This Blue Monday we wanted to share a few tips about coping with anxiety. Blue Monday is great at helping raise awareness of mental health, but it’s important to remember that anxiety is not something that follows any kind of schedule. In fact, Anxiety is something which can affect us at any time of the year. So here are our tips for coping with anxiety on any day. Take a look and let us know if you have any tips of your own.
1 – A little exercise goes a long way
Staying active can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, particularly during the winter months. Nevertheless, do try to include even a light element of exercise within your day, as exercise is an extremely effective way to improve our mental health. Exercising outdoors is particularly good for your well-being.
2 – Speaking to friends and family
It can be tempting to shut yourself off from those around you and keep your feelings bottled up. Opening up and talking about how you feel, with those you are closest to, can make a real difference in how you are feeling. Remember, with 1 in 5 people experiencing anxiety on a daily basis, it’s not something you ever have to go through alone.
3 – Mindfulness
More people are enjoying the benefits of mindfulness. A simple 10-minute session can have a huge impact on your overall mood.
4 – Distraction
Sometimes the best thing to do is try and take your mind off how you are feeling. Think about what makes you smile, relax and allows you to switch off. As each of us is so different, there is no right way to do this. It could be watching your favorite film, taking up a new hobby, heading out for a walk, or reading a self-help book.
5 – Eat Chocolate!
Chocolate certainly brings a smile to my face. And there’s actually a scientific reason why! Chocolate’s antioxidants may help lower levels of cortisol—the so-called stress hormone. Stressed-out people who ate 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate daily for two weeks had lower levels of stress hormones, including cortisol, in a study done recently at the Nestlé Research Center in Switzerland. Choose dark chocolate with the highest cacao content to get the most antioxidant—and be mindful of the 230 calories in 1.4 ounces of chocolate.
Or you can just take one of our chocolate making workshops on any given day! Simply visit htcevents.us to get details.
