Anxiety & Mental Health
Mental health is ignored even in the 21st century. But awareness is being spread and people are talking about mental health issues more openly. There has been a massive surge in mental health issues due to the covid-19 pandemic and the continuous lockdowns.
In India, according to the estimates of WHO, 7.5% of people suffer mental health issues and by the end of this horrible pandemic, the estimates will rise 20% more. The number of first-time therapy seekers has risen 55% in this pandemic.
Anxiety is one of the most notorious mental health issues. In the year 2017, more than 284 million people across the globe experienced anxiety and related issues making it the leading mental health disorder prevalent globally.
Everybody has anxiety. Yes, everyone HAS anxiety. Anxiety is a human emotion just like love, anger, sadness. But we take necessary measures if we are always or often angry or sad because it can be an emotional disorder that again occurs due to mental disorders. The same goes for anxiety. If you worry or feel uneasiness quite often and experience panic attacks or compulsive behaviors, then it is probably a sign to go see a professional. Or you can help yourself and your mental health.
How?
Well, here are some tips from professionals that will help you and your anxiety.
The Power of Me-Time
Prioritize yourself above anything and anyone else. Most of us have a habit of putting our family, friends, and our loved ones above ourselves which is good to an extent. After all, we are social and emotional beings.
Our lives are hectic and stressful and we need to be there for each other which is not possible if you are not in a state where you can help others. As stress increases, so, does anxiety. And a little ‘Me-Time’ can help you here.
These are some things you can do for yourself.
- Take your lunch away from your work desk during your lunch break.
- Possibly eat with your colleagues and friends.
- Make sure to have a little chit-chat now and then.
- Take a small walk outside after lunch.
- Schedule a massage or session at a spa.
- Watch a movie/TV show or both, after all, it’s your ‘Me-Time’.
- Read a book.
- Get away for a weekend.
Music Therapy, better than Mental Therapy
Music. It is a word but also a whole sentence, a feeling, a whole story in itself. Music is a go-to for many of us. Whenever we are feeling down, sad, hurt, anxious even or happy, or, excited, we turn towards music because
- it can reciprocate our feelings in the best way possible.
- it is relaxing and soothing.
- music is a growing form of therapy
- proved to decrease pain, blood pressure, and anxiety.
- can increase healing, mood, and overall positivity.
- and best of all, it is better than medicines.
There is a whole plethora of music yet to be discovered and to be experienced by us. We mainly stick to a particular type of music which we like the best but sometimes, every now and then, we should go out of our way and try new genres of music.
Our lives are hectic, no doubt there, and to deal with this hectic schedule we sometimes have to sacrifice things that we like to do and music is one of them. But now online streaming apps have made it easier for us to utilize our time and enjoy music. You can stream music of your choice while utilizing your traveling time, you can arrange a rendezvous in your break time or something else as it suits you.
Journalize Your Day
Journalizing is a great way to work on your thoughts. It is proven that even if you know what you are thinking and what you want, writing it down can help you understand it. And there is a huge difference between knowing and understanding.
Journalizing your thoughts can lead you down to a never-discovered path of self-realization and self-discovery.
The way journalizing works and helps you is
- It presents your own thoughts in front of you.
- You can revisit your entries for a particular day.
- You can relive memories.
- It helps you understand your mindset in a particular situation.
There are many ways, you can maintain your journal or diary. You can use a narrative approach or just highlight your thoughts for the day. You can even change your approach based on what you are trying to convey and your mood.
Five Sense Exercise
You can feel your body getting light and feel yourself getting dizzy. You can experience trouble in breathing, seeing, hearing, etc. whenever anxiety or panic attack occurs. Anxiety can make you feel disconnected from your body. So, to reconnect with your senses, all you have to do is the 5 senses exercise.
This exercise helps you to reconnect with yourself. All you have to do is:
- You have to start by taking deep breaths.
- Work on your senses. Try to identify few things you can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste.
- Do this exercise and give yourself a couple of minutes.
- If necessary do it again and a few times more as per your need.
Mindset is the Key
Mindset plays an important role in our overall life. It is a common practice for people that they doubt themselves and it’s quite fine. In fact, researches show that more capable people are likely to doubt themselves more. However, you need to keep your negative thoughts in check and don’t let them run loose.
Keeping this in mind, you need to prepare yourself for any challenge that might come your way and keep reminding yourself that there are choices. Choices that YOU make which many times would be less than ideal but still you will get to choose for yourself. Based on your choices, you get a hold of yourself and your life and your anxiety.
Doubt yourself, that’s fine but with a positive mindset that there is room for improvement and you will give your best. And not that you can’t do it and you should give up.
Hopefully, this will help you with your anxiety problems and make your life easier.
