The internet and social media are littered with advice on what you should be doing to restore positivity to your life and enhance your mental health. However, continuing to indulge in negative behaviors is as likely to be bad for you as failing to enact beneficial ones. Dropping bad habits can enrich your life and lift a weight you never knew you were carrying off your chest. Stresscoach presents some tips to help you address those negative behaviors.

1. Wasting Away in a Hated Job

If you find yourself hating the idea of going to work most or all days, you are not alone. Studies show that a significant portion of the U.S. population does not derive great enjoyment from their employment.

It may be because of poor wages, garbage benefits, politics or toxic co-workers. Maybe you find the work boring and yourself underappreciated. Whatever the reasons behind your unhappiness, don't stay in a position that causes you misery. It could be harming your mental health by introducing excess stress and anxiety and preventing you from getting the sleep you need, among other effects. On the other hand, working in a field you are passionate about can energize you and boost your mood.

Find a calling that sparks your interest and join the others who have recently left their positions for greener pastures. Don't settle for the first post you see out of fear; set a high standard for yourself. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in December 2021, there were 10.9 million open positions. Push past the natural anxiety to find the work that will engage you and help you grow personally and career-wise. Go back to school or acquire additional certifications if necessary to obtain a life and experiences that fulfill you.

2. Allowing the ‘Me Versus Everyone Else’ Attitude To Dominate Your Life

It is tempting to compare yourself to others, and most people do it unconsciously. The problem with this is that there will always be someone who has more than you or is better at something than you. Weighing your merits and faults against those of others breeds discontent and self-criticism, creating an endless negative loop.

The measure of your life is not how you appear when standing beside other people, but how you compare to your own expectations for yourself regardless of others. Try practices such as keeping a gratitude journal, emphasizing your strengths, and uplifting and celebrating the accomplishments of others instead of engaging in an unwinable game against the world.

3. Letting Clutter Rule Your Home

Research shows that all that excess stuff piled around your home can affect your mental well-being by promoting anxiety, negatively impacting sleep, and distracting you. Decluttering not only removes these effects but also gives it an open and spacious feel, boosts at-home productivity, and reduces your daily cleaning time, among other advantages.

Go through all those long-forgotten possessions. Make piles to donate, trash, and keep. Think about whether you will really use an item or if it will continue to sit in a corner gathering dust. Address any issues before they worsen to promote a positive and healing environment.

4. Dwelling on Bygone Days

It is difficult not to ponder the mistakes, humiliations, and hurts of the past. Equally hard is not escaping to memories of the glory days. However, to embrace the future and realize all the possibilities before you, you need to let go. This doesn't mean forgetting, simply refusing to allow the past to control you.

Eliminating damaging actions and attitudes from your life can improve your overall mental state and banish the heaviness you never knew was dragging you down.

Stresscoach can help you manage your anxiety so you can live a happier, freer life. Learn more about the app and how it can make a difference in your life:

Mental illnesses affect a person’s behavior, thoughts, and mood, so much so that neuroimaging practices have observed structural changes among patients with depression⁽¹⁾ and anxiety disorders⁽²⁾.

While the best alternative treatments for depression and natural remedies for anxiety are useful options, you may want to consider other mental illness programs.

Some experts aim to direct clinical practices toward mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) or programs that focus on processes and core competencies instead of treating medical syndromes.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

MBSR is the standard approach when it comes to MBIs. This intervention lasts eight weeks and aims to reduce stress by encouraging regular meditation to develop enhanced mindfulness skills.

Such programs typically consist of weekly group-based meditation classes that last between 2 to 2.5 hours. The entire intervention process involves a trained instructor, daily audio-guided home practices, and mindfulness retreats that last a whole day during the sixth week.

For the most part, MBSR courses focus on helping you learn how to attend to your body sensations mindfully. This process involves using various mind-body meditative practices, including body scans, sitting meditation, yoga, and gentle stretching.

The program involves a group, fostering a discussion on applying mindfulness in the daily and allowing insight into adaptive ways of handling stressors.

Compared to active control conditions, studies indicate that MBIs are superior interventions in reducing anxiety symptoms. In one study involving patients with generalized anxiety disorder, the MBSR group outperformed the group under the active stress-management education program in reducing anxiety symptom severity⁽³⁾.

MBSR’s effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety has prompted researchers to adapt the intervention’s basic principles into other programs to treat specific populations.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

MBCT is the most widely researched adaptation of MBSR. Such interventions target major depression relapse by combining the enhanced internal awareness one gets from mindfulness training and the active recognition of negative thoughts taught in cognitive therapy.

Mindfulness principles include recognizing the deterioration of mood without immediate judgments or reactions to such changes. Meanwhile, cognitive therapy teaches you how to remove yourself from maladaptive behaviors that may lead to depression.

Mindfulness-based treatments and traditional cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) differ in their approaches. MBIs involve simple observation, while CBT involves facing metacognitions directly. Despite different methods, both practices aim to change your perspective on negative internal phenomena.

Like MBSR, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions follow the eight-week group-based structure, including the length and courses.

Several randomized controlled trials demonstrated MBCT’s effectiveness in reducing relapse rates among patients with major depression⁽⁴⁾. Other researchers highlighted the intervention’s efficacy in lowering acute depression symptoms⁽⁵⁾.

Additionally, modified MBCT programs may prove effective for patients resistant to depression treatments. A study comparing MBCT to a well-matched active control program suggested that the former outperformed the latter in reducing depressive symptoms post-treatment.

Other MBIs

MBSR and MBCT may not be accessible to the general public, as they are thorough intervention programs. Such practices require substantial time and training commitment from patients and therapists.

Some alternative treatment delivery methods exist in addition to the standard mindfulness practices.

Retreat Programs

Mindfulness meditation retreats and residential programs usually range from one to three days to three months in length. Such programs are cost-effective options for intensive and well-controlled mindfulness intervention doses.

Although the evidence on the short- and long-term effects of such interventions are minimal, recent trials suggested positive effects on measures of psychosocial well-being and health, including stress and anxiety⁽⁶⁾⁽⁷⁾.

Brief Mindfulness Interventions

Some researchers modified the standard MBSR treatment protocol into two- to three-week programs. Although this intervention is much shorter than the typical eight-week program, initial studies suggest that such short programs benefit working memory capacity and compassion^(8-9).

An even shorter intervention involves three- to four-day lab-based mindfulness training sessions. Such programs may involve 20-to-30-minute group sessions with guidance from a trained meditation instructor. Studies on such methods indicate immediate effects on neuroendocrine and psychological responses to social stress⁽¹⁰⁾.

