When we experience symptoms associated with stress and/or anxiety our sympathetic nervous system can feel in overdrive. It can make us vigilant to both real and perceived threats.
Furthermore, we can experience tightness in our chest. We can feel shaky, clammy, tense, irritable, emotional and foggy headed. Our appetite can be affected. Our internal narrative can constantly remind us of the things that may go wrong – what if I lose my job, what if my partner leaves me, what if I become ill etc. Similarly, we can be constantly assessing the potential for these and other risks to occur and feel driven to try to control them. This can lead to fatigue and a greater sense of stress and anxiety.
So, to counter this we need to encourage the parasympathetic nervous system to come back into play. This is the part of our nervous system that allows us to go into a state of being at rest. So how do we do this?
This quick guide addresses some of the internal and external factors to consider and address. The key is to think of some of these strategies as part of your daily routine. You wouldn’t go to the gym once and expect to feel fit for the rest of your life. On the contrary, regular exercise and good nutrition can help to achieve this. The same applies to the following internal and external factors. So, pick the strategies you find the most helpful and make them part of your daily routine.
Internal Factors for Stress, Anxiety and Low Mood
Psychological
Deep breathing: Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth for a few minutes to calm feelings of anxiety.
Avoid the news: The news can often be compelling and anxiety producing due to negativity bias. This can cause us to feel insecure, or even fearful, of the world around us. A negative worldview can increase our anxiety levels. So, reduce your intake to only what you need.
Slow down: Often when we’re anxious we have a feeling of constantly being in a hurry to do things. Say to yourself,” slow down”. Follow this up with the deep breathing.
Make a list: Write down all of the things that are making you feel anxious today. Draw a line through anything you have no control over. Pick the easiest thing left on the list and take action on it. This can increase your sense of empowerment.
Anchoring: Concentrate on one thing in the room. What would it feel like to engage with this one object with all of your senses? This is a form of grounding which helps you break a cycle of negative thinking or panic.
Body Scan: Sit with your eyes closed and become aware of your breathing. Starting with your forehead verbally say to yourself each part of your body down to your toes. This is another form of grounding.
Positive distraction: Engage in healthy activities that you enjoy doing and that distract you from thinking negatively. Swimming, colouring, sports, voluntary work etc.
Thought Management: Mindfulness, Thought Rejection, Reframe negative thoughts: Negative thoughts can create negative feelings and behaviours which can lead to anxiety and possibly depression. So, challenge negative thoughts. Ask yourself, “where is the evidence for that thought?” Look at the more realistic interpretation of what you are thinking about. Negative thoughts can often start with, “what if…” Say to yourself, “I control my thoughts, my thoughts don’t control me.” Surround yourself with positive people and positive affirmations and meditate daily. For a more detailed look at this topic click here.
Practice gratitude: We often focus on the things we are not happy with, or have yet to achieve. This can leave us in a perpetual state of thinking and feeling, “I’ll be happy when….” Take some time first thing each morning to reflect on the things you are grateful for. Therefore, don’t think of happiness as something that can occur in the future when certain conditions have been met. Try to be happy today.
Manage boundaries with others (Assertiveness): Your needs are just as important as other’s needs. So, try to avoid having other people run your life for you based on their needs and wants; both professionally and personally. By all means be a helpful and considerate person, but be prepared to say “no” when you need to. For more on being assertive click here.
Behavioural Activation (Activity Scheduling): To avoid negative thoughts and feelings we can start to withdraw from daily activities such as going shopping and meeting up with people. This can leave us feeling angry, isolated, lonely and misunderstood and potentially lead to unhealthy ways of coping – such as misusing alcohol – and spending more time ruminating on upsetting or negative thoughts and feelings. Therefore, plan simple activities each day such as going for a walk or meeting with a friend.
Increase Self Esteem: Avoid thinking about yourself in a negative way. Try not to compare yourself unfavourably with others. Focus on your achievements. Do something you have been putting off (no matter how trivial). Practise relaxation and positive affirmations. Take up a new hobby or interest. Volunteer for an organisation that helps others. This is also a key component for developing resilience. For more on self esteem click here.
Introversion vs Extraversion: Introverts can become quickly overwhelmed by too much interaction because they find large amounts of sensory input draining and anxiety producing. They tend to avoid being at social gatherings for too long and need time in their own space to re-charge. Extraverts need regular interaction to get their energy levels up and to re-charge. Which are you? To improve your wellbeing, do you need more time by yourself or more time with others?
Improve Sleep Quality: Good quality sleep is very important for our mood and our ability to function. Try to get into a regular sleep routine and avoid caffeine after 4pm. An hour before you go to bed, avoid all technology and do something relaxing such as going for a bath or reading a book. Also, use the deep breathing and body scan techniques (described above) when you get into bed. For more on sleep quality click here.
