We all get depressed one way or another, and it’s kind of normal. But what if depression and anxiety start taking over your mental peace? That’s a point of concern.
Living a happy and satisfied life is only possible if you are in the best possible health mentally and physically.
We have a few tips you can use to calm yourself down when you are facing sadness, stress, and anxiety:
1. Close Your Eyes
Whenever you feel anxious, we recommend you not take any stress-relieving pills. Rather than relying on medicine, simply close your eyes for a few moments.
Try to relax and forget about what’s happening around you. It is said that the state of calmness can be achieved by practicing this ingenious exercise.
2. Listen To Music Or Learn To Play Musical Instruments
You must have heard that if you are stressed or anxious, simply start listening to music, and you’ll have soothing and calming effects. It is said that your nervous system gets relaxed when you listen to soft music.
One can also learn to play musical instruments because when you are playing them, you’re out of this anxious world. Now you must be thinking about the instruments one can play, right?
Well, you can play guitar, starts practicing piano, or playing a keyboard can make you feel relaxed. You can also satisfy your inner with a hang drum.
3. Get Some Fresh Air
Living in the same kind of environment can also make us feel stressed. The anxiety level alleviates when you stay in the same space for quite some time. The situation can even get worse because it can lead to a possible panic attack.
One of the best ways to get rid of all sorts of tension is to get some fresh air. Even if you can manage to go outside for a couple of minutes – do it.
How about you go for a morning walk to an area that has greenery? It won’t only reduce your stress level but interrupt your anxiety too.
4. Breathe Deeply
One of the most ingenious ways of racing your heart and calming yourself down is to breathe deeply. Once you start doing it, you will find inner peace and satisfaction.
According to research, breathing deeply will reduce all the possible symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anger.
Don’t you know how to breathe deeply? There is nothing to worry about. Here’s how you can do it:
- Slowly inhale and count to four
- Slowly exhale
- Choose a comfortable place, and relax there
- Hold your breath before repenting
5. Take A Bath
If you’re having issues like anxiety or depression, we recommend you take a bath. Having a bathtub is not less than a blessing if you want to feel relaxed. Here’s what you need to do; simply fill the bathtub with water and get inside it for a while.
Taking a bath is one of the best things to improve your mental and emotional health. Have you ever thought about using hot water for taking a bath? Hot water helps to ease sore and aching muscles.
Taking a bath in hot water will also help you get rid of sadness. It is also said that after taking a bath in hot water, you are most probably enjoy a healthy and better sleep – and we all know how crucial sleeping can be for getting rid of anxiety and stress.
6. Write It Out
Have you ever tried to fight against your depression by writing it out? You must be thinking how this is even possible, but it really is. Writing out your worries will help you lift the weight off your shoulder.
It can also help you understand what exactly you are going through, and in the meanwhile, you can also get to know how to tackle these mental issues.
7. Change Your Focus
If you are not feeling comfortable in a certain situation, we recommend you take another direction rather than sticking to that situation. Once you change your focus, it gives your mind a chance to start working in the right direction.
Now comes the question, how to change your focus? It’s simple. You can go outside or start doing another task – this way; your focus will be shifted. So, no more anxious days and weeks.
Causes of Stress
People have different ways of dealing with stress. What stresses out one person might not stress out another, and almost anything can cause stress. Some people can feel stressed just by thinking about a trigger or several smaller triggers.
When faced with the same stressor, there is no clear reason why one person might feel less stressed than another. Some people get stressed out more easily than others because of mental health issues like depression or a growing sense of frustration, injustice, or anxiety.
Common major life situations that can trigger stress include:
- job issues or retirement
- lack of time or money
- bereavement
- family problems
- illness
- moving home
- relationships, marriage, and divorce
Other commonly reported causes of stress are:
- abortion or pregnancy loss
- driving in heavy traffic or being afraid of an accident
- fear of crime or issues with neighbors
- pregnancy and becoming a parent
- excessive noise, overcrowding, and pollution
- uncertainty or waiting for an important result
Some people have long-term stress after a traumatic event, like an accident or being abused in some way. Doctors will say that you have PTSD.
People who work in stressful jobs, like the military or emergency services, will have a debriefing session after a major event, and they will be checked for PTSD by occupational health services.
Types of Stress
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has identified two types of stress: acute and chronic. These need different levels of management.
The NIMH also identify three examples of kinds of stressor:
- routine stressors such as taking care of children, homework, or financial obligations
- unexpected, disruptive events, such as death of a family or learning of a job loss
- traumatic stress, which can occur as a result of severe trauma from a severe accident, an assault, an environmental disaster, or war
1. Acute Stress
This kind of stress is short-term and usually the most common kind. People often feel acute stress when they think about the pressures of things that happened recently or when they worry about things that will happen in the near future.
For example, a person may feel stressed because of a recent argument or an upcoming deadline. But the stress will go away or lessen once the person settles the argument or meets the deadline.
Acute stressors are usually new and have clear, quick solutions. Even when people face the hardest problems, there are ways out of the situation.
Acute stress doesn’t hurt as much as long-term, chronic stress. Short-term effects include tension headaches, upset stomach, and moderate distress.
But acute stress that happens over and over again for a long time can become chronic and harmful.
2. Chronic Stress
This type of stress builds up over a long period and is more dangerous.
Chronic stress can be caused by things like persistent poverty, a broken family, or an unhappy marriage. It happens when a person can’t see a way out of their problems and stops looking for solutions. Having chronic stress may also be caused by a traumatic event that happened early in life.
Chronic stress makes it hard for the body to return to a normal level of stress hormone activity. This can cause problems in the following systems:
- cardiovascular
- respiratory
- sleep
- immune
- reproductive
Stress can also make a person more likely to get type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. When stress becomes chronic, it can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
People can get used to feeling upset and hopeless, so they don’t notice when they’re under chronic stress. It can become a part of a person’s personality, making them always more likely to feel the effects of stress no matter what they do.
People who have constant stress are more likely to have a final breakdown, which can lead to suicide, violent actions, a heart attack, or a stroke.
Final Words
Stress and depression are some of the issues almost every one of us is suffering from. Life is a one-time thing, so we have to live it wholeheartedly and perfectly.
We know it’s not easy to handle stress, but once you start applying the aforementioned ways to your advantage, it’ll just be a matter of time.