The existing studies warrant further research into the efficacy of abbreviated mindfulness interventions in reducing clinical levels of depression or anxiety.

Online MBIs

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected group-based meditations and therapy sessions, making them seem inaccessible. Thus, you may consider internet- or app-based MBIs. Such interventions may range from two- to three-week self-guided programs to eight-week courses that mimic MBSR protocols⁽¹¹⁾.

Although the development of online MBIs is recent, results from 15 randomized-controlled trials highlighted the beneficial impact of technology-based MBIs on depression, anxiety, stress, well-being, and mindfulness⁽¹²⁾.

The limited studies on online and smartphone MBIs showed promising results, warranting further studies on the matter.

If you want to learn more about anxiety and depression, be mindful and head over to Stresscoach for free.

References

1. Song, T., Han, X., Du, L., Che, J., Liu, J., Shi, S., Fu, C., Gao, W., Lu, J., & Ma, G. (2018). The Role of Neuroimaging in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Depressive Disorder: A Recent Review. Current pharmaceutical design, 24(22), 2515–2523. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612824666180727111142
2. Holzschneider, K., & Mulert, C. (2011). Neuroimaging in anxiety disorders. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 13(4), 453–461. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2011.13.4/kholzschneider
3. Hoge EA, Bui E, Marques L, et al. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for generalized anxiety disorder: effects on anxiety and stress reactivity. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013; 74(8):786–792. DOI: 10.4088/JCP.12m08083 [PubMed: 23541163]
4. Creswell JD. Mindfulness Interventions. Annu Rev Psychol. 2017; 68:491–516. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-042716-051139 [PubMed: 27687118]
5. Strauss C, Cavanagh K, Oliver A, Pettman D, Laks J. Mindfulness-based interventions for people diagnosed with a current episode of an anxiety or depressive disorder: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. PLoS ONE. 2014; 9(4):e96110.doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096110 [PubMed: 24763812]
6. Cohen JN, Jensen D, Stange JP, Neuburger M, Heimberg RG. The Immediate and Long-Term Effects of an Intensive Meditation Retreat. Mindfulness. 2017; 14(1):449.doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0682-5
7. Rosenberg EL, Zanesco AP, King BG, et al. Intensive meditation training influences emotional responses to suffering. Emotion. 2015; 15(6):775–790. DOI: 10.1037/emo0000080 [PubMed: 25938614]
8. Lim D, Condon P, DeSteno D. Mindfulness and compassion: an examination of mechanism and scalability. PLoS ONE. 2015; 10(2):e0118221.doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118221 [PubMed: 25689827]
9. Mrazek MD, Franklin MS, Phillips DT, Baird B, Schooler JW. Mindfulness training improves working memory capacity and GRE performance while reducing mind wandering. Psychol Sci. 2013; 24(5):776–781. DOI: 10.1177/0956797612459659 [PubMed: 23538911]
10. Creswell JD, Pacilio LE, Lindsay EK, Brown KW. Brief mindfulness meditation training alters psychological and neuroendocrine responses to social evaluative stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2014; 44:1–12. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.02.007 [PubMed: 24767614]
11. Cavanagh, Kate, Strauss, Clara, Cicconi, Francesca, Griffiths, Natasha, Wyper, Andy, Jones, Fergal. A randomised controlled trial of a brief online mindfulness-based intervention.
12. Spijkerman MPJ, Pots WTM, Bohlmeijer ET. Effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions in improving mental health: A review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clin Psychol Rev. 2016; 45:102–114. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.03.009 [PubMed: 27111302]

It's the New Year, which usually means one thing: resolutions.

Now, nobody should force themselves to make any resolutions that they don't want to and if they try to keep them and only do for a couple of days, that doesn't matter at all, no need to add any pressure to life.

If you have decided to set one, then there are many different resolutions you could have chosen; some people want to exercise more, some people want to read more books and others want to drink less alcohol.

One of the most common resolutions? Dry January.

If you decided to try Dry January this year, here's some benefits for your mental health and when you can expect to see them.  

Benefits Of Dry January For Your Mental Health

1. Sleep

Getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important things in life. Everyone knows this, regardless of what the science says, we all know how it feels when we don't get a good night's sleep and how this impacts our ability to focus, to work and our general mood.

Well, drinking alcohol negatively impacts your sleep. Despite the fact that alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep, it also reduces the quality of sleep you get. The National Sleep Foundation reports that drinking moderate to high amounts of alcohol decreases restorative REM sleep. This means that the sleep you get is not as restful as it is when you don't drink alcohol.

Also, research by the University of Sussex found that 71% of people who took part in Dry January said they slept better and 67% said they had more energy.

2. Mood

A lot of people associate drinking alcohol with an improved mood. It's often combined with a social experience, so you get to enjoy your friends company at the same time as drinking alcohol.

However, the research shows mixed findings on alcohol's ability to provide psychological benefit, tension reduction and affect improvement. For example, research has shown that if you are suffering from depression, you are more likely to drink alcohol and that alcohol may become a coping strategy, leading to a negative impact on your overall well-being. Also, people suffering from mood disorders may use alcohol to self-medicate. In fact, research shows that drinking to alleviate mood is associated with the development of alcohol dependence.  

3. Focus

There is a reason you are not allowed to drink and drive; alcohol impairs your reactions as your brain takes longer to receive messages from the eye, processing information is more difficult and instructions from the brain to your muscles are delayed.

Unsurprisingly, drinking alcohol impacts your ability to focus as it impairs your vision, memory and hearing. Dry January may help you to focus better, as the impairment resulting from drinking alcohol is reduced or removed.

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When To Expect The Benefits Of Dry January

Week 1

Within the first week you may already start to notice some small changes in your energy levels and concentration. You may find it difficult to fall to sleep compared to when you drink alcohol, but ultimately, your sleep quality will be improved and you will start to feel more refreshed the next day.

Week 2

The benefits begin to show themselves in a bigger way during the second week of Dry January. Energy levels will improve further and many people describe how they can think clearer than before. As a side note, it's also likely that your body is better hydrated.

Week 3

During the third week, you may notice improvements in your short-term memory. It's likely that you will retain information for longer and in general will be less forgetful, also benefiting from better focus.

Week 4

By this point, your memory, sleep, mood and focus will have improved. Not drinking alcohol for a full month will likely have changed your relationship with it.

