How to Relieve Anxiety: 8 Practical Tips

Wondering how to relieve anxiety? If anxiety has you in its grip, then you know the worry and frustration of managing its symptoms. Anxiety and the fight-or-flight response is an innate reaction to danger. Our ancestors used this process of adrenaline-pumping energy to fight or flee from enemies. What we perceive as dangerous now are overdue bills, relationship problems, past trauma, conflict at work, debt, and more.

Learning the skills for how to relieve anxiety can help you manage physical, emotional, and mental symptoms.

8 Tips to Relieve Anxiety

Changing your lifestyle is the first step in learning how to relieve anxiety. Much of what we do contributes to our anxious thoughts and emotions. For example, if you tend to procrastinate, you are all too familiar with the feeling of being rushed and the worry of facing the consequences of your inaction.

What actions would you need to take to avoid anxiety in this case? Perhaps it is getting more organized or breaking a large task down into smaller, more manageable tasks, assigning deadlines to each. Maybe it is adding a reward system for completing milestones.

Think about what triggers your anxiety. Is there a way to drop it from your life? If not, can you delegate it or look at it from another angle? The following is a list of examples of lifestyle changes that can make a meaningful difference in your life and how you manage stress and anxiety.

Start the night before

The first step in learning how to relieve anxiety starts the night before. Your mind and body need adequate sleep for rest and recovery. The ability to regulate emotions is only possible with enough sleep. Yet, when faced with anxiety, we find it difficult to fall and stay asleep. For many of us, sleep eludes us as our anxious thoughts take hold, reminding us of problems, worries, and fears.

Increase your odds of a better night’s sleep by creating a bedtime routine. Use the hour or so before bed to send a message to your brain that it is time to prepare for the next day and wind down for the night.

Plan dinner for the next night, lay out your clothes for the following day, draw yourself a warm bath or shower, brew herbal tea or hot cocoa, and go to bed earlier. Practice your bedtime routine nightly; eventually, your mind will understand it is time for sleep.

Start the morning with exercise

Kick off your day with a natural mood booster with exercise. Moderate-intensity exercise triggers a release of endorphins and all of the feel-good hormones. After a good workout session or brisk walk, you may notice:

• You feel calmer
• You feel a sense of accomplishment
• You walk with more confidence
• Your joints don’t ache as much
• Your blood pressure is lower
• Your resting heart rate decreased
• You’re not as hungry overall
• You can handle setbacks easier
• You want to set goals for your fitness journey
• You want to challenge yourself in other areas of your life
• You sleep better at night

Exercise is a natural anti-anxiety, antidepressant, and painkiller in one. Our bodies were created to move, not sit behind desks, commute all day, or lounge on the couch for hours. Even moving for twenty minutes in the morning, twenty minutes in the afternoon, and twenty minutes in the evening can profoundly affect your mood and mental state. Consult with your doctor before starting any new fitness regimen or program.

Fuel your mind and body

You know that without proper fuel, your car will not perform well. It might even break down and leave you stranded. Our bodies respond similarly when we fill them with less than God’s best for us. Ultra-processed foods and fast foods fill our stomachs with ingredients that can make us sick physically and mentally.

Aim to consume whole, minimally processed foods, such as complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and walnuts and probiotics found in Greek yogurt have also decreased anxiety. Try to eat these foods more abundantly in your meals and save sugar-laden foods for occasional treats.

Just say no to too much caffeine

Caffeine can worsen anxiety symptoms by mimicking the fight-or-flight response, keeping your adrenaline and cortisol levels high. If you are prone to panic attacks or have been diagnosed with a mood disorder in the past, caffeine can aggravate these symptoms.

Switch to decaf alternatives for your favorite beverages. Decaf coffee still contains around 2mg of caffeine per eight-ounce cup, which is much lower than the average 95mg of caffeine in a cup of regular-roasted coffee. You can also find decaf versions of your favorite teas, like English Breakfast Blend, Early Grey, and Lady Grey. Herbal teas and plain (or fruit-infused) water are great ways to replace caffeinated beverages in your diet.

Phone a friend

Talking to a friend or loved one can boost your mood and help relieve anxiety. Sharing our worries with a trusted friend can ease the burden. They can offer empathy and concern and validate your feelings about a situation. They might also provide suggestions or be able to help you solve a problem.

Don’t forget to be that same friend for them one day. Everyone needs a listening ear. Return the favor by asking open-ended questions, actively listening, and encouraging them. The Book of Proverbs talks about the importance of having a trusted friend to confide in and encourage, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV)

Use your imagination

Tap into your imagination and visualize a peaceful place when life gets chaotic. Visualization techniques are effective in reducing anxiety. Think about a place you love that leaves you with a sense of calm. Maybe that is the beach or a cabin in the woods. Focus on the sounds and scents you would encounter. Spend a few minutes in this safe space daily.

If you need help getting started, search online for videos on visualization or relaxing scenes accompanied by sounds and music. You can always light a candle or melt scented wax in a warmer to capture the scent of your favorite place.

Take time to laugh

Laughing is a fun way to lower cortisol levels and reduce stress and anxiety. Laughter brightens our mood by activating the reward system in the brain. A study published in Elsevier Current Research in Physiology in 2021 found that laughter lessens pro-stress factors, reducing anxiety and depression.

When was the last time you had a good belly laugh? Get with some friends and plan a movie or game night. Stream a comedy show. Even watching children or pets play can give you a good laugh. Find ways to bring more laughter into your day.

Journal your thoughts

Getting your thoughts onto paper releases them and may help you see them from a different perspective. Journaling is an effective method for identifying negative thought patterns and harmful behaviors. Distancing yourself from a situation through journaling may give you an objective view.

Although some people use a digital platform or software program to journal, try a pen and notebook. The act of writing can be cathartic. Journal your thoughts, details about your day, where you went, and what you are grateful for daily. This is your safe space, so feel free to let it out. If you feel comfortable, consider sharing entries with a counselor to pinpoint areas where you may need help.

Find Christian counseling help

Want more tips on how to relieve anxiety? If you need more help, consider Irvine Christian Counseling. A counselor in Irvine, California, will assess your symptoms and the severity of your anxiety and assist you in creating a care plan.

This plan will combine psychological methods with faith-based principles to help you learn the skills needed to overcome anxiety and draw you closer to a relationship with Jesus Christ, the true Healer and Comforter. Contact us today at Irvine Christian Counseling to get started.