Sometimes what we don’t do is as or more effective than what we do, so check out these 7 practices to abstain from when struggling with anxiety.
At the pace events are going, one could be led to believe that the universe we reside in is turning out crazier every day. With vaccine directives, noxious politicians, never-ending challenges, creeping inflation, etc. striving to evade stress is becoming a Herculean task.
If we let stress get the better of us and let thoughts of fear to sneak into our consciousness and fester, we’ll end up becoming anxious and even paranoid. At its core, anxiety is a fear of tragedy, peril or menacing worst case scenarios. It’s just fear of what may occur in the future.
The optimal way to eliminate anxiety will be to make certain that you have good habits in your life which help to cope with your stress. Very often, what you do NOT do is just as important as what you actually do.
Shown below you’ll spot 7 habits to avoid if you’re prone to anxiety. Cut them out of your life and you’ll realize that your anxiety evaporates and melts away in no time at all.
1. Social media in many cases has deteriorated into a toxic place where the worst of people get exposed.
Steer clear of social media at all cost, if you’re consistently distressed or afraid of the news and debates happening on websites like Facebook.
What was once intended to be for fun and enjoyment has come to be a breeding ground for antagonistic debates, overly sensitive people and typically bad news or fraudulent news making the rounds.
Taking a 30-60 day hiatus from social media will do miracles for your mind and soul.
2. Socializing with noxious people can’t help but make you feel bad and increase your anxiety. Remember you become like the 5 people you hang out with the most.
Some individuals can identify a problem for every solution. These particular toxic people will consistently leave you aggravated, scared or feeling bad. The more time you linger around them, the more disturbed and anxious you’ll eventually become.
While the self-help books will tell you to be the much bigger person, sooner or later you need to ask yourself if always being the bigger person implies that you’re hanging around with ‘small’ individuals.
Enhance your social circle. Hang out with those individuals who are forward-looking and make you feel good. You’ll be less anxious and also much happier.
3. Observing the news on a regular basis is a terrible habit that can only instill fear and panic and cause stress and anxiety.
The media can possibly be summed up into one word– agendas. That’s it. No longer is the news about updating men and women of ongoing events. These days, the news is put to work to make people afraid of pandemics, political problems, crime rates, and a variety of other talking points manufactured to rouse up fear and panic with the aim to accomplish hidden agendas.
It’s very simple to be anxious if you’re witnessing the news all the time. This is one of the most horrible habits to have. Exclude the news and focus on being the most ideal possible you that you can be.
4. Ingesting stimulants may give you brief periods of relief, but in the long run are unhealthy and have even been implemented in causing some anxiety.
Stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, energy drinks, etc may make you feel good temporarily, but they’re detrimental to your health in the long run.
Reduce your usage of them … and for habits like smoking, it’s best to get rid of them totally. The substances and chemicals in most stimulants have been demonstrated to induce anxiety directly or indirectly.
5. Leading an idle lifestyle will only make you feel lethargic and make you depressed.
Leading a non-active lifestyle makes people feel lethargic, clinically depressed and feeble. Our bodies were made to move – even if you believe you don’t have the time or mood to workout.
Spend 15-30 minutes a day conditioning. Your body will produce endorphins that make you feel happier. You can’t be anxious and happy at the same time. This is one of the most significant advantages of exercise. Moreover, your stamina will improve and so will your strength. You’ll be less weary all the time and you’ll feel much better about your life.
6. Not getting enough sleep will certainly not help reduce or get rid of anxiety. If fact it will most likely make matters much worse.
Do NOT burn the candles at both ends all the time. Society has made it seem that material success and wealth are the be-all and end-all of daily life. But if you’re in a constant state of anxiety simply because you’re forfeiting sleep just to work, not only will you be more weary, cranky and high-strung, but your efficiency will suffer too.
Get 7-8 hours of sleep daily. Give your mind and body a rest. It’s one of the best factors you can do to reduce anxiety.
7. Measuring up yourself with others can only lead to one thing and that is unhappiness which will then contribute to more feelings of stress and anxiety.
Comparing yourself with others will usually make you feel much worse about yourself. If you believe anybody else is better off than you, you’ll be dissatisfied with your own life and envious of them. If you believe you’re better than some people, generally, you’ll be feeling troubled deep down inside, and your thoughts are a reflection of you not feeling adequate. In either case, it’s not a good prognosis.
The goal is to regularly contrast yourself with the previous you and strive to do better. Always aim to surpass your personal bests, but don’t beat yourself up to do it. Make measurable progress in acceptable time.
You’ll find peace of mind when you’re not measuring yourself with others. Don’t run if no one is chasing you.
If you use the ideas that you have discovered in this post, you will be amazed at how your anxiety levels will fall and maybe even disappear.
Utilize the pointers in this article and your anxiety levels will fall. You may also wish to spend time meditating, finding ways to destress such as gratitude journaling, watching comedies, praying, etc. and try to remain hopeful. Find what works for you and do it continually. Always remember that life is to be lived and not managed. Surf the waves of life taking each wave as it comes rather than attempting to manage the tides. The latter will only trigger anxiety. Let it go.
Here is another post you might find helpful that deals with anxiety and stress also.  Anxiety and Stress
Here is a thoughtful quote that you should write down and refer to if you find yourself slipping back into some bad habits. Better yet, just dump the bad habits and develop some wonderful new ones.
” Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.”– Kahlil Gibran
