INSIDE: Engaging in self care for anxiety helps us come home to ourselves, restore our energy, and bring balance and tranquility into our lives. Unplugging and dedicating time to self-nourishment benefits not only the mind but also the body and soul. Let's discover some of the most powerful self-care tips to level up our daily routines and help us deal with stress and angst.

 

So often, we forget how essential it is to take a break, change our energy, unplug, and nourish ourselves. The truth is, self-care is non-negotiable and many times, even one simple activity can rejuvenate us.

For instance, did you know that something as simple as a five-minute stretch can help you feel better in a matter of minutes? That's what research by the National Library of Medicine suggests, and it's such a simple way to improve your emotional wellbeing and eliminate stress. 

That's why, in these chaotic times, unplugging needs to be placed much higher on our priority list. The benefits of doing so are incredible. Here's what you can gain from it:

• Mental clarity and focus
• Increased gratitude and mindfulness
• Relieved stress and anxiety
• Increased sense of connectedness with self and the outer world
• Tranquility and groundedness
• Improved productivity and creativity
• Better sleep
• A sense of inner contentment and optimism
• Increased energy and motivation

Let’s explore some powerful self care for anxiety tips and dive deeper into the benefits of unplugging and putting peace first…

Self-Care for Anxiety: Why is it Essential?

Self-care is anything that makes us feel nourished and replenished. It is the purest form of practicing self-love.

Many times, anxiety and stress are associated with the ever-increasing amount of information we are expected to absorb on a daily basis, as well as constant burnout, overwhelm, and living the fast life.

A self-care routine has a massive impact, not only on health and the nervous system, but on our ability to cope with anxiety and overwhelm. 

Self-Care Helps Us Handle Stress

Self-care is as important as being productive. Many times, especially when we are overwhelmed with obligations and stress, we put our needs for rest and rejuvenation last, even though our bodies are craving those things. This only perpetuates how we feel and makes anxiety even worse.

The more we allow ourselves to rest, the more space we create for productivity and the more effective we are at what we do. A body and mind that are nourished react better to stress than a mind and a body that has been continuously exposed to stress without a chance to rest.

Because of that, self-care should be perceived as a form of necessary restart or reset. It is like going back on default settings and erasing unnecessary files from memory in order to store new information in our system.

If our system is already overloaded, handling stress can become even more challenging, and self care for anxiety and stress is there to prevent that.

It Replenishes Your Mind, Body & Soul

Your wellbeing should never be put on the back burner. Even the most advanced machine, no matter how new and powerful it is, can malfunction and even stop working if we use it mercilessly.

The same applies to the body, nervous system, and mind. Self-care rituals, no matter how small they may seem, have a positive effect on our wellbeing and are necessary for maintaining good health.

Choosing self care to reduce anxiety brings mental clarity, relaxes the body, and supports soul growth.

When we are anxious or stressed, we can easily revert to negative patterns and habits as a way of coping. After all, the production of cortisol or the stress hormone is closely associated with anxiety and stress. The less relaxation we engage in, the more stress piles up, and the more our body and mind suffer.

Taking a pause to nourish ourselves helps us feel more present and in tune, allowing us to process and then let go of the heavy thoughts or emotions that are byproducts of stress and worry.

The end result is replenishment on all levels - mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual.

It Restores Balance in Your Life

When we feel anxious, we are anything but grounded. While we can’t avoid stressful situations and triggers, we can learn how to better cope with them and restore our sense of harmony.

Self care for anxiety, be it physical, mental, or spiritual, is a way to minimize the effect that stressors have on our lives. 

When we care for ourselves, even for a few minutes a day, we balance our energy, restore our energy, and gather more strength to cope with experiences to come. Taking a break helps us stay calm and centered, and it also contributes to our well-being, preventing future burnout.

13 Self-Care Tips to Reduce Anxiety 

Self-care can come in many different forms. As a matter of fact, nourishing yourself can take any form, as long as it helps you recharge.

Here are some ideas to try…

Exercise

Physical exercise stimulates the release of feel-good hormones. This not only has a positive effect on the physical body, hormones, and vitality, but it can also help reduce anxiety by moving the focus from mind to body.

It helps calm the inner chatter, brings focus to our muscles, breath, and the physical environment, taking us away from troublesome thoughts.

