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5 Healthy Lifestyle Habits to Control Stress & Anxiety

I've been in recovery for over 15 years and worked as a peer mentor or certified peer specialist for over 10 years. I've learned a lot on my journey of recovery and continue to take on more ways to manage my health from other people. The handful of activities I'll discuss are few practical ways to improve wellbeing.

    Due to my diagnosis I must be mindful of my stress levels to help me cope. Whenever I'm stressed I easily fall into anxiety and irritability, which could lead to the worsening of other symptoms. Stress reduction helps me manage everyday pressures. I practice a variety of stress management techniques to reduce feelings of anxiousness. Here I'll discuss 5 approaches to controlling stress and anxiety that will undoubtedly get you feeling lighter and better.

  1. Meditating

  2. Talking

  3. Moving

  4. Resting

  5. Routine

Meditating. Meditation can transfer into numerous rituals that will help you redirect thoughts, enhance focus, and relax your muscles. Meditating takes on a wide range of forms. It is a great way to calm your nerves, increase focus, and lower stress.

    There are several ways to meditate. Some rituals are guided exercises where an individual provides instructions to you on how to move to your body to relax. Another form of meditation could be actively listening to music or different sounds such as nature, etc. Silence and stretching is popular as well.

    Mindfulness is a common practice of meditation that sharpens attention because of its requirement to focus and recognize the moment, surroundings, sensations, and sounds. Meditating would not only control stress and minimize anxiety, but it enriches your concentration and gives your body a moment to connect and to relax.

Talking. Talking to someone is important because it helps limit stressors, reduce isolation, and make you feel at ease. By talking to someone you might be able to come up with your own solutions or get feedback. Talking is a great way to look at the whole picture of your needs and situation.

    For me, I check in with family and friends regularly. They help me stay mindful of my warning signs. Also, I stay in therapy. Therapy continues to provide me with the skills to cope and manage daily stressors. Talking to family, friends, and my therapist are encouraging. They help me stay accountable to wellness. Having a listening ear helps bring clarity, lower self-doubt, and reduce anxieties.

Moving. I try to exercise everyday because it helps me think clearer and boost my energy. There are different types of low-impact exercises and physical activities to help. Regular activities can help control other ailments too.

    Staying active is a part of my self-care routine because it helps me feel better mentally, physically, and emotionally. I keep my routine short and simple by walking 20 minutes daily. Other activities might be performing yard work, stretching, biking, and other ways to keep your body moving.

Resting. Going to bed is not enough to get restful sleep. By working with peers on the importance of adequate sleep I've learned many tips to go to sleep faster and for staying asleep. For example, avoid or limit alcohol and caffeine intake prior to bedtime. Sleep with the lights off. Stop using electronics just before bed. Don't eat and drink anything before bedtime. Take a hot bath or shower to help relax your muscles. Try to go to bed at the same time every time.

    Other ways to manage stress is to take naps. Sometimes it's best give your mind and body time to regroup by taking a nap. Power naps can help rejuvenate your body and tolerate stress better, I try to take a nap everyday. After I get rest I feel like I can handle inconveniences and distractions better. Taking a nap gives my mind a boost of focus that way I can function better.

Routine. Practicing a routine reduces stress and worry. Being on auto pilot can help sharpen memory and increase productivity. Repetition helps me with my medication regimen and eating habits. After my morning walk I eat a snack and take my medication. The only challenges with routines is knowing when to make adjustments and to change them. Still, keeping a routine lowers the stress and anxiety by repeating the same activities regularly.

    Finally, there are many ways to manage stress and anxiety. Feeling better demands attention to your whole self. Consider meditating, talking, moving, resting, and routine. That way you can boost your self-confidence, reduce self-doubt, and enhance memory, and productivity to feeling lighter, easier, and better! These strategies were a few healthy lifestyle tips to improve wellness and reduce tension and anxiety. Even though these practices are not cures and treatments for mental health conditions, they are great habits to supporting recovery and overall good health.


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Nicole said…
Great tips. I usually have a hard time managing stress and anxiety. I'll definitely try some of these.
November 30, 2023 at 5:44 PM
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