5 Healthy Ways to Manage Anxiety
As this global pandemic leaves us all in uncharted territory, it’s completely normal if you’re feeling new levels of anxiety. We’ve noticed people speaking more openly about their mental health during this time, which we believe is so important to support one another. So, here at Evolation Yoga, we thought we would share some of our best practices and perspectives you can adopt during this time to help you cope with anxiety or negative thoughts.
Let us know what works best for you!
Meditation
Did you know that meditation can actually change the physical structure of your brain? Harvard studies found through an 8-week meditation program, areas of the brain such as the hippocampus grew in size — improving memory and emotional regulation. Not only that, but other areas of the brain actually shrank, such as the amygdala which is responsible for fear, anxiety and stress.
Try to carve out some time during your day to sit in stillness and observe your thoughts from a distance. You can start out small — a few minutes at a time, adding on as you go. You can use guided meditations, or soundscapes, or silence. But trust us, it will make a world of difference.
Click here to join us for live, nightly meditations with our co-founder.
Routine
This might seem silly… But sticking to a routine while you’re spending your days at home can really create a sense of purpose and control. Create a checklist of simple tasks and practices (like meditation!) to check off throughout your day. For example; cleaning the house, reading a chapter of a book, etc. That way, when you start getting stuck in a cycle of anxious thoughts, you can look to your schedule or your checklist. Shift your awareness to something more productive and kind to your mind.
Acceptance
You may have heard of something called Exposure Therapy, for people with specific phobias. Imagine you have a phobia of birds. The more you avoid birds, the more your brain will identify them as scary and dangerous. The more you expose yourself to them, little by little, you teach yourself that you are okay and safe in their presence. This is how we should approach negative thoughts. As you allow yourself to accept these thoughts and sit with them, the less scary they become. So don’t run from your anxiety — sit with it, notice how it feels. Everything is less scary up close.
Writing
If you don’t already have a journalling practice, now is a great time to adopt one. Anxiety tends to leave us feeling trapped in our thoughts, swirling. Having a physical practice where you can remove your thoughts from your mind and place them onto a page, means you can close the notebook and walk away from them. Next time you’re feeling anxious, try to fill a page or two with how you’re feeling and why. Allow writing to be an emotional release, a way to process your emotions and clear some space in your mind.
Move Your Body
Whether it’s yoga, running, home workouts, or otherwise… By committing to moving your body every day will significantly reduce your anxiety levels. This act of self-love will bring your awareness to the breath and the body, rather than caught up in the thoughts. Give your brain a break! It doesn’t have to be huge — even a short, brisk walk can promote enough endorphins to calm the mind. We strongly suggest starting or maintaining a regular yoga practice during this time, as it combines both exercise and mindfulness meditation. Enjoy your first five classes free with Evolation Online, where we’re live-streaming daily yoga from our international teachers in various styles (use the code “100discount” on a 5-class pack). Click below to sign up!