With the current pandemic, a lot of us are suffering from anxiety daily. But how can we stay positive and overcome anxiety? What can we do to calm our nerves when it is most required?
Today, we will look into a few tips that can help us cope with anxiety and overthinking in these challenging times and welcome optimism into our lives.
1. Practice Gratitude
The numerous struggles that we see around us every day can easily take a toll on our mental health. To ensure that it doesn’t, you can practice gratitude and push yourself to overcome anxiety.
How to do it:
At the end of each day, write down at least three things you are grateful for having. These could be anything – from having a good work day, to enjoying with family, or something as normal as being able to have your favorite dish. Everything counts.
This practice helps us experience more positive emotions on a daily basis and stay optimistic. When we keep ourselves happy and grateful, it is easier to transfer the same energy onto others.
2. Examine your thought patterns
It is not uncommon to have negative thoughts or worry about something during these tough times. However, we should not let it hijack our mental peace. When you feel like you are investing too much time into your negative thoughts, one of the best ways to overcome anxiety is to re-examine your thought pattern.
Are the situations likely to happen? What are the concrete reasons that make it possible? Has the situation really escalated? Have you faced such a situation before? If yes, how did you overcome it?
These types of questions can help us get back our control and rationalize our thoughts when necessary.
3. Try deep and focused breathing
Breathing helps slow down your heart rate and calm you down, which is why it is considered an effective way to overcome anxiety.
You can try inhaling for 4 counts followed by a 4-count exhalation. Repeating this for 5 minutes would significantly reduce stress, clear your head, and get your heart rate to work optimally.
4. Try identifying your triggers
All thought patterns are a result of triggers. So, if you want to overcome anxiety, you have to find out what triggers those thoughts.
This will help you understand yourself better and come in handy if things go out of control and you choose to seek professional help.
You could also use journaling as a mechanism to battle your triggers and write down the positive thoughts you had on the day.
5. Exercise and meditate
A lot can change with regular exercise and meditation. These activities trigger the release of endorphins and serotonin in the body and make it easier for us to remain positive and have a stable mood throughout the day.
If you cannot motivate yourself to implement these in your daily life to overcome anxiety, sign up for an online training program. Investing in an online training program will help you integrate a workout regimen and stick to it without falling off the wagon.
On the other hand, you can use any guided meditation app or try binaural beats or ambient sound to meditate. Regular meditation stabilizes mood, and focusing on your breathing teaches you to stay in the moment rather than worry about the future.
6. Do not feel shy to seek help
If you do not see improvement in your efforts to overcome anxiety, do not shy away from seeking professional help.
A trained professional like a psychiatrist or a psychologist can help you figure out how to hack your brain and stay away from the negative thought patterns pulling you down.
These are the things you can follow to overcome anxiety, and welcome optimism and positivity. So, keep your hopes up and share your problems with your loved ones to gain the support you need to get through tough times.
