Since COVID-19 is a respiratory related illness I thought it might be helpful to publish some non-breath focused anxiety reducers.
Remember, if you are having a tough time reach out for help!
1. Get regular sleep
Poor sleep increases anxiety and makes it hard to think clearly. Now is a great time go to bed and wake up at a regular time each day (yes that includes weekends). Re-calibrating your circadian rhythm will reduce stress and anxiety.
2. Limit your screen time
Similar to substance use, screens increase dopamine reactions in our brain. This dopamine hit lasts for a couple of minutes and it then followed by stress. Try to limit our screen time to a couple of hours a day. If this is not possible take screen breaks for 5 minutes every 20-30 minutes.
3. Play in the dirt
Gardening is a fantastic way to reduce anxiety. Soil contains helpful neurotransmitters that can lift mood and reduce stress. In addition, the exercise can increase endorphin and norepinephrine, this helps balance the brain's stress hormones and reduce anxiety.
4. Go for a walk
Steady state cardio such as walking can increase your brain's ability to process through thoughts, feelings, and events by activating bother hemispheres of the brain while you move your whole body. This drops stress levels and increases productivity.
5. Stargazing
Stargazing and cloud watching can help reduce anxiety by putting us in a mild trance and stimulating positive imagination. This regulates our stress hormones and calms our bodies.
6. Write a Letter
Write a letter to a loved one or community member that you admire. Tell them why you are grateful for them. Writing and sending gratitude letters once a week has been shown to increase resiliency and decrease stress and anxiety.
Tags: Olympia Therapist, Olympia Counseling, Anxiety Therapist, Anxiety Reduction, beat the stress, covid-19 anxiety tips, Washington Anxiety therapy
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