Anxiety and stress are two of the most common mental illnesses in the UK.
In this blog, I am going to share three ways to relieve anxiety and stress without medication. Making some small, simple changes will provide healthy self-care of your physical and mental wellbeing. I believe it is our innate right and you deserve to be living the life you dream of.
The Mental Health Foundation estimates that around one in four people will have poor mental health in the UK at some point during their lives and many of those have symptoms of anxiety. Anti-anxiety medication is often offered for relief; however, a side effect of these medications, such as SSRIs and SNRIs, is anxiety.
Researchers estimate that around 40% of people who have anxiety symptoms don’t seek help for fear of judgement.There are many factors that can cause anxiety, including a change of job, moving house, getting married or divorced, or being made redundant.
It is essential to understand that anxiety and stress has a significant impact your health. Left untreated, they can lead to severe depression.
The good news is there are things you can do to manage or relieve anxiety and stress symptoms and reduce the risk of developing an anxiety disorder.
One way to manage your anxiety is through diet and exercise. These two things can affect your mind and body differently. It makes sense that they can be used together to improve how you feel emotionally and physically.
Here are three ways in which you can relieve anxiety and stress through diet and exercise.
1) Eat healthy food
Eating fresh, healthy food is one of the best ways to manage anxiety and stress levels in your body. It can boost or stimulate your mood, reduce fatigue, and improve energy levels.
Foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals can cause oxidative stress in the body.
2) Exercise regularly
Mental health studies show that exercise reduces stress levels, increases happiness and wellbeing, and improves sleep. You do not have to join a gym or start a rigid weight-lifting regime to start exercising. Walking is one of the best exercises and the great thing about it is that it’s free. You can also find free videos on YouTube for Yoga, Pilates, Qigong and more. It can also help if you have a friend join you a couple of times each week to support each other.
3) Journaling
I am a huge fan of journaling. I don’t do it every day; typically about three times a week. I use it to recall the things I am thankful for along with quieting my thinking mind. In a study, people suffering various conditions, including anxiety, wrote for 15 minutes over three days of the week. It took only one month for the benefits to be felt by the participants. The mental health and wellbeing of those who took part in the study continued to improve over a 12 week period of journaling.
Hypnosis for Anxiety and Stress Relief
As a hypnotherapist, I have seen many clients suffering from anxiety. Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool that can help relieve anxiety and stress. Hypnosis or trance is a state of consciousness in which the mind is open to suggestion and the client will be guided into a relaxed state. Whilst in the state of relaxation the therapist is able to speak to the client’s subconscious mind.
People who suffer from anxiety or stress often have negative thoughts going around in their minds. Perhaps you have exams you are worried you won’t pass, or you are due for an appraisal at work, and your mind is filled with thoughts of “What if I fail?”. Worrying about what hasn’t happened puts the body under unnecessary stress. The truth is that often what we thought was going to happen, doesn’t.
Hypnosis can help you eliminate those negative thoughts and feel less anxious about what may or may not happen in the future. Stress-related symptoms such as sweating and rapid heart rate can also be reduced by learning to control them through hypnosis.
Whether you are just curious or have a specific issue, contact me to book a call and find out more. I am based in Milton Keynes and work on Zoom or from offices in Newport Pagnell. Sign up to my ‘Wisdom for the Week’ newsletter below.
The form you have selected does not exist.
