Having anxiety can really affect your everyday life. As teenagers, it is even worse because of all the stress we have from school, peer pressure, work, parents, etc. Luckily, anxiety can be fixed or dramatically reduced with a few applications of simple methods. Here are 10 Ways to Deal with Anxiety:
Drink Tea
Certain teas have been known to help calm down the mind and reduce anxiety. A lot of people who deal with anxiety are usually recommended to start drinking tea.
It warms, hydrates, and creates a routine for the body. People with anxiety usually drink less liquids and this is a good way to start doing so.
Best Teas for Anxiety Relief: Peppermint, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Green, and Kava
Hot Shower
Any form of heat and steaming can help with anxiety. Go take a hot shower, sit in a sauna, or take a steamy bath.
The heat will ease muscle tension and open everything up in the body to release some of that stress and anxiety.
One personal tip I use is taking a hot shower right at sunset with the bathroom lights off. Something is very calming about showering in a dim environment and just enjoying the heat of the water.
Exercise
A lot of stress, especially from the younger generation, comes from over thinking. When you go to the gym and focus on working out, you’ll notice that it’s all you can focus on. This is great for those who need an hour to just be distracted and not worry about anything in your life.
You don’t even have to go to the gym. Dance, box, run, do whatever you have to do to let out some energy. It will let out a lot of that extra tension.
Develop a Routine
You need to come up with some sort of routine that you can do when you catch yourself being extra anxious. It will help you get used to a specific pattern that you know will temporarily cure your anxious mind.
If you’re not sure where to start, try deep breathing. Breathe in through your nose as much as you can until you can sniff anymore. Then hold for 3 seconds and breathe out very slowly. You can close your eyes for this if it helps and do it multiple times to leave a stronger effect.
Grab a Quick Snack
I catch myself going for hours without eating because of my anxiety. This happens to a lot of us because, after everything we’re thinking about, food is the last of our worries.
If you catch yourself doing this, go grab a quick snack to replenish some energy and continue with your day.
Check out these Quick Snacks You Can Make at Home!
Asses the Main Cause
Find out the most important factor that affects the anxiety. Whether it’s school, work, parents, friends, or anything else, you need to figure out the biggest one.
I know that might be hard because it may be a combination of a few that add up to give you anxiety. If this is the case, assess one that you can start fixing.
School might be the issue, so start practicing better methods for presenting or studying. If it’s your parents, sit down and have a talk with them if you can. You get the point, so just try to work on a factor that can be reduced.
Get Rest
Sleep can add on to your anxiety a lot. If you’re a teenager staying up until 2 a.m. and waking up late, it will make you feel groggy and that makes it worse. Consider fixing your sleep schedule.
You’ll be surprised how much more productive and stress-free you’ll be. Aim for 8 hours of sleep at a decent time as well.
Eight hours from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. is way different compared to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. If anxiety is really starting to affect your daily activities, this one is important to fix.
Check out How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule!
Organize
This one is super helpful if you feel anxiety because of everything you have to do during the day. Fix the little things around your life.
For example, clearing up my desk and closet every couple of days really eases the tension around your workspace. Start preparing your schedule the day before so it doesn’t seem as bad when the day begins. Clean up your room too.
It’s where you live and probably spend most of your free time. It would be a good idea to make yourself feel a little cleaner and organized in your environment.
Write it Out
Sometimes we just need to let it out. Try writing, typing, or talking about what makes you feel anxious all the time. This one can really clear your mind and that’s the goal when dealing with anxiety.
From personal experience, this one helps tremendously with a lot of things other than anxiety as well. Start explaining everything you’re feeling in detail to really get everything cleared from your mind. It might also make you realize that everything is okay and you’re worrying more than you need to.
What You Shouldn’t Do
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Drink coffee
Coffee has a lot of caffeine and that can be increasing the amount of anxiety and thinking you are going through. Drink tea instead. It has much less caffeine.
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Do Drugs
It can be tempting at any age or situation to want to smoke marijuana or do other drugs to reduce the feeling. You are making it worse long term and that’s where it can mess you up even more!
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Drink Alcohol
Like drugs, it is going to ruin you long term through many factors. Alcohol is also proven to increase anxiety after it wears off. Alcohol Anxiety is actually a form of anxiety that comes from alcohol consumption alone, just to give you an idea.
Guys, anxiety is a difficult thing to deal with. If you want to talk more in depth with me about it, feel free to email me privately or start a discussion in the comments section below.
Take care of yourself!