In today’s uncertain times, being able to keep anxiety and stress under wraps is more important than ever. Here are some of the ways you can go about it, and have been shown to really work. 

Communicate your thoughts

The mind is a complicated place- if you’re stressed and anxious you probably have thoughts swirling around at a million miles an hour. Just the act of talking or writing these out can be incredibly useful, and actually help you to understand your mind better. You could journal, or talk to a video camera as a video diary if you prefer. You could chat to a friend, you could chat online on a support forum or even call a charity like the Samaritans if you just want someone to be a receptive, listening ear. Communicating your thoughts helps you to understand them better, some things you’re worrying about might not be as bad as you thought. If you’re chatting to someone else then gaining a new perspective might be what you need to see things from another viewpoint and cope that bit better. 

Meditate

Meditation has been shown to be highly effective in managing stress. It’s not just witch doctory, meditation puts you into a deeply relaxed state which can ease tense muscles, reduce blood pressure and promote overall feelings of wellbeing. It’s something you can do in just ten minutes, lie on your bed or a comfortable seat and listen along to a video on Youtube. 

Exercise

When you’re feeling stressed, the last thing you might feel like doing is exercising. But actually, if you force yourself to do some form of physical activity you’ll probably really thank yourself for it. The best thing you can do is incorporate regular exercise into your day and use this to keep stress away before it builds up too much in the first place. 

Take a spiritual approach

Sometimes it can be helpful to remember that we’re really a very small part of a much bigger problem. Your problems might feel big to you, but in the grand scheme of things, as humans we’re just specks on a planet in an infinite universe. Remembering this can actually feel quite reassuring and might remind you that things really aren’t as bad as they seem. Finding a spiritual path and listening to these teachings can help you to feel calm, get in touch with your inner thoughts and find balance again in your life. It might be a well known religion, or it could be a newer spiritual school of thought depending on what aligns with your belief. Spirituality isn’t always about worshiping a god or gods, it can be about remembering that you’re a small yet connected part of something much bigger. Perhaps you could have a free psychic reading and see where you go from there?