How To Reduce Stress Or Anxiety Naturally

One in five blokes will experience anxiety in their life. With everything going on at the moment, don't think you're 'less of a man' for getting help.

Anxiety and stress are a normal response to what is going on around you. Financial struggles, relationship breakdowns, losing a job, it all adds up.

When this feeling of anxiety or continued stress begins to impact your life more than the event that triggered it, it's time to get some help to fix it.

How Do I Know If I'm Experiencing Anxiety?

Anxiety is an ongoing feeling of stress or worry, beyond the event or events that trigger these feelings. It can be debilitating, and if you experience some of these ongoing symptoms, you may have an anxiety disorder:

Excessive Worrying
Restlessness
Avoiding Social Situations
No Longer Wanting To Do Things You Normally Enjoy
Easily Agitated
Fatigue
Difficulty Concentrating
Irrational Fears
Trouble Falling or Staying Asleep
Panic Attacks

What Can I Do To Reduce My Anxiety?

Mental illnesses aren't like physical illnesses, there is no wonder drug that will cure you. There are, however, natural ways that have been proven to reduce anxiety and stress.

Remember, it's your interaction with the environment around you that creates these feelings. Primarily, it is lifestyle changes within this environment and how you interact with it that will reduce your levels of anxiety and stress.

Here are five things you can do to naturally reduce your anxiety and stress:

Change Your Diet

Increased feelings of anxiety and stress are linked to highly processed food intake and sugar intake. According to recent Harvard studies, processed sugars increase the symptoms of anxiety by causing spikes and drops in your blood glucose levels. This, in turn, has an impact on your mood and energy levels.

Choosing natural foods like vegetables, high-quality meat, and whole grains can mitigate and reduce anxiety and stress.

Consume Less Caffeine

High caffeine intake has been shown to increase feelings of stress and anxiety. One study highlighted the findings that men who consumed 3 cups of coffee per day - roughly 300mg of caffeine - experienced double the stress of men who did not consume coffee.

While these effects may not impact everyone, it is noted that some people may be affected by even moderate or low caffeine intake.

Exercise

Exercise is proven to lower your body's stress hormone levels and release endorphins that improve mood. It has also been shown to increase an individual's self-perception and confidence, which in turn increases their mental well-being.

Simple repetitive exercises such as jogging and walking have been shown to be particularly stress-relieving.

Start Meditating

Meditation doesn't need to be the spiritual journey you might think it is. It can be as simple as taking a minute out of your day to sit in silence, blocking your thoughts and focusing on your breathing.

Practicing meditation increases mindfulness - anchoring you in the present - and reduces negative thinking. Clearing your mind also enables you to reapproach thoughts once you've relaxed.

Cut Back On Alcohol

Many people think that having a couple of drinks will take the edge off, but the use of alcohol in excess is strongly linked to anxiety disorder.

Alcohol disrupts brain chemistry and, after the initial relief of inhibition, heightens feelings of anxiety and stress.

If you are experiencing anxiety or stress, you don't have to stop drinking, but cutting back is an important step.