39 percent of Americans felt more anxious this year than last year. As the Los Angeles Times put it, "We're all living in the United States of Anxiety."
What's stressing us out? Safety, finances, and our health are the top problems.
When anxiety hits, turn to deep relaxation techniques. Calming techniques can help you feel grounded when your body wants to panic.
Read on for five of the best and most natural ways to combat high anxiety.
1. Belly Breathing
Belly breathing is a funny phrase for a useful exercise. When we're anxious, our breathing can get out of whack. Belly breathing helps you re-center yourself.
It works like this: slow your body down via breathing. Focus as much as possible on your breathing. Take breathes that are long and slow, not short and frantic.
Closing your eyes can help. If not, try focusing on a single object in the room, like a light switch or ceiling fan.
2. Mindfulness
You hear a lot about mindfulness, but it may sound too complicated for you. It's really not that complex, though.
In short, it's a lot like the breathing exercise above. But mindfulness goes even further. You're supposed to focus as much as possible on the present.
That means focusing on the sights and sounds around you. Don't worry about work tomorrow. Don't fret about your date last night.
Exist in the moment as much as possible.
3. CBD gummies
You've no doubt heard about CBD oil for anxiety. But if you don't feel like dealing with CBD drops, you have other options.
If you like gummies, you'll like CBD gummies even more. They don't get you high, but they can help you chill out. For some, they even make it easier to sleep at night.
As a bonus, CBD gummies can both smell good and taste great.
4. Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is about finding scents that relax you. Standards like lavender and chamomile may work for you. If not, feel free to do some exploring.
You can buy essential oils or candles if you want. But if you like vanilla, you can also bake something with vanilla in it.
The scent of vanilla wafting through your house will help relax you. And when the oven timer sounds, you get to eat something delicious.
5. Music Therapy
You're stuck in traffic and feeling tense. Then your favorite song comes on the radio, and it's an instant mood booster.
Listening to music can take your high anxiety down several notches. You don't have to wait for a traffic jam either.
Next time you feel anxious, grab your earbuds or headphones. Then play some of your favorite songs and shut out the world for a few minutes.
Beyond Deep Relaxation Techniques
Your life may not be getting less stressful anytime soon. But learning the art of deep relaxation will help you cope with the next curveball that comes your way.
Relaxing activities are helpful, but they aren't the only thing you need. There are some cases where you want to get your heart rate up. We're talking about exercise.
Exercise does more than give you muscles. It can also be a potent weapon in the battle against anxiety and depression. Check out our blog post on the topic for more.
