How to Drastically Reduce Anxiety in Your Life

6 suggestions to eliminate stress and maintain balance.

It’s our unwanted companion — often showing up without notice or invitation.

Stress.

Whether in chronic attendance or surprise guest, constant anxiety has become a cultural norm. And while most of us would rather obliterate this unpleasant reality from existence, in its most basic form and function, even stress has a purpose.

But for many of us, things have gotten a little out of control.

Historically, stress has been considered a clinical threat, capable of producing illness when expressed as loss of control, inability to make decisions, or out-right conflict.

In an article in VeryWellMind, Elizabeth Scott MS suggests destructive stress levels can be produced from simply living in a busy environment. The actual stressors can be anything from noise, overloaded work and play schedules, traffic, or a hundred other sources of frustration each of us encounters every day.

And that’s the problem: We’re drowning in everyday stress.

With this constant exposure to anxiety inducers, our “stress threshold” is rising to the point we’re no longer aware of the intensity or frequency of the issue.

Here’s what happens when the body reacts to a stressful event

In high anxiety situations, our body’s response is to release the hormone cortisol.

Cortisol affects the regulation of cardiovascular function and blood pressure, as well as the body’s use of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates which, in turn, allow our bodies to use food as a source of energy for our muscles.

While the right amount of cortisol keeps everything running smoothly, a prolonged increased level of this hormone causes a decrease in brain cells, reduction of bone density, and loss of muscle mass.

According to an article in Premier Health, the results of perpetual stress are even worse.

Under these conditions, the body heals much more slowly, the immune system weakens until it can no longer effectively fight disease, and — perhaps the worst result of stress — the aging process accelerates.

How to reduce stress and lengthen your life

We all need an active “stress response” to keep us healthy and provide assurance our body is able to respond quickly or with extra strength when necessary.

But we also need a process of stress reduction and control.

In addition to the proven methods of maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and engaging in a regular exercise regimen, the following additional suggestions may be beneficial in keeping your anxiety levels to a minimum.

1. Identify specific stress triggers and write them down

Being able to recognize situations and issues as they occur throughout the day gives you the opportunity to change how you react to them.

It may take time — and a bit of soul searching — to admit what’s causing your distress. And while you may not be able or ready to respond in the moment just yet, the practice of using objective recognition allows your subconscious to send a cue when similar circumstances arise.

2. Avoid attempting to drink stress away

The crutches many folks rely on to navigate an anxious moment are rarely beneficial — or productive. Those that simply dilute the issue offer no long-term relief or ultimate resolution and typically bury the problem until it appears again, often with negative reinforcement.

While the use of alcohol may temporarily alter your mindset, it will not eliminate the cause of your stress. The disconnect you may feel from its use can feel like a reality “time out,” however, continued reliance on this substance in times of anxiety may result in the added risks of dependency and addiction.

3. Set goals in the most important areas of your life

Giving yourself a sense of direction provides a greater sense of control over your own destiny.

When you’ve developed personal strategies for achievement — and pursue them with positive purpose — the stresses along the way are subconsciously reframed as necessary challenges toward your success. And dealing with anxiety roadblocks become small tests of your commitment, rather than attacks on your efforts.

You may also begin to notice your perspective shifting to one of motivation and anticipation — allowing you to mitigate life’s hurdles more effectively, and with less emotional strain.

4. Keep a “to-do” list and prioritize everything on it

I’m a big fan of lists, whether it’s for groceries, upcoming special events, or activities and projects to complete in the next day, week, or month.

Granted, there are several virtual helpers that can streamline the process — and they’re often useful for the purpose intended. Personally, I maintain a few hand-written lists for the goals I want to keep in the forefront — and within easy visual sight — to reinforce their importance.

This method also allows me to cross off finished items (a small but meaningful mental benchmark) and add or re-assign the importance level of others as the day changes — which it always does.

Be mindful not to over-schedule your day. Leave some time open to handle the unexpected, unplanned, and, of course, a little fun and relaxation.

5. Accept the fact you will not get everything done

If you do, high fives for being a master planner and achiever! I’m in awe and a little envious of your system and accomplishments.

For the moment, I’m continuing to work on a personal design that leaves me feeling satisfied at the end of the day, with minimal stress and enough motivation to keep moving in a forward direction.

Consider this: Rather than attempting to “push through” an overloaded or impractical litany of must-do’s, leave something for tomorrow. Even better, decide that some things may not be worth doing at all — and let them go.

6. Use meditation CD’s and breathing exercises

Calming our minds is a powerful tool in defeating the stress trap. Too often in the past, I’d find myself dwelling on the negative situation or person causing me anxiety, which resulted in fueling the disruptive emotion.

By learning and practicing mindfulness techniques, I’m now able to take a mental step back from unpleasant circumstances. Using breath and focused concentration, you’ll begin to notice an instinctual response toward an objective mindset, allowing for a more rational and neutral perspective of a situation.

Using meditation and breathing exercises on a daily basis will establish positive reinforcement, and give you the focus you need to face life’s challenges in an effective and productive way.

You may also discover you’ve developed the ability to enhance better problem-solving skills, not to mention a general “good feeling” about life.

© 2020 Jill Reid. All Rights Reserved.

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Jill Reid is a writer, founder of Pathway to Personal Growth, and editor of Real Life. Her articles explore life, happiness, self-improvement, health, productivity, and personal success strategies for living longer and stronger through positive lifestyle choices.