6 Simple Techniques To Reduce Anxiety in 2019
Not sure about you, but for some reason my mind likes to try to solve all my problems in the middle of the night leaving me sleepless & feeling tired the next day!
Here are 6 simple techniques I have found that reduce anxiety that really work for me, I hope some of these help you reduce anxiety in 2019! Let me know how it goes! Please email me successes stories because I love hearing them! Also, if you have something specific you’d like to talk about or have something that’s causing you anxiety, I’d love to chat with you as well! We are not alone in our quest to overcome anxiety, it is something that happens to almost all of us in different ways, shapes, & forms. Let’s tackle it together, help each other overcome anxiety so we can start thriving! Ok, here we go!
1. Before you go to sleep write out a list of everything you did great that day!
As the new year approaches I notice we tend to start focusing on all the things we WANT to accomplish for the new year not what we DID accomplish! I think it’s just human nature, but after a long day we tend to hold on and focus on what we didn’t get done, the one mean thing someone said…..the one thing we said we wish we wouldn’t have…. leaving all the hundreds of amazing things that happened during the day off the brain, unnoticed & untalked about as if they didn’t happen. Try this amazing habit I have created that has really made a difference in my attitude toward life and myself! Before you go to sleep, get out your journal & write out a list of all the things that went well, all the things that you loved about yourself today, all the things that went right…. leave the negative and the wrongs at the front door & in the trash…. and certainly leave them out of this notebook. You tend to not give yourself credit for the project you crushed, the nice comment someone made, the way you created an amazing new idea for work, the way you made a new flavor of coffee, the way you made your sister feel better when she was down….. Do this consistently every night for 1 week & you will notice and magical shift in how you start viewing yourself! You’ll end up wanting to do it every night! Give it a try!
2. Organize your space
We have all heard the saying “if you are feeling stressed, go clean out a drawer” but there is more truth to this statement than you may give credit for. Pick one item… room… area in your life each day to organize & you will start to feel more control over your surroundings. A lot of time what’s going on in our surroundings is a reflection of what is going on inside. So here it goes…. as you can see my tricks all have some lists & writing so make sure to go get yourself a cute notepad our journal & a nice pen! Write out a list of all the areas in your home, office, car, email inbox, that need to be organized. Then pick 1 item a day to organize. This will help you regain control over your space! You will notice as you start to organize the space around you it will give you a feeling of order, control, & calm. When we can control the space around us we tell ourself that we can put order into chaos, that we can have control over our surroundings… this is a powerful & will help your mind get ready to tackle trick #3…. our mind!
3. DeClutter your mind
Once you have taken care of the space around you (which I recommend to do first since it will be a good stepping stone), it’s time to tackle your mind! Ever have the spinning wheel of death when your computer has too many windows open or have your phone just freeze up on you because you are running out of storage space & you have forgotten your apple id to upload to the cloud… every time….this is what happens to our mind when we have to many windows open, too many tasks started that we have opened and haven’t completed. Write down a list of every “open task” you have in your life…. this can go back pretty far so just start with what you remember & as you go you can write more as you start to remember! Start to complete the task one by one until they are all CLOSED! Here are some examples of what is on my “open window” list….As you start to complete your open tasks list your mind will start to feel clearer, faster, & as you close out those pesky windows you’ll feel more able to handle all the new stuff that is coming in because your mind won’t be trying to get you to look at those past windows you haven’t handled! Go ahead give it a try!
Examples:
Answer all the voicemails in my phone
Answer all the emails in my inbox & clear it out
Return my shoes that have been sitting in my closet
Complete the unfinished projects around my house
Apologize to that friend I have been feeling bad about for weeks
Get the oil change I have been putting off
4. Take a look around!
A really simple & easy grounding technique to go to when anxiety hits is to look around us…. yes it really is that simple & it really works! When you feel a rush of anxiety hitting, just pick a spot to sit & look at the room around you. “look at the couch, really look at all the details” “look at the tree outside, notice the leaves blowing” “look at the picture frame & notice the details” …. just keep going like this and look at all the items and space around you. This is a little mind trick to take your mind out of your head and get you to actually look at what is in front of you…. most of the time (all of the time :)..) anxiety has to do with handling the past or the future…… so to ground yourself looking at all the items & space in front of you brings you to the present moment where you can actually go back to steps 1-3 & start to actually HANDLE the anxiety…… simple as it seems… give it a try next time that pesky anxiety hits!
5. Send out lots of positive & loving communication!
Another really magical technique for handling anxiety is to send out loving communication! A lot of times when we are in a state of anxiety, doubt, or self criticism it’s hard to see what is beautiful and right about ourselves, but it is often easier to see the good and beauty in others! Send an email or text to all your friends & family telling them all the things you love about them. Telling others the beautiful and wonderful things you love about them will help you to notice the things you love about yourself! Next time you feel anxiety hit use this go to technique to get you into a state of love, admiration, positivity.. you may even receive some really nice loving thank you’s and compliments back which is bound to boost your spirits! Anxiety cannot live in the presence of admiration & love…..
6. Get your zen on
Here are my go to items that help me relax & get a good night sleep. The tricks above are a MUST to get a true handle on anxiety, but these are amazing aids that can assist!
All things LAVENDER
essential oils! I put it beside my bed and let the aromas calm me! This is my diffuser I got from target - https://bit.ly/2A7JlU5. Contact Lindsay Haskett for essential oils that are pure - you can find her on instagram @lindsayhaskett She is an expert in essential oils & loves what she does!
Lotions! I LOVE the lotion from Whole Foods https://bit.ly/2Br07xo
Listen to positive affirmations & read positive material before you sleep (spotify has a lot of awesome FREE meditations & sleep music)
Turn off your phone & TV at least an hour before bed (this one really helps if you can do it)
Do a bedtime stretch! I always stretch before bed & it really helps relax my muscles!
Go for a walk or work out! Whenever I feel anxiety coming on I always do a work out. For me working out really helps reduce anxiety instantly. After I get that rush of happy work out hormones, I can then go back to tackling the techniques above!
I hope these techniques will help you to reduce anxiety in 2019! Love, Ashley