Published 16:49 IST, October 9th 2019
Mental Health: How to reduce anxiety and identify triggers
Mental Heath awareness and reduction of stigma around it is important. So here are a few ways to reduce anxiety and identify and understand anxiety triggers.
Awareness regarding mental health and eradicating the stigma around it is on the rise. This should be considered as a positive sign to start a conversation to deal with these issues and help others to cope up with them. People usually confuse themselves when it comes to using anxiety or being anxious as a term and suffering from an anxiety disorder. Being anxious is a state which is triggered due to a particular reason whereas a person suffering from an anxiety disorder might be suffering from the illness all the time and will not need a single trigger or be able to identify the trigger. So here are some ways in which you can reduce your anxiety and improve your state of mind and maintain an optimistic approach.
1. Take a break
Our lifestyles are dynamic in nature and change according to our priorities. But these priorities should not affect your mental health. Hence taking a break from work or indulging in an activity of your choice will not only reset your brain but help you in concentrating better.
2. Get involved in group activities
People often misunderstand group activities as something that requires a lot of effort but tend to forget that ideally in a group activity the efforts and the burden gets divided. For example, participating in a Zumba class or working out together with your friend will result in a positive outcome for your health and create work-life balance.
3. Start the conversation
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, feeling overwhelmed by an issue is a common human trait. But talking to a close one from your family or friends helps when it comes to reducing anxiety. If sharing with a close one is a problem seeking professional help is also beneficial.
4. Give your best shot
According to the same American Association, trying to achieve perfection adds up to performance anxiety. The preferred approach is to give your best performance and learn from one's failure. Achieving perfection is a Utopian concept according to the association.
5. Maintain a journal
Learning what triggers an individual’s anxiety is a simple approach to managing your stress and stress-induced anxiety. Regularly writing about your issues in a journal and observing a pattern helps. One can also approach their therapist to help learn more about issues that commonly trigger.
Updated 19:53 IST, October 10th 2019