A Final Note

The thing with resolutions is they are hard to keep going. January can be a stressful time of year with 'all systems go' vibe. If your old habit was to drink alcohol to cope, then it's going to be much harder to live without alcohol for the whole month. You may want to try journalling as a new coping strategy. In general, this is a great practice, you can create your very own private place where you record any stressful thoughts and feelings. This also offers the opportunity to reflect on previous occasions where you may have been in a similar situation, and read about what happened in the following hours and days. Journalling gives you more objectivity, accountability and some me time.

Other ideas include:

• 5 Minute Mindfulness
• Meditation
• Breathing Exercise
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Body Scan

If you are looking for a way to manage your anxiety, then please check out Stresscoach :)

Me Time.

We are all different when it comes to how much me time we need, but at some point, especially when there's a lot of stress in life, we all end up feeling that desire. It has lots of different names, but me time can be reflective, exciting and relaxing. Regardless of what your me time looks like, I thought I would share some ideas for your me time.

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Why We Need "Me Time"

Amongst all of the people we know, there are some who spend more time alone and others who spend less. Some people may prefer a lower amount of social interaction whilst still be able to maintain a feeling of social connectedness, others prefer lots of time with others to feel that connection.

Wherever you see yourself, there are some benefits of having time for yourself (me time):

• Helps us unwind. Being alone often helps people to unwind, to be themselves. A good example of this is nature. Whether it's a walk, a run or a hike through the hills, being in nature alone can have a strong impact on your well-being.
• Helps us self regulate. Research has shown that people in solitude can experience relaxation and reduced stress, when they actively choose to be alone.
• Makes us more productive. Maybe you have heard of brainwriting, or maybe you haven't, but the idea is to make a team more productive by having members write down their ideas and share rather than sharing them face to face in the way we all imagine. Research has shown that this version of me time, to focus on ideas and productivity, is beneficial.
• Improves our concentration.  Downtime, or me time, is thought to replenish the brain's stores of attention and motivation. This replenishment is thought to occur through the resting-state networks.
• Reduces self consciousness. Research has shown that during teenage years, solitude can have a positive effect on emotional state and can improve adjustment, offering a strategic time. This can also mean less self consciousness.
• Increases empathy. Researchers suggest that spending time alone can help us to feel more connected and more capable of empathy, because we need to be available to connect in the first place.
• Enhances our relationships. Time away from others helps in all the ways listed above. These can all help contribute to better relationships.
• Allows time for deep thinking. Maybe this is obvious, but me time usually allows for deep thinking. Without distractions of other people, it's often an easier process to arrive at a deep level of thought.

Me Time Tricks

1. Wake up 30 minutes before the rest of your household. Sometimes it can be difficult to stick to goals later in the day, so it's a good idea to make extra time for yourself at the beginning.
2. Temporarily turn off your gadgets. In this world of hyperconnectivity, it can be hard to stay away from your phone and other gadgets. However, these often soak up a lot of your attention, so if you leave them somewhere or better, turn them off, you might find more time for yourself.
3. Taking a break outside. Outdoor lunches can be a triple threat. You get fresh air, exercise and a chance for me time.
4. Close your work office door. The open door policy can be fruitful in many ways, but sometimes, you may want to just close that door and focus on yourself.
5. Date yourself. I know that sounds a bit weird, but plan weekly or monthly times where you are just doing something that you want to do, regardless of what this is, it's your time.

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And in at a cheeky 6.... Stresscoach

That's right. Stresscoach is actually designed to perfectly fit into me time. With 5 minute lessons and exercises, you can just go into your own zone with us and learn to manage your anxiety, meditate or maybe come down from panic.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is a widely used system in the identification and diagnosis of mental health disorders.

Panic disorder is included in this system and understanding how the DSM-5 diagnoses it helps to understand treatment and research in the area.

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What Is the DSM-5?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)  is the system used in the United States (and many other places) to diagnose mental health disorders. It was developed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and was first created in 1952. The most recent update was in 2013 - the DSM-5.

The DSM-5 contains diagnostic criteria used by mental health professionals to classify, describe and establish a common understanding of every known mental illness.

However, there is some controversy with this system. Many disorders have overlapping symptoms and some professionals have questioned it's validity.

Panic Disorder In The DSM-5

Panic disorder is defined in the DSM-5 as an anxiety disorder. It's based primarily on the occurrence of panic attacks, which are recurrent and often unexpected. Furthermore, there is no other mental disorder that better accounts for the attacks (e.g. social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Symptoms Of A Panic Attack

According to the DSM-5, a panic attack is characterised by four or more of the following symptoms:

• Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
• Feelings of choking
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint
• Chills or heat sensations
• Paresthesia (numbness or tingling sensations)
• Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
• Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
• Fear of dying

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Experiencing a panic attack in isolation is quite common, but when at least one panic attack is followed by at least one month of the person fearing they will have more attacks, which then results in them changing their behaviour to avoid situations that may result in an attack, this is then considered by a mental health professional.

How Stresscoach Can Help

In the Stresscoach app, we offer short term panic relief, anxiety courses and panic specific courses. You can learn to manage your anxiety and panic attacks with the help of our digital coach.

Is it an anxiety attack or is it a panic attack?

On the face of it, they may seem to be the same thing. However, they are actually quite different experiences.

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What Is A Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a very frightening and distressing experience of anxiety resulting in particularly intense mental and physical symptoms. You may remember our earlier post that detailed these intense symptoms, where we explained attacks can come on very quickly and for no apparent reason.

A panic attack usually lasts between 5 and 20 minutes but some people also report they last up to an hour. It's common to experience a handful of panic attacks during your life, but if they are more frequent, this may be a sign of panic disorder.

What Is An Anxiety Attack?

Anxiety attacks aren't recognised quite in the same way as panic attacks are. Wheres panic attacks are included within the DSM-5, anxiety attacks are not.

Anxiety attacks can vary quite a lot, as common symptoms such as worry, fear or any of the physical symptoms of anxiety can be present. This results in varied experiences of anxiety attacks, compared to panic, which is defined with clear criteria.

Anxiety Attack vs Panic Attack Symptoms

It's not unsurprising that panic attacks and anxiety attacks can feel familiar, as they share a lot of emotional and physical symptoms. However, there are some key differences.

Here we compare anxiety and panic attack symptoms:

Hopefully this table shows the similarities and differences between the two experiences.

