Many people struggle with managing their stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to find effective yet affordable resources to address these issues. This can lead to secondary issues, such as depression or even substance use. Fortunately, there are inexpensive ways to tackle these struggles to improve your mental health safely and naturally. Following are five affordable resources you can use to manage your stress and anxiety.
Try Guided Meditation
Guided meditation is one of the most effective ways to calm your heart rate and quiet a racing mind. Guided meditation is a process that helps you focus on the present through a series of breathing exercises and techniques. By starting your morning with a short meditation session, you’ll begin your day with a calm and clearheaded mind. There are many free podcasts and e-books that can get you started on your guided meditation journey today without having to break the bank. You could even check out your city’s public library for more resources.
Get Outside
Vitamin D is important for your mental health. When people receive an insufficient amount of vitamin D, they are at a greater risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. The best way to receive the right amount of vitamin D is by going outside on a sunny day. Unfortunately, most people spend the majority of their time inside their home or their workplace, making it difficult for them to get the proper amount of sunlight for vitamin D production. Just fifteen minutes of sun a few days a week is enough to boost your mental health and decrease your stress and anxiety levels. An excellent way to ensure you get outside more often is to set an alarm on your phone as a reminder.
Seek Professional Help
Sometimes life can become so overwhelming that it seems as though there’s no hope for any positive change in the future. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help, especially if you’re struggling through hard times. If life feels overwhelming and you have a hard time engaging in your daily routine, consider seeking help from a professional counselor.
Suppose you’re around the area, by attending professional counseling in Alpharetta, GA, you can learn how to identify unhelpful thought patterns, as well as cultivate a more positive frame of mind. Your counselor can help you develop positive coping mechanisms as well as reshape your perspective on life’s changes. There is no shame in reaching out for professional guidance. By taking that first step and setting up an appointment with a counselor, you will be well on your way to a better quality of life.
Get Moving
While you may already know that it’s essential to stay active to maintain physical health, exercise is just as crucial for your psychological health. Physical exercise is a natural and affordable way to boost your mental health and improve overall well-being. If you find it challenging to incorporate a regular workout into your routine, try fitting in a short, brisk walk before heading out to work in the mornings. Working out doesn’t have to require an expensive gym membership. You’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel once you get moving—working out releases endorphins, which is why people feel a sense of relief after a long run or grueling workout.
Write it Out
Journaling is well known for its therapeutic benefits. By getting your worries and fears out on paper, you are able to “unload” those negative thoughts from your mind and find relief from your stress and anxiety. Another benefit of journaling is that it is an active way to discover solutions to your problems that you may not have thought of before. Take about ten minutes to write out your fears and worries at the end of your busy day. Journaling before bedtime can help you drift off more easily and enjoy a restful night of sleep.
Conclusion
Anxiety is not the same for every person. For this reason, it’s important to implement a variety of methods to manage it. Some people enjoy exercising to release endorphins, while others will be more successful with introspection like writing or counseling. The best thing you can do for yourself during periods of anxiousness or stress is to create self-care routines that you can maintain daily. It may seem difficult to put aside an hour of your time a day for yourself, but it is often necessary for your own mental health. If that is too much time at once, you can split the routine into smaller segments, such as 20 minutes, a few times a day. Over time you should notice yourself feeling less anxious because you have outlets to release the stress.
If you are someone who is having a difficult time managing your stress and anxiety, there is hope. By using these five affordable resources to manage your stress, you’ll be well on your way to feeling better and more hopeful and significantly improving your quality of life. The most important thing to remember is to be patient and kind to yourself.
