6 Healthy Ways to Manage Anxiety

6 Healthy Ways to Manage Anxiety

When Anthony Jeannot, a popular comedian, quit six jobs in four months, it wasn’t because he moved a long distance away, got recruited, or made the move for a well-paying promotion.

He was anxious, worried, concerned he didn’t measure up. But that just wasn’t true. He was well qualified for every one of those jobs, but anxiety kept him from sticking around. Fortunately, with a little help, he learned to manage anxiety better and land on solid ground.

What about you? Ever had anxiety and worry keep you up at night, hold you back from achieving your goals, or get in the way of your health and happiness?

Stress, anxiety, and worry can take a toll on anybody. But if you know how to manage it in healthy ways, it doesn’t have to cost you your job or anything else.

Here are six things Jeannot learned on his own journey to manage anxiety that can help you.

1. Follow a routine.
   The more consistency you have in your life, the less stress and worry will invade your thoughts. You know what’s coming, you know what to expect. For example, stick to a regular work schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night, even on weekends. Create some boundaries around media time, meal time, hobbies, and other activities. You may even want to keep a checklist and cross things off as you go.
2. Keep a journal.
   You can do it the old-school way with a pen and notebook. Or you can keep an online journal. It’s an effective way to record your thoughts, process feelings and emotions, and take anxiety out of your brain and put it on the page.
3. Stay in touch with people
   Write a letter. Connect on social media. Plan a social-distancing visit. Make a phone call. Stay in touch with people in your life, and be open to building new relationships with people. You’re a lot more likely to focus on the positive, be optimistic, and less stressed or anxious when you know people have your back.
4. Practice healthy lifestyle habits
   Research shows healthy lifestyle habits make a difference, prevent chronic disease, improve quality of life, and increase longevity. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Don’t smoke, or quit if you do. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. And make sure you eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and fish, legumes, and plenty of water.
   Need a little help with your diet? Check out the complete selection of MagicKitchen meals all made from fresh ingredients.
5. Know your triggers
   What are the things that stress you out, make you worry, increase anxiety? Get to know what those triggers are that can change your mood, cloud your perspective, and make you think about doing something drastic...like quitting a perfectly good job.
   When you know your triggers, it helps you steer clear of trouble, and recognize what’s happening when you do start to feel stress and anxiety.
6. Laugh more
   It’s a great antidote to stress and anxiety. If you’re willing to look beyond feeling stress and anxiety, you can find humor in almost any situation. Laughing helps you relax, feel happier, and see the world with a better perspective than clouded by stress and anxiety.