A couple of points to consider when trying to differentiate between the two:

• Whereas anxiety is usually anticipatory, something related to the future and about something that will be stressful or threatening, panic is more often in the moment and can occur at random.
• Whereas anxiety attacks vary from mild, moderate to severe, panic attacks are always intense and severe.
• Whereas anxiety attacks build up gradually over time, panic attacks will only ever last a maximum of one hour (usually 5-20 minutes).

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If you are struggling with anxiety attacks, or panic attacks, you might want to head over to Stresscoach and complete our courses and exercises that can help you to live a happier, anxiety-free life.

I remember experiencing my first panic attack. Back then, as a young teenager, I didn't know what it was, or how to deal with it. Instead, I muddled my way through the intense anxiety and fear I was experiencing.

Since then, I have learned a lot about anxiety, about panic and what can help in those situations. From a combination of my personal and educational experiences, I wanted to share some panic attack treatments you can do at home.

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

What Is A Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a very frightening and distressing experience of anxiety resulting in particularly intense mental and physical symptoms. You may remember our earlier post that detailed these intense symptoms, where we explained attacks can come on very quickly and for no apparent reason.

A panic attack usually lasts between 5 and 20 minutes but some people also report they last up to an hour. It's common to experience a handful of panic attacks during your life, but if they are more frequent, this may be a sign of panic disorder. It's also important to be aware that such symptoms may be due to other conditions, for example in the year 2020 there has been some confusion regarding anxiety vs COVID-19 symptoms. In any case, you should review the ADAA's page on panic and consult your doctor if you are concerned for your health.

6 Panic Attack Treatments At Home

1. Grounding

Grounding is a great treatment for panic attacks at home. The reason why it's so effective is because during panic attacks catastrophic thoughts and uncomfortable sensations feed on each other, they form a feedback loop where panic symptoms lead to ever more negative thoughts (and then uncomfortable sensations and so on).

That's where grounding comes in. Grounding is a technique that intervenes in this negative spiral and keeps it from spiraling out of control. It helps us divert our attention away from the sensations of panic to the input of all our senses. This allows us to reconnect to the here and now and realize that you’re safe and not in danger. And most importantly, it distracts you from those scary thoughts and feelings.

Here’s how the 5–4–3–2–1 grounding technique works:

1. You start off by finding 5 things that you can see. The idea is to look around in your environment and specifically name 5 things.
2. Then you move on 5 things that you can hear. You will need to listen carefully to notice 5 different sounds around you.
3. The next step is to find 5 things you can feel. Touch the things around you and pay attention to texture, temperature and moisture.

These three make up the first round of this exercise. In the next round, find 4 things each. Then 3, 2 and finally 1. By the end of the exercise, you might feel better.

2. Deep (Diaphragmatic) Breathing

Anxiety and breathing. Breathing and anxiety. I am sure you have heard these two mentioned in the same sentence before. There is a good reason for this, when you're in panic mode, or experiencing anxiety in general, your sympathetic nervous system is active, which results in all of those uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety such as sweating, increased heart rate and shortness of breath. Focusing on the breath, when you’re in panic mode, it is shallow and fast. This is an unfortunate situation as this then provides feedback to the sympathetic nervous system to continue.

To fight against this, we can breathe the way we were always meant to. This involves breathing with the diaphragm. For your breathing to have the most calming impact, about 75% of the inhaling needs to be done by this muscle. This releases pressure in the chest and as a result the heart has less work to do. Breathing automatically slows down and the chest and shoulder muscles are able to relax a bit.

In order to make sure that your diaphragm does most of your breathing, place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. As you breathe in, your belly should expand while the hand on your chest should stay relatively still. To breathe out, tighten your stomach muscles and let them fall inward. Many people find it helpful to purse their lips as they do this.

For detailed instructions, you can also follow this video:

You can also try out 4-7-8 breathing, too:

3. Muscle Relaxation Techniques

Another panic attack treatment you can easily do at home is muscle relaxation.  Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is one of the most effective relaxation techniques. It's great if you are experiencing anxiety or finding it hard to fall to sleep, as you systematically tense and relax your muscles in a sequence of actions.

Progressive muscle relaxation consists of a series of 'let go' actions that induce relaxation due to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system - the part of your body that calms you down when you're stressed or anxious.

Progressive muscle relaxation works in a slightly paradoxical way: in order to relax, you first tense up. Only then you can release the tension. A good way to think about this is as a pendulum: if you wanted it to swing to the right, you could push it to the right, however, it would be much easier if we pulled it to the left, then let go. That's exactly what we're doing with PMR; tensing to the left, and feeling the momentum of relaxation as it swings to the right. This is usually stronger than the 'adapted' level of relaxation we have, so we physically experience the sensation of relaxation!

Muscle relaxation is a treatment well suited to panic attacks at home because of the comfortable environment you are in. These practices are best done sitting comfortable, or laid down.

We have lots of relaxation guides available on YouTube and in the app.

4. Immerse Your Face In Ice-Cold Water

A little bit of a different one, maybe, but this is ideally suited to treating a panic attack at home.

Here’s how it works: You fill a sink or a bucket with cold water, adding in some ice cubes if you have them at hand. You then immerse your entire face in the water. Pay special attention to the area underneath your eyes and above your cheekbones. (This is the most sensitive part of your face.) Then hold your breath and come up whenever you need to breathe. Repeat this process a couple of times until you start to feel better.

Immersing your face in ice-cold water stimulates the mammalian diving reflex, an innate physiological response that we share with dolphins and seals. Over the course of evolution, mammals developed this reflex in order to survive with little or no oxygen under water. This reflex works through special nerves in the face which send a message to the vagus nerve, which in turn instructs your sympathetic nervous system to calm down. It slows down heart rate considerably and increases one’s chances of survival.

5. Repeat A Mantra Internally

Just before we mentioned the role of catastrophic thoughts during a panic attack. These thoughts can range from “What if I’m going mad?” to “I’m going to die” and more. It’s not surprising that these kind of thoughts contribute to panic. In that case, repeating a mantra internally is only logical. In fact, the best strategy that psychologists have come up with is to replace those catastrophic thoughts with positive, reassuring self-talk. The best idea is to find a mantra that you find helpful and silently repeat it to yourself. We suggest to use something like “This too shall pass” or “I’m not in danger, I am safe”.

Those words might not feel particularly believable at first but that’s exactly why you need to repeat them over and over again. Not just for a minute but until you’re calming down again.

6. Meditative Practices (for prevention)

We recently talked about all of the obstacles of meditating for anxiety, as well as why it works. Though it may be difficult to enter a meditative state during panic, it may be useful to practice meditation in your daily routine in order to impact your mindset. This change may see you becoming anxious less frequently and less intense, potentially decreasing the chance of a panic attack.

