If you have been feeling stressed and anxious because of your heavy workload, tight deadlines and very little support, you may be able to relate to the following symptoms:
- A feeling of being overwhelmed
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Excessive worry
- Difficulty concentrating
- Loss of appetite or excessive hunger
- Fatigue
Stress and anxiety are quite common so you’re not alone and you’re not the only one experiencing these symptoms. Fortunately, you can reduce stress and anxiety and you can overcome them.
The word “overcome” means that you succeed in dealing with a problem.
So it doesn’t mean that you will never feel stressed and anxious for the rest of your life.
Overcoming actually means that they won’t rule or take control of your life. And they won’t stop you from achieving your goals.
So let’s look at 7 natural ways to reduce anxiety and stress.
1) Deep Breathing and Aromatherapy
I decided to group these two ways because they really complement each other.
Deep breathing is one of the fastest ways to reduce stress and anxiety naturally. You don’t need any tools or equipment to do it. And that’s why it’s a great option because you can use it anywhere and at any time.
You can take deep breaths while sitting or standing or while at work or at home.
You can even do it right now as you’re reading this article by following these steps:
- Slowly inhale for about 4 seconds
- Hold that breath for about 5 seconds
- Exhale for about 5 seconds
Then repeat the cycle.
As you do this, put one hand on your belly and pay attention to how your belly rises as you inhale and how it flattens as you exhale.
Keep taking breaths until you feel calmer and more relaxed.
This is a great activity to do if you find it difficult to sleep at night.
It will help to relax your nervous system so your body can get into a relaxed state and drift off into deep sleep.
I also mentioned aromatherapy because inhaling various scents can help you to relax. So as you take your deep breaths, you can inhale the aroma of essential oils such as lavender oil or vanilla oil.
You can simply inhale the scent from the bottle or you can use a diffuser to permeate the room.
2) Trust God
You can reduce anxiety and stress by choosing to trust God.
A lot of times when you feel anxious, it’s because you’re worried about the future or something that you cannot control. Worrying will not resolve your issues. More than likely, it will only cause more problems.
That’s why it’s best to talk to God about your worries and anxieties. Take some time to ask Him for wisdom and help to overcome them.
Then meditate on Bible verses about the goodness, faithfulness and power of God. Remind yourself that God is in control. He knows everything and He has the power to work out anything.
Here are a few Bible verses to meditate on:
Numbers 23:19 (NIV)
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Psalm 46:1 (NLT)
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Recommended Article: 4 Powerful Reasons to Trust God All the Time
Recommended Video: How to Overcome Fear and Anxiety Biblically
3) Journaling
Journaling is a great natural way to reduce anxiety and stress. It is also inexpensive because you only need paper and a pen or pencil.
You can even use your phone, tablet or laptop. But I prefer to write because it’s more therapeutic.
Journaling will allow you to dump all your worries and cares onto paper. This will help to declutter your mind and free up mental space.
It can even help you to devise effective solutions for your problems since it’s easier to sort through words on paper than thoughts in your head.
Another benefit of journaling is that it can help you to get clarity and become more self-aware of your thoughts, feelings and needs.
This will help you to know what kind of attention and self-care is right for you so you give your mind and body what it needs.
Click here to read more about how to journal for stress relief and get 16 prompts to help you get started.
Recommended Article: How To Use Journaling For Stress Relief
4) Stop Procrastinating
Have you realized that procrastination is a habit that can contribute to stress and anxiety?
Putting off tasks until the last minute may be affecting your mental health more than you realize.
If your to-do list is getting longer without anything being checked off, you will start to feel overwhelmed. This may also affect your appetite and ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
If you have been procrastinating, you need to break the habit. This means you need to work on your mindset before you focus on time management and productivity techniques. Click here to read more about the causes of procrastination.
If it’s a case where you don’t procrastinate but you have too many things on your plate, then you need to work on your time management skills.
If you need help with time management, let’s have a quick FREE Time Management Assessment Call. Click here to learn more.
5) Exercise
I’m a big promoter of exercise as a natural way to reduce anxiety and stress because I have experienced the benefits repeatedly. After exercising regularly, I noticed that exercise helped to boost my mood.
When you exercise, endorphins are released. And endorphins are hormones that are sometimes referred to as “feel-good” hormones because they do exactly that…they make you feel good.
I have also found that exercise forces me to breathe deeply which helps to calm my mind. It also helps me to worry less and I can overcome stressful events quicker and I feel less overwhelmed by the cares of life.
A good workout allows me to release the built-up tension and stress that would burden me and make me feel very emotional.
One of the good things about exercise is that it is easy and affordable to get started. You can simply take a walk in nature, jog or work out using YouTube videos.
You can make it even more fun by trying hula hooping, swimming or dancing. Click here to read more benefits and tips for exercising.
Recommended article: How Exercise Improved My Mental Health
6) Diet
Did you know that the food you consume can improve or worsen symptoms of anxiety? That’s why it’s important to pay attention to what you eat especially when you feel stressed and anxious.
There are two main types of food that have helped me to feel better when I experienced symptoms of anxiety: complex carbohydrates and foods rich in tryptophan.
These types of food can help in serotonin production in the body. Serotonin is a chemical in your brain that helps to regulate your mood. It helps you to feel happier, calmer and more emotionally stable.
Interestingly, low serotonin levels have been linked to increased feelings of anxiety and depression. So including complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and foods rich in tryptophan like chicken can help to relax you.
On the other hand, you may want to avoid foods such as simple carbohydrates like soda, candy, cakes and cookies. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol may also affect your mood negatively so pay careful attention to these foods and reduce their intake. Click here to read more about changing my diet helped with anxiety.
Recommended Article: How Changing My Diet Helped With Anxiety
7) Hobbies
Engaging in hobbies is also a great natural way to reduce anxiety and stress.
One of the common markers of stress and anxiety is excessive worry. You tend to think about the same thoughts which are normally unpleasant and unwanted.
The simple solution is to stop thinking about those negative thoughts but it’s not that easy. If you have suffered from excessive worry then you can testify to that.
However, engaging in a hobby that you are truly interested in and one that requires active thinking can provide relief.
I find that hobbies are very helpful in providing relief from worry because my mind has to be actively involved in the process. Some hobbies provide a challenge so your mind becomes focused on finding solutions.
Consequently, your mind will have no time to think about “what ifs” and “what could have been”. Instead, it will think about ways to be creative and ways to overcome challenges.
The hobbies that require strategy, problem-solving and a mind that is present in the moment are the ones that are likely to aid in breaking the habit of worry or rumination. These hobbies can be creative, sports-related or even board games.
Examples of hobbies are:
- Baking
- Football/Soccer
- Tennis
- Scrabble
- Sudoku
If you want to learn more about hobbies that can help to reduce stress and anxiety naturally, click here to see a list of 27 hobbies.
Recommended Article: 27 Hobbies to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Takeaway
I hope you realized that you can reduce anxiety and stress naturally. And you can do so using resources that you already have.
If you need a quick way to calm down right now then you can choose to practise deep breathing, say a prayer or meditate on the promises and goodness of God.
Or you can grab a notebook and a pen or your phone and start recording your worries if your mind is all cluttered and you just need to free up some mental space.
If you have a long to-do list then work on your mindset and put those time management skills into practice so you can eliminate the feeling of overwhelm.
And you can make lifestyle changes that will incorporate exercise, healthy eating, hobbies and quiet time with God.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, therapist or a licensed mental health professional hence this information is not suitable for professional medical advice. Do not use this information as an excuse to stop taking prescribed medication.