps with mood-boosting. Blueberries also have high concentration of vitamin c which repair and protect our cells and potentially reduce anxiety levels. However coffee, which is a stimulant can be bad news for someone with anxiety due to high concentration of caffeine.
News & Social media – Social media can be a brilliant source of information and making sure you keep up with what is happening in the world is also important. However, spending too much time on social media can elevate stress levels particularly during tougher times. Try and limit your daily screen time as much as possible, some mobile phones offer daily time limits for your different apps sending you a warning message once you have reached the daily allocated time on each app.
Plan the future – Even though things are very much up in the air at the moment it is important to keep moving forward and planning ahead for the future (short or long term). This can help with anxiety, staying focused and keeping your perspective.
Relationships – Self-isolating does not mean cutting off relationships. Make sure you spend a good amount of time each day communicating with your friends/family. If you have any specific worry, run it past them and you will feel so much better. A good laugh really helps too.
Brain work – Daily physical exercise is very important but brain training is too. If you have stopped working try and incorporate mental exercises into your daily routine. A good old crossword or Sudoku are great or there are also so many different apps that offer a variety of brain exercises which have a positive impact on anxiety and depression.
Positivity – Before you go to sleep or first thing in the morning think of 3 things that you feel grateful for. This will set the tone for the rest of the day and try and help you secure a more positive perspective of your life.
Taking control – Sometimes anxiety makes it hard to take action. But once you have a plan in place you feel much more prepared and therefore less anxious. If news on Coronavirus is making you worry then make sure you find ways to reduce the risk and stick with it (e.g. washing your hands when you are back from your walk, organising online food deliveries etc).
Balance– Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you want to spend a day in bed watching Netflix that’s absolutely fine and it is also ok to worry and feel low at times. Being in tune with your emotions is very important and you should accept the fact that you will have some down days.
We hope these tips help you feel better and if you have any suggestions or additional advice please do get in touch, we would love to hear your thoughts.
Sending lots of positive thoughts to all of you!
TY Team x
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