Here are some practices you can try:

Loving-Kindness Meditation

5-Minute Mindfulness

Pranayama Breathing

Body  Scan

Walking Meditation

Hakalau Meditation

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7. Stresscoach

Ultimately, though panic attacks are distressing, they are very unlikely to actually harm you. It's possible for you to manage your symptoms of panic by using techniques we have listed above. Of course, everyone is different, so not all of them will work for every time, but with practice, one of them should. If you're interested in learning more, many of them are included within the Stresscoach app.

The typical dark nights of winter may feel a little darker now there are restrictions and lockdowns in place. We continue to experience a reduction in contact, travel and face to face interactions.

There is no "one size fits all" for this kind of thing. We will all make our way through it according to what works best for us. However, there are a few common themes that help a lot of people.

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Winter Lockdown: A Mental Health Guide

1. Lighting

You may have heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression, which is commonly referred to as 'the winter blues'. It's a common occurrence around autumn-winter time when the light levels reduce. Thankfully, we know how to treat this; with light.

If you are feeling a low mood during the winter lockdown period, it's a good idea to get as much light into your day as early as possible. Obviously, the sun rises later in the day, but as soon as it's out, give yourself some time to bask in it. If this isn't an option, you can also check out SAD lights (also known as light boxes) which is an artificial light that can also help.

2. Exercise

We already know how good exercise can be for our mental health and this holds true during a winter lockdown. It can be something as simple as walking, or connecting with nature.

Regardless of what you choose, there's a good chance you will feel the benefit of:

• Release of endorphins
• Release of neurotransmitters (dopamine & serotonin)
• Reduced cortisol

Which all translate to an improved mood!

3. Routines

When we're not in a winter lockdown, most of us stick to a routine. It's a good idea to try and stick to a routine through this period too. Having a regular bed time and wake up time can help with the quality of your sleep, including exercise at regular points during the week can help to improve your mood and making time for yourself to relax can help to reduce any anxiety or stress you are feeling.

4. Relaxation

During the winter lockdown, you may be feeling more anxious than normal. That's why it's important to find time for your needs. Whether it's taking a long bath, listening to music or practising yoga, whatever helps you to feel relaxed should be included in your routine.

Here are some ideas that we know help reduce anxiety and increase relaxation:

• Mindfulness
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Meditation
• Body Scan
• Breathing Techniques

5. Connection

It won't replace the normal connection we have, but finding ways to connect virtually or at a distance can still help your mental health. Staying connected is vital during a winter lockdown, whether that's with your colleagues, friends or family, the important thing is you are still there for each other.

If you do feel anxious, or that you need help, you should reach out as soon as possible, instead of allowing the anxiety to build up internally.

6. Less News

The news seems particularly negative at the moment, as there is endless coverage of COVID-19. Of course, being informed is a good thing. However, sometimes it's nice to take a break from the news and social media. This can allow you to free up some time for yourself to relax, or to exercise (or maybe exercise helps you to relax).

If you do want to see the news, try to only use credible sources such as the World Health Organisation or a government website. Social media can be full of speculation about the virus, which doesn't help us to manage our anxiety because of the uncertainty it brings.

Another thing you can do is limit the amount of time you read/watch the news. For example, you may limit yourself to 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening.

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

If you are still feeling anxious, or would like to learn more about anxiety, you can also try Stresscoach.

It is not uncommon for people to experience short periods sadness when the seasons change. As we go further into autumn and through winter, some people start to experience 'the winter blues'.

If these experiences of sadness and mood changes are more intense and affect our daily activity, this may be a sign of seasonal affective disorder, which is a type of depression.

The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (commonly referred to as SAD) cover quite a wide range. They usually start in autumn-winter time and are not present during the spring and summer months.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is considered a type of depression, rather than an independent diagnosis. It's characterised by its recurrent pattern of symptoms; every autumn-winter they may appear, due to the low light levels of this period. As it's a type of depression, symptoms are closely related and there are only a few that are specific for SAD.

Here we have the list of symptoms for depression:

• A persistent low mood
• A loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities
• Feeling sluggish or irritable, having difficulty concentrating
• Feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
• Low self-esteem
• Tearfulness
• Feeling stressed or anxious
• A reduced sex drive
• Experiencing changes in appetite or weight
• Having low energy
• Having problems with sleep
• Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

And the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, specifically:

• Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
• Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates
• Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
• Weight gain

The intensity that people experience these symptoms varies. Some people's lives are severely impacted by SAD, whereas others experience milder symptoms. Also, not every person with Seasonal Affective Disorder will experience all of the above symptoms.  

Now you know what the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder are. If you have other questions, you can check out our FAQ tag. If you want to learn more about stress and anxiety, both related to depression, why not try out Pocketcoach (for free).

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

Information correct at the time of publishing, from:

National Institute Of Mental Health

National Health Service

Meditation is useful and positive because it focuses your awareness on accepting thoughts and feelings, regardless of their direction or meaning. Research has shown that practice has many benefits for anxiety. However, it's also important to acknowledge that meditating with anxiety has some common obstacles.

Experiencing racing thoughts, or some of the physical symptoms of anxiety such as shortness of breath, racing heart or headaches, can make it a lot more difficult to meditate. However, meditation can also be very effective against anxiety, as it helps you to practice safe exploration of thoughts and sit with uncomfortable feelings as well as giving you the potential to change your perspective, or your response, to anxiety.

In this ultimate guide to meditation for anxiety, we are covering:

• Why Meditating With Anxiety Can Be Hard
• Obstacles Of Meditating With Anxiety
• "Meditation Makes Me Anxious"
• Restlessness During Meditation
• Why Meditation For Anxiety Works (despite the above!)
• Three Guided Meditations For Anxiety
• Benefits Of Meditation For Anxiety

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

Why Meditating With Anxiety Can Be Hard

Some people may assume that using meditation for anxiety will help to resolve their difficulties. They are mostly correct, but meditating with anxiety (i.e. experiencing anxiety when meditating) can be hard due to the complex mix of thoughts, feelings and emotions that are experienced during practice.

In order to highlight some of the issues people commonly face, let me explain the basics of mindfulness.

One of the first things people practice in mindfulness meditation is focusing on the breath. The power of the breath is something well understood these days; it's the foundation for any type of meditation. There are two main reasons for this:

• We can use the breath to reduce anxiety as diaphragmatic breathing interacts with the parasympathetic nervous system - the one that calms us down.
• The better we can focus on something (e.g. on the breath) the easier it is for us to focus on managing thoughts and emotions (e.g. during a meditative practice, or when we are informed of some negative news).