Positive Affirmations: Get into a daily habit of listening to positive affirmations and positive and/or inspirational speakers. Also, surround yourself, where possible, with positive people.
Keep A Journal: Try writing in a journal every day. This can help you get the swirling mass of thoughts out of your head and on to the page.
Sedona Method: This is a tool for letting go of difficult thoughts and feelings. To use the Sedona Method, Pick up a pen and, palm facing down, grip it tightly for a few seconds and imagine it is the thing you are facing difficulty with. Now, turn your palm up and loosen your grip on the pen. Allow it to move in your palm showing the control you have over it. Grip the pen tightly and turn your palm face down again. After a few seconds let the pen go and allow it to drop to the floor.
Havening: Sometimes referred to as self-havening. It means to put yourself into a safe place. Put your right hand on your left shoulder, and your left hand on your right shoulder. Now, move your hands down your arms to your elbows applying an even pressure. Then, move your hands back up to your shoulders. Become aware of your breathing as you do this. Repeat until you start to feel calmer. This is a form of self-soothing that has become more popular in recent years.
Physiological
Reduce your alcohol consumption: Alcohol is a depressant. As it leaves the body it can also cause symptoms of withdrawal which feel similar to anxiety. Therefore, reduce or abstain from drinking.
Reduce your caffeine intake to three cups per day (max): Caffeine is a stimulant and its effects on the sympathetic nervous system may increase anxiety. Large quantities may also disturb your sleep. Coffee, tea, fizzy drinks and energy drinks can contain caffeine.
Camomile Tea: It is not known exactly why Camomile tea can reduce anxiety, but there is some evidence to suggest it increases GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric acid) metabolism in the body. Low GABA levels may be connected with anxiety. Other natural remedies include valerian root and passionflower. Check with your GP before taking a mixture of these products, particularly if you are taking prescription medication.
St. John’s Wort: Sometimes known by its botanical name ‘Hypericum perforatum’ is an over the counter remedy used to treat mild to moderate depression. It is thought to increase serotonin and noradrenaline which in turn improves mood. Check with your GP before taking this product, particularly if you are taking prescription medication.
Vitamin D: As well as being good for promoting cell growth, our immune system and helping keep bones healthy there is some evidence to suggest that low vitamin D levels can be a factor in low mood. We produce it when exposed to sunlight, so in some climates people may require a vitamin D supplement.
Vagus Nerve Exercises: Wash your face thoroughly with cold water, sing and hum regularly. Make social connections to feel safer. Also, practice yoga, mindfulness and listen to ASMR. Try positive self-talk.
Eat Sensibly: Try to eat a balanced diet, cutting down on things such as salt, sugar and caffeine and increase your water intake. It’s, therefore, difficult for your mind and body to function at optimum levels without the correct nutrition.
Exercise: Where possible, make sure you go for a brisk walk daily. This can help you increase your Vitamin D levels from exposure to sunlight and work out your cardiovascular system. This in turn helps to release natural endorphins.
H.A.L.T: Stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. Hunger can mean a need for food, but also for attention or companionship. Make sure you are eating regularly and healthily, even if it is little and often. Anger is a common emotion. How good are you at processing anger constructively? Loneliness can negatively affect our wellbeing. What are your opportunities for connecting with others? Tiredness can affect our ability to function day-to-day. Try not to ignore the warning signs and get an early night when you need to.
External Factors for Stress, Anxiety and Low Mood
What adjustments do you need to make to the following areas of your life in order to reduce stress, anxiety and/or low mood?
Home: Are you happy with where you live? Do you sleep well at night? Also, what are your neighbours like? Is it a calming and safe environment? Therefore, what do you need to change?
Work: Do you enjoy your job? Is it a passion or something you have found yourself doing to make an income? Do you like the culture of the company? Do you get on well with your manager and colleagues? Does your IT work effectively? Furthermore, are you taking a break when you need to?
Personal Relationships: Do you have good relationships with your partner, friends, family and colleagues? Do you need to challenge the balance in any of these relationships? Also, do you need to let somebody go?
Money: Are your finances in order and do you take a balanced approach with money?
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About The Author
Steven Lucas MBACP MNCS (Prof Accred) is a professional counselling psychotherapist working in Northamptonshire. Read his full bio.
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Emotional Wellbeing: A Biblical Perspective
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Being Positive In Difficult Times
How Can I Get A Better Night’s Sleep?
How Can I Improve My Self Esteem?
Being Assertive And Managing Boundaries
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor so this guide should not be considered a replacement for seeking medical advice. It is also not a substitute for obtaining therapy as other factors, such as trauma, need to be considered. However, this guide can be used as a template for addressing areas of concern in the here and now. There are pay per click ads on this site for which I may receive a small commission. This helps to pay for the running of the site. I do not endorse any of the products advertised.