4 Proven Ways to Reduce Anxiety

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. A key to successful at life is maintaining your mental health and minimizing/reducing anxiety. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Proven Ways to Reduce Anxiety.

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It was the best of times; it was the worst of times: Charles Dickens wrote these words in the 19th century, but they’re arguably more relevant today than ever before. Never have we been so divided, individually, between good and bad times. On the plus side, we have more or less everything that we could need, we’re safe, our problems are often superficial; on the negative side are the costs of this level of comfort, which has fuelled a dramatic rise in mental health conditions such as anxiety. Left to our own decides, we can end up in stressful states of mind. Fortunately, there are some remedies we can use to limit the feelings of anxiety. We take a look at a few examples below.

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Switch off the Tech

Technology has done a lot of good for humanity, but there’s a chance that we’ve gone a little too far in our question to techify everything. While smartphones, laptops, and tablets are useful for managing life, they’re not exactly relaxing. If you’re actively engaging with your tech (say, by scrolling through your social media channels), then all you’re doing is keeping your mind in a state of stressful alertness. Not so relaxing! If you’re feeling anxious and can’t find a cause, look at switching off your tech for the evening.

Feeding the Body

We think of stress and anxiety as the thing itself — say, getting up to give a talk, but it’s really something that’s happening inside of us. We are all made up of chemicals, and if we’re beginning to see the telltale signs of anxiety, then we should take steps to change our chemical makeup. There are plenty of ways to do this. Medical marijuana has been shown in studies to reduce the symptoms of anxiety; talk with your doctor to get the strain that’s right for you, and also invest in a cannabis waste disposal bin, so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Alternatively, you can look at adding soothing incense or scent diffusers in your property. If you buy some relaxing scents, then they’ll do the magic “under the radar” and help to make you feel more relaxed.

Time Outdoors

Ah, the outdoors. Many of us don’t make as much of it as we could or should. Studies have shown that just a couple of hours of outdoor time — either in one go or spread out — is enough to reduce our anxiety levels and give our happiness a boost. No matter where you live, there will likely be some sort of natural scenery located nearby. Make spending some time there a part of your weekly schedule. Plus, you’re not just doing this for

Meditation and Yoga

Finally, don’t forget that there’s great power in meditation and yoga, two activities that have been scientifically proven to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. For yoga, it’s best that you join a class, but meditation can be done anywhere, by anyone. Learn the basics, and do it once in the morning and once at night.

Author: anwaryusef

Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath. Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.

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