However, as powerful and important as the breath is, it's not the whole picture. Meditation is commonly misunderstood to be just sitting down and focusing, breathing slowly. However, this ignores the importance of acceptance.

Practicing non-judgmental awareness on the present moment means openly accepting whatever we experience. This includes both comfortable and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

This is the important bit! Meditating with anxiety is difficult because accepting negative thoughts and feelings when they are intense or overwhelming (as they often are with anxiety) is naturally difficult to do. The symptoms and descriptions of many people who describe anxiety, commonly refer to 'feeling out of control' and people find this feeling hard particularly hard to accept. This impacts our ability to meditate effectively.

Obstacles Of Meditating With Anxiety

1. Increased Self-Awareness

One key part of mindfulness is the practice of self-awareness. Coincidentally, this is also a crucial skill for dealing with emotions. You first need to notice a feeling before you can handle it properly.

However, this increased self-awareness can backfire as you become more aware of sensations in your body and the workings of your mind, you might also become more aware of your anxiety symptoms.

2. Depersonalisation Experiences

One experience that many meditators have is something called 'depersonalisation'. This means that they experience a change in their self-perception. Instead of seeing the world as they usually do, a feeling of detachment from their body and their thoughts can arise. I have also experienced this, when I was practising pranayama breathing.

There's nothing dangerous or inherently uncomfortable about depersonalization but some people do interpret this temporary change in perception very negatively (it often occurs after people experience danger or other traumatic experiences, so this makes sense).

3. Beta Brain Waves

The neurons in your brain generate electricity to communicate with each other and this electrical activity forms certain patterns. These patterns are called brain waves and come in five different forms: alpha, beta, delta, gamma, and theta.

Beta waves come with concentration, critical thinking and planning but are also associated with anxiety. Meditation practices, on the other hand, are typically associated with other types of brain waves. Transcendental meditation (TM), for example, generates alpha waves in some brain areas and that's a sign for your brain going into relaxation mode.

Not surprisingly, meditation should typically reduce beta waves. However, when people start a meditation practice, they will often drift off into thinking and planning. That's completely normal and simply part of the process. And for people who experience anxiety on a regular basis this happens even more often (because they are generally prone to repetitive thinking and negative thought spirals).

Instead of relaxing brain waves, the brain is then flooded with beta waves. It's possible - even likely - you get lost in thought for extended periods. That's why it makes sense to start with short meditation sessions (5 minutes could be a good starting point) and only increase gradually. It takes weeks and months to build up the ability to catch your mind when it's drifting off and then bring it back.

4. Emotional Upheavals

As beginner meditators slow down and watch the inner workings of their mind, repressed memories and trauma may trigger intense emotional experiences. They come to the surface as some meditation teachers would say. Panic attacks and similarly unpleasant episodes can be the result.

That's why it's important that you face traumatic memories in tiny steps and only with the help of a professional. It's hard to deal with such intense emotional experiences on your own. Mindfulness meditation is not a self-help panacea.

5. Relaxation As Anxiety Trigger

It might sound strange, but relaxation can occur as trigger during meditation for anxiety. People who experience this are able to relax... but after a short while, it's exactly this relaxation that causes them anxiety. There's even a term for this: relaxation-induced anxiety.

If you've noticed this before, it's possible that meditation also triggers anxiety for you. Instead of calming down your nervous system, it heats up. In this case, yoga (an example below) or walking meditation might be a better place to start than traditional sitting meditation.

"Meditation Makes Me Anxious"

Building on that last point, relaxation being an anxiety trigger, it's not uncommon for people to report "meditation makes me anxious". The formal phrase for this is relaxation-induced anxiety (RIA).

Relaxation induced anxiety isn't the same thing as finding traditionally relaxing things, not relaxing. As we mentioned, with RIA, you are able to relax (by any means) but it's this relaxation that triggers your anxiety. So, this means your body briefly enjoys time with the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxed state) before the trigger (relaxation) causes it to switch over to sympathetic nervous system  (fight or flight) and cause symptoms of anxiety.

Restlessness During Meditation

Another common problem during meditation for anxiety is restlessness. Sometimes, people can find it difficult to reach a calm and relaxed state and even if they do, staying in it for long enough can be difficult too.

Restlessness can come from many sources and some days are worse than others. It may impact either your body, your mind or both.

Restlessness In The Body

Most people who've tried meditation will know this feeling. You sit down and after a little while you feel the urge to move. You want to get up again, you start to shift left and right, you rock back and forth.

At the same time, your heart may beat a little faster, there could be an itch in your toes or a sore in your back. It feels somehow wrong to remain still, your whole body seems to tell you that you should get up.

Restlessness In The Mind

Not only the body can be restless. The mind can be all over the place as well. Even on a normal day, there are thoughts occurring all the time. However, when you're really restless, thoughts shoot through your head left, right and centre.

Some Tips On Combating These Obstacles:

1. Meditation takes practice. With time, it gets easier and some of these obstacles naturally disappear.  
2. Acceptance is difficult but it's the key. For example: Feel an uncomfortable knot in the stomach? It’s just a feeling, it can’t harm you. Racing heart? Same thing. Racing thoughts? Accept that your mind is racing right now. If you do that, the thoughts will continue to race but you are now practicing acceptance. The whole point is to accept, but a bonus can occur whereby as you continue to practice acceptance, the strength and intensity of such thoughts or feelings reduce naturally, as they do not carry the same weight or meaning anymore.
3. Moments of observation. Observe the thoughts and sensations without reacting to them. Like a scientist, watch with curiosity what happens in your body and your mind. See if you can get interested in this experience (specifically usueful for restlessness). What does it feel like? Can you take a step back and notice without judgment? Is the experience changing?
4. Exploration. What happens if you give space to the feelings? What happens if you allow your thoughts to continue without believing them? Can you experience the urge to move without reacting to it? As you use these questions to continue to attend to your moment-to-moment experience, you might discover more about yourself.
5. Celebrate mini-successes. Set small goals and acknowledge your progress. You could, for example, reward yourself for meditating three days in a row.
6. Mantras. Many of us go into self-deprecating mode when we feel bad but this is just another form of fighting our thoughts and feelings. To move away from harsh self-criticism and accept your current experience, these mantras can help (If those don’t resonate with you, you can just come up with your own):

“This too shall pass.”
“This is hard but I can stay with this feeling.”
“This is a moment of suffering; suffering is a part of life; may I be kind to myself and give myself what I need.”

