It’s nothing new. In fact, society today is seeing more and more people suffer from chronic anxiety for a myriad of reasons. You’ve got students dealing with academic stress, professionals vying for job security during the pandemic, and families struggling to cope with the new normal in the coronavirus era. That’s not to mention the comparison trap people fall into when using social media and the unique pressure that comes from being at a certain age and meeting certain expectations.
Anxiety is a real problem for everyone, and the sad thing is that few know their options in dealing with it.
There are people who refuse to get help because traditional remedies are expensive. Horrible experiences with certain treatments and medications also run rampant on the web to scare off those who are looking for solutions. It’s no wonder you’re looking for a holistic approach to kick-off your road to recovery.
Natural remedies are often cheap and do not have physiological side effects. That said, just because you can go holistic doesn’t mean you should skip expert advice. Consult with one to get a medical perspective of your anxiety problems, and from there discover which of these methods will work for you.
Strategy 1: Time Management
Eating healthy food and exercising regularly are a given. A less frequent topic covered in tackling anxiety is people’s time management skills – or lack thereof. When you don’t take control of how you spend your time, you feel overwhelmed. You don’t give yourself an objective view of your days, weeks, and months that can invalidate feelings that make certain tasks and obligations feel impossible to accomplish.
Anxiety’s heartbeat is set on the fear of the unknown. You’re constantly worrying about what could be instead of being proactive about the outcome. As simple as getting your time management honed can significantly reduce the anxiety you experience on a day-to-day basis. Of course, you also have to complement it with other helpful mindsets that will prevent your attempts to manage your time into a toxic behavior. Perfection isn’t the goal. You have to acknowledge as early as now that you won’t get everything done according to plan. What’s important is that you’re creating a realistic blueprint for the foreseeable future that you can rely on to track your progress.
Strategy 2: Music Therapy
You can attend an actual music therapy class or enroll in drum lessons. Find opportunities for both that you can consider depending on your preferences. Whichever works for you that allows you to incorporate music in your healing, do it. Music is a powerful tool, regardless if you’re playing an instrument, writing songs, or simply listening to one.
Stay attuned to your emotions and let them lead your decisions. Songs have powerful ways of enabling you to process your emotions safely. They can also help you transition from anger to calm and sadness to happiness by letting music influence the way you feel.
Research shows that the tempo and volume of the music you’re listening to can impact your heart rate and blood pressure. So, the next time you’re feeling anxious about something, use music to turn the situation around. Exhaust yourself in practicing the drums in your next class or lose yourself in your anti-stress playlist while swinging in your garden hammock.
Strategy 3: Animal Companionship
Something is calming about being around animals. While this research field about how they impact a human’s emotional well-being is still new, it’s safe to say that most pet owners found joy with their furry companions. Interacting with them has proven to lower blood pressure and decrease a person’s cortisol levels.
Owners report feeling less lonely and getting social support from others with similar pets. Many people have found communities that help them deal not only with their dogs and cats but also with their personal problems. It’s a common observation that pets bring people together and make them more compassionate towards one another.
That said, you have to be realistic about your expectations in interacting with animals. If you can’t take home a dog, volunteering at an animal shelter might do. If you have allergies, getting a non-furry friend might prove to be the best solution. Either way, cozying up to any animal will give you startling benefits that’ll help you deal with your chronic anxiety.
Mix It Up
You can incorporate creative writing into your music therapy on some days and meditation to your quality time with your pet. Don’t expect that what works for another will always work on you the same way. Holistic methods thrive on finding what suits your personality and addresses your stress triggers. Your activities may even evolve to better meet your need to deal with anxiety. Go with whatever helps you achieve the most inner peace and heal.