As such, exercise, as a form of self care for anxiety, helps restore balance, both internally and physically. It builds a sense of accomplishment, and much more, it helps us get outside our head to regain clarity and build composure.

Meditate

Meditation is an ancient, calming technique that has an incredible amount of benefits. And the best thing about it is that you, too, can calm your mind by practicing it at home (or anywhere)!

Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably and detach from the digital world. You can silently chant a word that calms you, repeat a mantra, listen to meditation sounds, or simply focus on your breathing. Or click here to learn many different ways to meditate.

If you are very anxious or nervous, you may feel a slight tingling or twitching sensation in your body. If this happens, worry not. Just stay focused and keep meditating, as this is just your body releasing restless energy and helping you get to a state of calm.

If thoughts or feelings arise as you meditate, don’t try to control or resist them. Instead, let them pass you by without paying them attention. Meditation will help you release any thought that contributes to anxiety, clearing the mind and settling the energy.

Drink a Crystal Elixir

A few drops of a crystal elixir a day keeps worries away. Crystal elixirs are natural self care for anxiety remedies that help unblock energy centers, provide soothing energy during crisis, and raise our vibration when we are feeling low or unsettled.

If you are new to crystal elixirs, you can follow a detailed guide for How to Make an Elixir here!

Pour a couple drops of a crystal elixir of your choice into a glass of filtered water. Drink the mixture slowly, feeling it healing your body, mind, and spirit with every sip you take.

You can drink it daily if you feel the need to, or you can use it in emergency moments to help you cope when anxiety becomes too overwhelming. 

Unplug

Unplugging is detaching from the noisy world that makes anxiety even worse. The electronics we are so attached to not only take our precious time but can also cause anxiety due to the electromagnetic frequencies they expose us to.

Information overload is real, and it results in mental overstimulation, mental fatigue, lethargy, and anxiety. While we can’t fully run away from the digital world, we can certainly unplug and sign out.

Unplugging and doing a digital detox every once in a while allows you to take a step back and recuperate from the noise. Similar to meditation, it will help clear your thoughts, spot the source of angst and stress, and help you process how you feel.

Practice Mindfulness

Multitasking and worrying are at odds with mindfulness, and they a frequent cause of nervousness and anxiety. To help you feel more centered and at peace, try focusing on every moment as it is. Say no to distractions, and do one thing at a time.

• If you are eating, feel the smell and the taste with your whole being, and do only that.
• If you are reading a book, feel the paper in your hand, and focus on the content.
• If you're walking, feel the sun and fresh air on your skin.

Practicing mindfulness is a simple way to engage in self care for anxiety that will help you give in to currents of life, without putting too much attention on should’s, could’s, and would’s.

When our attention is concentrated on only one thing at a time, we are more in the moment and less in our heads. That way, mindfulness brings attention to what truly matters and helps us release thoughts, fears, and patterns that make us anxious, worried, or stressed. 

Write in a Journal

When you're feeling anxious, reach for your journal and pour your soul into writing. Journaling for self-care helps us assess thoughts and feelings and become aware of the root cause of our distress.

It is a form of healthy self-soothing and self-therapy that encourages self-discovery, which can otherwise be difficult to do. It is easy, pleasurable, private, can be creative, and can reduce feelings of anxiety.

Journaling is an outlet where we can safely explore our fears and get bothersome emotions off of our chest. The written word can help raise self-awareness in a positive way and increase our ability to better cope with stressors through reflection.

Learn to Say No

Learning to say no is a powerful and long-term antidote for stress and anxiety. That's why self care for anxiety needs to start with setting boundaries and unapologetically choosing our wellbeing over other things.

When we do something that our higher self does not agree with or associate with people who are draining us, we are likely to feel anxious and repressed.

No is a powerful word that can save our mental health. When we learn to say no without feeling guilty, we step into empowerment. Saying no is freeing, and when it is in alignment with what we truly desire, it is a powerful tool for overcoming anxiety.

When we set firm, healthy boundaries with others, we are more likely to respect how we feel, and as a result, we feel more tranquil.

If saying no doesn’t come to you naturally, it is important to start small and build up your boundaries step by step. The more you practice it, the more liberated you’ll feel, and the calmer your soul will be.

