30 Minutes to Reducing Anxiety by Paige M.
Anxiety can seemingly appear out of thin air to make our days more difficult. It’s not always rational fear that keeps us up at night, either. Sometimes you can be anxious about something that genuinely isn’t an important issue that will impact your life in any major way. That doesn’t mean that you can’t do your best to control the anxiety and move on with your life as worry-free as possible, of course. Here are a few tips to help you reduce anxiety in 30 minutes or less.
1. Write in a journal
Keeping a daily log of your feelings and stressors is a great way to gain a better understanding of how anxiety affects you. Sometimes the act of writing itself can be incredibly cathartic and lead to reduced stress levels. Journal entries don’t have to be long—they just need to be honest. Try to find a few minutes in your day to focus on writing down how you’re feeling. Maybe you’ll record a few words or an entire page—the important thing is to acknowledge your feelings in hopes of reducing their impact on your well-being.
2. Practice a breathing exercise
When you become especially anxious, your body begins to react in physical ways. That includes breathing faster than normal, which can actually increase your anxiety levels and keep the cycle going. The solution? Take a moment and focus on your breathing. You can do this anywhere you happen to be when the anxiety hits. Just turn your attention inward and focus on breathing in and out slowly and deeply. Before long, you should find your anxiety level decreasing.
3. Follow a guided meditation
Along the lines of focusing on your breathing, you might consider trying a guided meditation app or two. You can find these on just about any platform imaginable, including online to be used on your computer and in the app stores for both Android and iOS devices.
Meditation can help bring anxiety levels down and find peace to go about the rest of your day. The best part is that it doesn’t take long to see results. Most guided meditations are between two and ten minutes long, and they can make a big difference in your mood.
4. Make a quick to-do list
If you find that your anxiety tends to rise when you don’t clearly understand exactly what to expect from your day, consider taking some time to make a to-do list. This doesn’t have to take long—just making sure you jot down the priorities of the day. Include things like going to the grocery store, visiting the gym, or replacing your air filter to help keep your life and home fresh.
5. Do something you enjoy
What do you find relaxing and fun? Spend 20–30 minutes on something you enjoy every day. Periods of relaxation lower anxiety, help you feel better, and allow you to get back to your life as quickly as possible. Your schedule can spare you for that length of time and your day will be better for the time spent focusing on something you love.
1. Write in a journal
Keeping a daily log of your feelings and stressors is a great way to gain a better understanding of how anxiety affects you. Sometimes the act of writing itself can be incredibly cathartic and lead to reduced stress levels. Journal entries don’t have to be long—they just need to be honest. Try to find a few minutes in your day to focus on writing down how you’re feeling. Maybe you’ll record a few words or an entire page—the important thing is to acknowledge your feelings in hopes of reducing their impact on your well-being.
2. Practice a breathing exercise
When you become especially anxious, your body begins to react in physical ways. That includes breathing faster than normal, which can actually increase your anxiety levels and keep the cycle going. The solution? Take a moment and focus on your breathing. You can do this anywhere you happen to be when the anxiety hits. Just turn your attention inward and focus on breathing in and out slowly and deeply. Before long, you should find your anxiety level decreasing.
3. Follow a guided meditation
Along the lines of focusing on your breathing, you might consider trying a guided meditation app or two. You can find these on just about any platform imaginable, including online to be used on your computer and in the app stores for both Android and iOS devices.
Meditation can help bring anxiety levels down and find peace to go about the rest of your day. The best part is that it doesn’t take long to see results. Most guided meditations are between two and ten minutes long, and they can make a big difference in your mood.
4. Make a quick to-do list
If you find that your anxiety tends to rise when you don’t clearly understand exactly what to expect from your day, consider taking some time to make a to-do list. This doesn’t have to take long—just making sure you jot down the priorities of the day. Include things like going to the grocery store, visiting the gym, or replacing your air filter to help keep your life and home fresh.
5. Do something you enjoy
What do you find relaxing and fun? Spend 20–30 minutes on something you enjoy every day. Periods of relaxation lower anxiety, help you feel better, and allow you to get back to your life as quickly as possible. Your schedule can spare you for that length of time and your day will be better for the time spent focusing on something you love.
