Unfortunately, the global rates of clinical stress and anxiety continue to rise, with women being affected more so than men. There are myriad proposed interventions to solve the problem, but with stress and anxiety being such a personal issue, many understandably feel at a loss of what to do.
All hope isn’t lost, though, and in this article, we’re going to go through some practices you can take to get a better handle on your mental health.
Pen and Paper
With the sorts of fast-paced lives we all lead today, this might sound cliche, but to truly tackle the problem of stress and anxiety, you first need to identify what the problems are.
You can’t diagnose yourself, but it most certainly helps to get things out of your head. If therapy or counseling is possible for you, jotting your thoughts down on paper can be hugely beneficial: write a list of the main problems in your life and identify the areas that are causing you to struggle most.
Considering that feelings of being overwhelmed are often people’s breaking point with regard to stress and anxiety, compartmentalizing problem areas with the modularity pen and paper affords you can actually do wonders to organize things more clearly. If you do decide to get help, doing so will aid any talking therapy you have, as you’ll have a clearer idea of what your problem areas are so that the provider is in the best place to help you.
Undertaking Therapy
If your stress and anxiety have gotten to the point that it’s severely impacting your life, proper therapy is the first line of treatment. Most therapies targeted towards stress and anxiety come under the branch of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): this type of therapy targets the cognitive (thought) elements of your concern and then links this with the often negative behaviors you then engage in as a result. CBT is often used alongside other techniques such as mindfulness and meditation.
You can use this website to find CBT therapists in your area, and there are often local support groups for people suffering from the same experience. It can be hard to reach out, but if you face it, you’ll be glad you did.
Consider Acupuncture and Massages
The need for a better understanding stress and anxiety has brought together many different disciplines: Acupuncture – the ancient Chinese practice of using fine needles for sensory stimulation – has been researched extensively within this realm. It has been shown to be highly beneficial in eliciting a relaxed state, and given the immense amount of tension stressed and anxious individuals keep bottled up, it’s becoming more and more popular as an adjunctive treatment. Similarly, muscle massage has been found to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety through relaxation.
Every little helps, and simply taking time for self-care like this can be hugely therapeutic in and of itself.
Wrapping Up
Given the prevalence of stress and anxiety, the considered impact on people’s lives has been watered down. Few seek help, and while it can be very difficult to take the first step, you don’t want to be one of those people suffering in silence their whole lives. There are ways forward, and hopefully, this short article has given you some tips to kickstart your journey towards better mental health and boost your confidence in your ability to do so.
