Anxiety is defined as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”
While everyone’s lives were normal and had a perfect schedule, suddenly covid-19 has affected almost each individual in some way or the other. Many people are doing work from home while some are stepping out to fulfill their duties even in this pandemic according to their occupations. We all have been experiencing the most stressful and difficult times from the last 5 months, be it emotionally or financially. I’d like to remind you a few things that you can do in order to keep your stress and anxiety at bay.
Manage Your Time:
There is a fine line between knowing the news and getting overwhelmed by the news. Do not spend most of the time watching news. It may influence you /your behavior unknowingly. Give yourself a break if you watched it more than an hour in a day. Do not let any source of stressful information bang you because of being constantly active on the social media. No one posts their failure on the internet, so don’t let anyone effect you. It is important to keep a check on the time you spend on the social network.
Engaging:
Engage yourself in the nature for a while like watering the plants or walking with your loved ones on the terrace. Practice your favorite hobby/skill like singing, playing badminton or chess or indulge yourself in any form of crafts / Arts. Spend your time by concentrating on your inner beauty which brings peace your and heart. Do the things you love the most.
Increase Positivity:
Being alone doubles your negativity. Try to be positive and try to share your feelings with the people you love. During this pandemic everyone is stuck wherever they are and many people may experience loneliness / anxiety as they may not be able to reach out to their families due to their professional dependencies. In such cases make video calls to your loved ones or talk to your neighbors, friends and try to share your thoughts or things that you have done recently and have a heartfelt conversation.
Physical Activity:
With so many gyms closed and warnings to practice social distancing, it may be harder to find time to work out, but physical activity helps you reduce your anxiety in a better way. If you have some dumbbells use them, if not you can use your body weight to exercise or you can even try yoga, meditation or other mindful exercises for relaxation of your body and mind. If you are not aware where to start, hit the internet- there are many free resources available over the net that assist you from the basics.
OTT:
Try to watch some binge TV Shows/ movies that you couldn’t watch before or new ones that could help you take off your mind from the stressful thoughts. Sometimes you might find yourself more likely to re-run your favorite show. It really helps you to forget what has been running on your mind and keeps you occupied with such an interesting content, like the Vampire Diaries series, which is my personal favorite. Here are some other suggestions you can check.
Trying Something New:
This pandemic has let everyone know what they are actually interested in, such as photography, acting, singing or painting.Do not waste the art in you, try to create a page on the instagram featuring your clicks or you can also be an influencer and post your pictures. Show some talent using Instagram reels. You can also be a YouTuber and create some creative content and earn money. If you don’t want to be in front of a camera, start writing your views and become a blogger.
Food Habits:
Food is something that is directly related to your stress. Enjoying your favorite meal with some water really helps you to curb your anxiety/stress disorders. Include these foods –
- Brazil Nuts.
- Fatty Fish
- Eggs
- Garlic
- Sweet Potato
- Dark Chocolate
- Broccoli
- Blue berries
- Chickpeas
- Green Tea
- Yogurt
- Sunflower seeds and Flax seeds
Write it down:
One way to handle stress is to write down the things that are to be remembered or something which cannot be shared. Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by helping you prioritize your problems. Set aside everyday a few minutes to write it down. Keep a pen and a dairy always handy or you can also save it on the notes/dairy app to maintain the day to day notes. Write whatever feels right and how you felt when something has happened or how would you like it to be.
Music:
Listening to soothing music can have a relaxing effect on the body. Music is effective for relaxation and stress management / anxiety. Nature sounds can also be calming. Experience a sound bath and let the music carry away you. So what type of music reduces stress the best? Native American, Celtic, Indian stringed-instruments, drums, flute, violin and whichever genre you love the most are effective at relaxing the mind even when played moderately.
