7 Different Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Is anxiety a problem in your life on a regular basis? Perhaps the best thing you could do to help alleviate that anxiety is to develop a habit you perform every time you feel anxious.

Here are seven different ways you can reduce anxiety. Pick the one that works the best for you and implement it regularly to turn down the stress.

1. Stretch, Breathe

This one is a simple exercise you can do from anywhere. Whether you're at work, at home, or even just pulled over while driving.

Take a moment to just breathe deeply and stretch. Stretch your arms, your legs, your chest, your back, your sides. Get the kinks out of your body while breathing deeply and evenly to circulate the oxygen.

2. Do a Random Good Act

Whenever you do a good act, your brain gets flooded with good feelings.

A good act can be something as simple as holding the door open for someone or letting someone pass you when you're driving. When you're focused on doing a good act, it's very hard to also be focused on something that's stressing you out.

3. Systematically Identify and Eliminate Stressors

A more deliberate way of getting rid of stress would be to identify the things that are stressing you out one by one and eliminate them from your life.

Do these one at a time. Pick one thing in your life that's stressing you out and brainstorm solutions. Implement one solution, then rinse and repeat.

4. Call a True Friend

If you're hit by a sudden wave of anxiety, do you have a true friend you could call?

Talking to someone who really cares about you can have a very calming effect. It helps your brain realize that even if things hit the fan, you've still got someone out there who loves you.

5. Use Sensation Targeting

Anxiety is a physical sensation that's held in the body, often in the form of tension. Physiologists and somatic therapists have often found that focusing on the physical sensations can go a long way towards easing emotional issues.

Pick an area of your body that feels tense, where it seems like anxiety is being held. Just focus your attention on that area of your body, breathe deeply and watch the sensation. You'll likely see that mere attention causes the sensation to wane.

6. Get a Weekly Massage

Get a weekly deep tissue massage. Massages can help reduce stress, relieve muscle tension and ease anxiety.

Anxiety often builds up before you consciously realize that you're feeling stressed. Getting a weekly massage will help relieve stress, whether or not you think you're feeling it yet.

7. Try Natural Teas

Try natural herbal teas that have a calming effect, like chamomile or skullcap. These teas will help your muscles relax and your mind calm, without having any negative effects that come from using prescription or over the counter drugs.

These are seven different ways you can reduce the anxiety in your life. Pick one and use it whenever you feel the anxiety coming on.