Ten Anxiety-Busting Activities For You To Try Now
I know ten anxiety-busting activities sound like clickbait, but I promise it’s not. I’ve been struggling with my anxiety lately, as well as my depression. I feel constantly tense, like my body is in fight or flight mode 24/7. I’ve made an appointment to talk to my doctor, and I think I’ll need to switch to new medication while attempting to find new ways to cope with my mental health problems. I currently take 30mg of Citalopram (Celexa) each day. This dose was increased about a year ago from 20mg and helped briefly. Now it’s failing again. I think I put off talking to my doctor about it for so long because my mother has been on every antidepressant known to man. They either help only temporarily or not at all. I am extremely reluctant to repeat that cycle. I know that’s stupid, though, so we’ll see what happens.
The thing with antidepressants is they aren’t designed to “fix” you. They lift you up far enough that you can take other steps to recover long term. So even if a medication change works, I still need long-term strategies to deal with my anxiety. I know there’s lots of advice out there, so I’m going to skip mindfulness, meditation, and yoga as these have been covered to death on any site talking about anxiety. Instead, here are my ten anxiety-busting activities that you can use every day to help calm anxiety.
Exercise
I know, I know, please don’t say it. As a fat person, I am sick and tired of the solution to any problem being exercise. Please hear me out, though. When we are stressed or anxious, our body releases the hormone cortisol. This is the hormone that primarily causes the fight or flight response. It’s a carry-over from a time when humans were in a lot more danger than they are now. The point is, this hormone is released expecting the body to respond physically, run away or fight the threat. This activity then neutralised the cortisol until the next danger appeared.
The problem is we won’t be fighting or running from a sabre-toothed tiger, so the hormone continues to build and keeps our bodies on high alert. The only way to get rid of the cortisol is to be physically active. I personally go to the gym because I like weight training. You should find whatever activity works for you. You just need to get your heart rate up. It will help, I promise.
Gardening
Sounds a bit fuddy-duddy, I know! I had a vegetable garden for a few years, but I let it go when my dad was dying three years ago. I’ve gotten back into it this year. I had forgotten how much I enjoy being outside, bringing order to my planting areas, and picking the right crops. Plus, there’s the pleasure of cooking with ingredients I grew myself.
Reading
I’ve always loved to read, and when I read my favourite books, I just feel my heart rate lowering straight away. In the case of the Belgarion books by David Eddings, or Harry Potter, or the Spook books by Joseph Delaney, I’ve read them so much I feel like I’m meeting up with old friends. On the flip side, I’ve read some great crime books that went well with my already pounding heart, so see what works for you.
Baking
I am a decent baker, so this is another good choice for me. You have to focus on what you’re doing when baking to make sure it comes out right. It helps take my mind off my troubles immediately, as do the enticing aromas of whatever I’m making. There’s nothing I love more than pottering around in the kitchen baking something delicious, particularly on a cold and rainy day. Raspberry and lemongrass trifle, ginger cake and jam doughnut muffins are some of my go-to recipes.
Eating
When our body goes into fight or flight mode, the first thing it does is direct blood flow away from the digestive process. After all, if you’re in danger, the last thing you’re going to do is tuck into a burger! So by eating, you send a clear signal to your amygdala (the danger centre of your brain) that there is no immediate threat. You can’t help but calm down a little.
Sex
I know if you’re feeling panicked, sex may not be the first thing on your mind, but it can help. Orgasms release feel-good hormones like endorphins which can counteract anxious feelings, although this may be temporary. It also releases the perfect blend of hormones to help us fall asleep; this leads us to our next point.
Sleep
Nothing stresses our bodies more than insufficient amounts of high-quality sleep. According to Harvard, “Sleep problems affect more than 50% of adult patients with generalized anxiety disorder”. Sleep reboots the brain, and when we are sleep deprived, the part of the brain that controls negative emotions works less efficiently.
Petting animals
Studies show that stroking our pets releases oxytocin, the love hormone new mothers feel; it reduces cortisol and even lowers our blood pressure. These are all very good things if you’re suffering from anxiety. It doesn’t just work with cats and dogs, the same results have been observed with pet turtles. If you aren’t able to have a pet of your own many animal shelters welcome volunteers to help socialise their animals ready for rehoming. It’s a great way to help yourself and animals in need.
Take a bath
Lying in warm water with low light and soft music are designed to soothe you and help you forget your worries. It’s almost womb-like. To improve the effect even more, add some bath oil with relaxing ingredients like lavender and chamomile.
Have a warm drink
Sheldon has it right in the Big Bang Theory. If someone is upset, offer them a hot beverage. Tea with a bar of chocolate works for me, but hot chocolate, chamomile tea, and tea containing valerian root are all great choices.
That’s all for now, my Musers. My top ten anxiety-busting activities. I hope that you find it helpful. As with everything I write here, these are all things that help me. I want to be sure I only recommend things that I’ve tried so I can be sure they worked for me at least. They may not work for you and by all means, feel free to pop your favourites in the comments below 👇
