Not all anxiety needs to be treated with medication, and even when medications are used, there are many tools and skills that can help to decrease our anxiety on a daily basis. Anxiety is synonymous with “distress” and can communicate negative or uncomfortable feelings. This does not always mean that an anxiety disorder is present, as anxiety is considered a normal and expected part of our lives and can be helpful in our ability to function, even though it may not always feel that way.
Below are some tools to help calm anxiety. These tools are most effective when we use them as consistently as possible and one tool may help one day but another tool may be more beneficial on a different day, but overall, attempting these strategies daily can reduce our anxiety more than you may realize.
1. Exercise (just move your body). Regular physical activity significantly lowers anxiety. 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise, 3 times per week, seems to be the sweet spot. Start small with just 10 minutes per day of brisk walking or any activity that gets your heart rate up and build from there.
2. Contact with nature. Walking in nature lowers anxiety, even a stroll as short as 20 minutes. Outdoor gardening also reduces anxiety. Even indoor plants can be helpful.
3. Sleep. Sleep is like free therapy! The sleeping brain sifts through recent events, holding onto those that are worth remembering and discarding memories that can be let go of. Sleep deprivation raises anxiety.
4. Caffeine reduction. There is an association between anxiety and caffeine as seen in a meta-analysis. Reducing caffeine can be beneficial. Changing from coffee to tea can also be beneficial, and tea usually has ingredients that can help reduce anxiety, such as L-theanine. Try to avoid sodas and especially energy drinks.
5. Dietary changes. Increasing omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts lowers anxiety. Foods rich in zinc and selenium can be helpful. The Mediterranean Diet has great data on reducing anxiety, weight, and improving overall health.
6. Magnesium. Low levels of magnesium are associated with anxiety and dysphoria. Magnesium supplementation may reduce anxiety and improve sleep with minimal side effects. Choose magnesium glycinate or threonate that contains 300 mg of elemental magnesium.
7. Lavender. Lavender oil prepared in 80 mg capsules (Silexan) can be helpful for anxiety. The dose range is 80-160 mg, with more benefits at the higher dose. If you don’t want to take a pill, try inhaling lavender (aromatherapy) as this has also shown some positive benefits for anxiety.
8. Intentional worry. Take time to “worry on purpose” every day (ideally not before bedtime). Write down all of your worries and build a habit of worrying once per day instead of all day long. This should only last up to 15 minutes, no longer. Don’t try to come up with solutions; just write it down.
9. Progressive muscle relaxation. This technique can lower anxiety, promote sleep, and decrease headaches and physical pain. It can be done lying down or sitting in only about 10 minutes. See instructions here: PMR
10. Deep Breathing. This calming technique helps with stress, anxiety, and panic. It just takes a few minutes and can be done anywhere. See: Deep Breathing Exercises
11. Mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness directs attention away from worry and negative thoughts. This can be done anywhere, at any time. Focus on the experience, be in the moment, acceptance, breathing, body scan meditation, walking meditation, 3-3-3 rule. Some apps that may be helpful are Calm, Headspace or Insight Timer.
Overall, anxiety can be addressed with simple lifestyle changes and regular, brief exercises. Making an intentional effort to begin these techniques may benefit your mental and physical health, even more than you thought it would.