Why Meditation For Anxiety Works

Despite the obstacles explained above, meditation for anxiety can be an extremely effective technique. It is tapping into something we are already naturally good at; being fully present in the moment.

When practised correctly, meditation, or being aware of the present moment, allows you to gain access to resources you may not have realized were with you all along. You may not be able to change your situation through meditation, but you can change your response to your situation. This awareness can have a strong calming effect on you.

You may not be able to change your situation through meditation, but you can change your response to your situation.

Essentially, meditation helps to bring calm and clarity to an overactive anxious brain. As we mentioned earlier, being able to accept racing thoughts naturally decreases their frequency over time. With the concentration focused on the present, your worries and concerns about the future or past start to mean less. Over time, meditation for anxiety changes your outlook.

Guided Meditations For Anxiety

One of the most popular meditations for anxiety, simple yet effective:

A meditation for anxiety with Yoga teacher:

Meditation for anxiety through progressive muscle relaxation:

Benefits Of Meditation For Anxiety

The benefits of practicing meditation for anxiety are widely known and well researched. And a range of studies show that it can be an effective tool for people who struggle with a variety of mental health issues. Here are the main benefits:

1. Enhanced Self-Awareness

2. Reduced Stress

3. Lengthened Attention Span

4. Improved Sleep

5. Emotional Health

6. Disposition To Kindness

7.  Decreased Blood Pressure

8. Able To Fight Addictions Better

9. Able To Meditate Anywhere

If you would like to know more detail about these benefits, head on over to our previous post.

Using meditation for anxiety can be very effective. This guide has explained why meditating with anxiety can be hard, but has also offered an explanation on how to deal with that. If you're interested in learning more about anxiety, why don't you try Stresscoach for free!

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

When you're anxious, your breathing can get out of control. Whether it's due to generalised anxiety or a panic attack, one of the most common physical symptoms of anxiety is shortness of breath.

Now we are talking about the breath, I invite you to attend to yours. Do you breathe fast or slowly? Do you breathe through your mouth or nose? Do you breathe from the upper or lower part of your chest?

To be honest, I find it amazing how unaware I am of my own breath most of the time. However, in recent years I have become more aware and practised a variety of techniques, such as breathing exercises and pranayama breathing, and reaped the rewards of a relaxed mental state.

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

Why Use Breathing Exercises For Anxiety

There are two main reasons why we use breathing exercises for anxiety:

1. You can control your breath. It’s like our internal control system and affects the heart, muscles, brain and even our digestive system.
2. The breath directly influences our automatic nervous system. And that’s how it can help us calm down.

How Is Shortness Of Breath Related To Anxiety

You will remember reading about the fight or flight response before, it is commonly used when explaining anxiety. Well, in moments where our body is in fight or flight mode, our breathing is often intensified. Breathing in so rapidly gives your body more oxygen (O2) than it actually needs, while carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in your body go down significantly. The result can be dizziness, a lump in your throat, tingling or numbness in the hands or feet and even nausea and confusion (you may recognise some of these as physical symptoms of anxiety or panic).

In other words, this way of breathing is counterproductive (at least when there isn't a lion in front of you).

So, being able to control your breath, through techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, gives you the ability to 'flip the switch' on the fight or flight mode and therefore profoundly reduce stress and anxiety.

How To Breathe Correctly

You may remember reading about some breathing exercises before and just as they did then, these five quick points are important to bear in mind when practising breathing exercises (look at the picture for inspiration):

1. Breathe in through the nose. By doing so you automatically decrease the amount of oxygen you take in. An added bonus is that this also cleans out unfiltered, polluted air.
2. Breathe with your diaphragm. Which is a thin muscle at the base of your chest. Your breathing should feel nice and deep with the air coming in through your nose all the way down to your belly.
3. Breathe out through your mouth. Especially if you find it hard to breathe out for longer periods of time. A useful tip here is to purse your lips, as this restricts the airflow.
4. Breathe slower. The faster you breathe in and out, the more work you give your body. Breathing slower helps reduce stress and anxiety.
5. Breathe rhythmically. Rhythms make life more efficient and easy. Most things in nature have their own rhythm.

Simple Breathing Exercise For Anxiety

If you follow the instructions above, you will be practising diaphragmatic breathing, which is basically just another way to term how we are meant to be breathing already.

Here is a useful video that you can follow in order to practice with an established rhythm, the 4 - 7 - 8 method. It is quite intuitive, you breathe in for 4 seconds, you hold for 7 and then you breathe out for 8.

If you are interested in other anxiety reducing techniques, you might want to check out the rest of the blog, or try the Stresscoach app.

Your breath is one of the most powerful tools you have. You just have to learn how to use it :)

Recently, I came across a new meditation technique. It's called Hakalau Meditation and comes from ancient practices in Hawaii. What struck me with this meditation is how simple it is and how much of an effect it has had on me within a short period of time.

The word Hakalau translates to "eyes wide open" and the meditation helps you to both focus and expand your peripheral vision. I thought this article would complement the existing how to series we have developed, as it's not a very well known meditation, yet it's highly effective.

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

What Is Hakalau Meditation

Hakalau Meditation is an ancient Hawaiian practice that uses peripheral vision to bring you into a meditative state. This is because when you are seeing through your peripheral vision, your physiology is more relaxed and calm. You may remember that we included Hakalau Meditation as one of our hacks to reduce anxiety.

How To Do Hakalau Meditation

In order to practice Hakalau, you start by:

• Ho'ohaka. Staring on a fixed spot in front of you (preferably a little above eye level).
• Kuu. Focus all your attention there and try to let go of thoughts as best you can.
• Lau. As you do this for a minute or two, you'll notice that your vision begins to spread out. Allow your visual field to spread out more and more.
• Hakalau. As you continue to do this, see that you shift your attention to the peripheral part of your vision without moving your eyes. Gradually, you lose focus on any fixed thing and take in as much of your visual field as possible.
• Ho'okohi. Stay in this state for as long as you can. Notice how it feels. Notice the calm feeling you have. As you broaden your awareness, thoughts recede into the background. This is also what can naturally happen when you're looking at a sunset, for example.

On your first practice, you can do this seated and for about ten minutes. As you continue to practice, you can increase the time and try it standing, then developing it into a moving practice, if you want.