Your needs and your time matter. You matter. Remember that.

Declutter Your Space

Our space is a reflection of how we feel. That's why it's important to start calming the energy in your home. A tidy, clean, and bright living space is an invitation for fresh, positive energy.

• That pile of clothes that you don’t wear is a pile of past energies.
• A dusty bookshelf is a reminder that you didn’t finish that book.
• Empty mugs and glasses next to your computer are a reminder of how exhausted you are.
• Broken items and unused items are a symbol of a pause in time, and yet another problem that is still lingering somewhere in the subconscious.

All of this adds more pressure to our lives, making us feel de-motivated and even more stressed out. Remove the things that make you feel heavy and then notice how you feel less burdened.

Do Yoga 

Yoga combines the power of the mind and physical body to help us become more aligned and centered. Asanas are created to help stimulate the energy flow throughout the whole body. By practicing them, we learn how to coordinate our spiritual and physical bodies and bring attention to being in the moment.

Yoga, in general, and even the simplest positions, can help relieve tension accumulated in muscles and joints, relieve physical symptoms of anxiety and stress, and help relax the body.

A few minutes of yoga in the morning or before bed can make a difference and is one of the healthiest ways to engage in self care for anxiety.

Give Yourself a Foot Bath With Crystals

A foot massage that is both healing and relaxing? Well, that’s what a crystal foot bath is all about!

For this relaxing experience, all you need are some tumbled crystals of your choice and a bin filled with pleasantly warm water. Sit back comfortably, soak your feet, and enjoy. 

You can add Epsom salt or calming aromatic oils to the water for a deeper experience. And don't forget to massage your feet with the crystals to release even more tension. For an additional spa effect, you can light incense and play some relaxing zen music for relaxation and mindfulness.

Feet are extremely sensitive to energy as they carry all our weight, and not just the physical, but also energetic and emotional weight. Both water and healing crystals have cleansing power, and their healing effect is especially acute on the feet.

Be aware that some crystals shouldn’t come in direct contact with water as some can become toxic or damaged. For information about what crystals you can and can’t place in water, you can check out our How to Care for Crystals Guide.

Nurture Yourself With Whole Foods

Just like everything else around us, food can have high or low frequencies, too. With that in mind, the food we put on our table and the eating habits we develop can become keys to self care for anxiety.

Natural, organic food is healthier, more nutritious, and much more nourishing.

In contrast, processed or fast food, which can be satisfying in the moment, is hard to digest and creates a sense of heaviness. Because such food is low in essential nutrients, it gives our system very little to work with in terms of maintaining physical and mental health.

What we eat and drink has a direct impact on chemical processes in our body and can make stress and anxiety worse. That's why choosing whole and unprocessed food as frequently as possible can become crucial in dealing with heavy emotions, worry, or angst.

Changing your diet can also improve your weight, and more importantly, how you feel. 

Go to Bed Early

Insufficient and restless sleep are often linked to anxiety. Because of that, self-care can be as simple as doing our body a favor by going to bed on time.

Circadian rhythm plays an important role in maintaining a healthy mind and a healthy body. Proper rest allows our body to rejuvenate out mind to process and release whatever weighs on us.

When life become heavy to deal with, some little thing you can do for yourself include taking a shower, getting ready for bed, and going to sleep early. You will wake up feeling more fresh, replenished, and ready for whatever the day brings.

Lack of sleep, on the flip side, can make the stress and anxiety even worse.

Watch Feel-Good Movies

Self care for anxiety can be simple and enjoyable. Sometimes all you can do to feel better is to simply take a break from life and indulge in simple pleasures, such as watching a movie, especially those that evoke positive emotions every time you watch them - the ones that make you laugh, feel empowered, hopeful, or happy. 

Just like when we surround ourselves with positive people, choosing uplifting content can help us release what’s bothering us in the moment, calming our soul and diminishing stress.

Movies can easily change our mood, give us hope, and remind us that there are good things out there. Feel-good movies stimulate emotional release and help take our attention away from negative thoughts and back to something more positive.

Final Thoughts

Self-care is not a luxury. It is necessary and beyond important. Ultimately, self-care is the finest form of self-love. By choosing ourselves, we choose to feel incredible in our skin, we choose positive emotions and high vibrations, all of which we genuinely deserve.