5 Ways to Manage Stress and Anxiety Right Now
Stress and anxiety are at an all time high. One cannot watch the news or scroll their phone without being confronted by extreme stressors: whether that be political strife, economic and financial instability, as well as news of assaults and violent crimes. All of this exposure to stress and uncertainty causes stress and cortisol levels to increase.
A recent survey of 24,000 people conducted by the U.S. Census found that 24% of respondents reported symptoms of major depressive disorder, and 30% reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. These percentages are nearly double those reported a decade ago, and speak to an alarming increase in mental health symptoms among adults as well as children..*
When stress levels are high, we have to proactively engage in activities that reduce our stress levels. As an added benefit, most of these activities also help manage the physical toll of stress, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure.
While professional treatment (therapy/psychiatry referral) is always recommended to manage serious mental health challenges, the following resources can be an additional support for managing mild-to-moderate stress and anxiety:
Engage your senses
Never have we spent more time away from nature and the outdoors. Working from home has led many of us to spend our day in a sensory vacuum, with less to engage and stimulate our minds and bodies (coupled with eye-strain from screens). To help counter this lack of stimulation, take time each day to go out in nature and make yourself aware of the sights, sounds, and smells around you. Make use of bike trails, nature paths and reserves if you have access to them. Invest in weather-proof gear (rain-proof and warmer clothing) to make sure you can continue to get outside/nature time as the fall and winter approach.
2. Enhance your work station
Make sure that there is plenty of natural light at your workspace, and try to add items to your space that stimulate your ‘other’ senses such as essential oils/candles (smell), glass beads, smooth rocks or sand in a dish (touch), and crunchy snacks such as apples and nuts (taste, sound). Put up pictures of pleasant images or memories, and make sure to give your eyes a break from the screen every hour. Adding plants nearby is a great way to bring nature to you, and some people find that rotating in a ‘yoga’ or ‘wobbly’ ball to sit on throughout periods of their day can assist with sensory engagement (touch, movement).
3. Find your mindfulness tool
Mindfulness means bringing awareness to the present moment. With fear and uncertainty lurking in our past and future, being present in the moment has never been more important. Youtube is a great resource for free mindfulness videos. Try searching Guided Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or Visualization. For kids, try the Go Noodle relaxation/meditation videos. Find one that you like, and make sure to practice it regularly. Paid subscriptions like Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer also have great guided meditations, many of which are tailored to specific symptoms (such as anxiety or anger management). To reap some of the benefits of EMDR therapy (a therapeutic technique that replicates bilateral stimulation to the brain in order to calm the nervous system).
4. Respect your limits
Be cognizant of your energy levels, and as you feel your energy deplete, take small breaks. Find the activities that fill you up, such as taking a 5 minute break to look out the window, make some tea, or take some deep stretches. Do these things as often as needed, even if it goes against your previous notions of what a work day ‘should’ look like. Taking multiple mini-breaks throughout the day is more helpful than pushing yourself to complete 8 hours of work in one sitting and then feeling exhausted. Finally, make sure to limit exposure to ‘negative’ media, including social media posts. Take occasional day-long hiatuses from news and social media, and in general limit news to once per day. In order to make this easier, try turning off notifications for news and social media so that you aren’t tempted to check-in.
If you find that your mental health symptoms continue or get worse, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional for some additional support.
Source: *https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htm