Stresscoach Meditations

If you enjoyed Hakalau Meditation and are interested in other techniques, I recommend you check out some of our other articles on this topic:

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Pranayama Breathing
• Mindfulness
• Walking Meditation
• Loving Kindness Meditation
• The Benefits Of Meditation For Anxiety

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a great technique to induce relaxation, especially if you are feeling anxious.

I remember first trying PMR when I was having trouble falling asleep a few years ago. Progressive muscle relaxation is great for relaxation in general, if you are experiencing anxiety or finding it hard to fall to sleep, as you systematically tense and relax your muscles in a sequence of actions.

I am also currently developing one of Stresscoach's courses and, as PMR features within the app, I wanted to share this with you guys too.

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

What Is Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation consists of a series of 'let go' actions that induce relaxation due to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system - the part of your body that calms you down when you're stressed or anxious.

Progressive muscle relaxation works in a slightly paradoxical way: in order to relax, you first tense up. Only then you can release the tension. A good way to think about this is as a pendulum: if you wanted it to swing to the right, you could push it to the right, however, it would be much easier if we pulled it to the left, then let go. That's exactly what we're doing with PMR; tensing to the left, and feeling the momentum of relaxation as it swings to the right. This is usually stronger than the 'adapted' level of relaxation we have, so we physically experience the sensation of relaxation!  

How To Do Progressive Muscle Relaxation For Anxiety

There are lots of different variations you can do and it is a good idea to try a few to find one that suits you best. There is no better or worse here, the only difference is how specific each relaxation goes. For example, you might relax your body in specific steps including your right hand, then lower arm and then upper arm. Or, you might relax the full arm and move onto your shoulders.

Below, we have some progressive muscle relaxations for anxiety:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation 1

Progressive Muscle Relaxation 2

Progressive Muscle Relaxation 3

How Often To Do Progressive Muscle Relaxation For Anxiety

It is a good idea to practice consistently, a few times a week, that way you will develop the skill and be able to use this technique any time you want to feel more relaxed.

All of these guided progressive muscle relaxations, plus many more, are included in the Stresscoach app, where we have a variety of courses to help you with anxiety and stress. If you enjoyed this relaxation, you may also want to check out some of our other articles on mindfulness, pranayama breathing and loving kindness meditation.

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

We live in a world that is awake 24 hours a day. Technology has enabled us to access pretty much anything we desire, around the clock. Unfortunately, that has also negatively impacted our ability to get a good night's sleep.

Sleep is necessary for us to survive. If you don't sleep for multiple days on end, then you begin to lose a sense of reality and your body and brain eventually shut down. Sleep is vital for our existence and struggling to fall asleep, or not getting enough, can increase feelings of fatigue, anxiety and may also cause panic attacks.

You can relax your mind for a better night's sleep by:

• Having a regular schedule
• Having a bedtime routine
• Only using the bed for sleep
• Practicing sleep relaxation techniques
• Keeping physically active
• Keeping a worry journal
• Trying Stresscoach

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day

Having A Regular Schedule

It is generally accepted that getting at least seven hours of sleep a night is necessary for normal cognitive and behavioural functioning. However, it is also important when you get those hours.

Everybody has an internal schedule due to something called the circadian clock. It is synchronised with the sun and for many years, has served to help us to fall asleep because we’ve historically woken with the rising sun and slept with the setting sun.

However, we are now in a world full of technology. Lights, sounds and other forms of stimulation enable us to stay up beyond sunset and wake up before sunrise. However, if we consistently change our sleep schedule, this confuses our circadian clock and therefore makes it harder to sleep and wake up.

So, in order to help yourself fall asleep, and wake up more refreshed, try to always go to sleep and wake up at the same time. Personally, I find it easier to always wake up at the same time, but harder to fall asleep at the same time!

Having A Bedtime Routine

Imagine how active your brain is when you are using a mobile phone, watching Netflix or working on your laptop. It uses the cues of light and sound to ensure you stay awake. Worries, thoughts and stress may also keep you up.

One way to relax your mind is to create a bedtime routine that helps your brain to prepare for the upcoming sleep. You can do this by creating a relationship between an activity and sleep. For example, the classic, reading a book before you sleep. If you consistently read a book, in bed, before you go to sleep (and do nothing else in between, including using a phone or laptop), then your brain begins to associate being in bed and reading with sleep.

The best idea is to pick something that makes you feel relaxed, for example:

• Reading a book
• Listening to relaxing music
• Meditating
• Writing

Do this consistently before going to sleep and very soon you will have a bedtime routine. I recommend you stop all other activity at least 30 minutes before going to sleep, making sure to at least dim, but preferably turn off, the light from your devices.

Only Using The Bed For Sleep

Sometimes it may be difficult, but if you can, try to only use your bed for sleep. This helps with creating that association I was just talking about. Your brain develops the connection between the two, making it easier for you to relax your mind and fall asleep when you are in bed.

What does this actually look like? Well, you will need to stop doing these in bed:

• Making phone calls
• Scrolling on social media
• Watching TV
• Using your computer

Practicing Relaxation Techniques

We’ve talked before about how relaxation techniques can reduce anxiety, but they can also be used to relax your mind before sleep.

Here are some examples, which you can also find on the Stresscoach app:

• Breathing techniques

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Autogenic training:

Keeping Physically Active

I can certainly feel the difference in my sleep quality and my ability to fall asleep after a physically active day compared with a less active day. Existing research suggests that morning and daytime exercise is beneficial for sleep, but there is also one study that found that exercising right before sleeping is still beneficial for the quality of sleep, if you allow yourself to cool down appropriately.

In general, being physically active helps to improve mood and reduce both stress and anxiety. This is likely to help when trying to relax your mind.

Keeping A Worry Journal

Keeping a worry journal can help to remove the intensity of your thoughts from your mind when you are trying to relax. Being worried about something is natural, but if it is impacting your ability to get sleep, then you may want to try starting a worry journal.

This just involves writing down all of the worries and concerns you have in a journal, in any format. You don't have to have a solution to them if you can't think of one. The idea is to write down worries as they come up. Because when you're laying in bed, and the thought comes up, you know you’ll have a record of it and you can let it go for the moment.

Try Stresscoach

Stresscoach can help reduce your general anxiety and stress levels and therefore make it easier for you to relax your mind. A lot of the relaxation techniques mentioned above, such as progressive muscle relaxation and breathing techniques, are included in our courses. The app also includes other techniques and ideas for you to relax and manage your emotions better. Check it out:

Other General Practices To Relax Your Mind And Reduce Anxiety:

• Mindfulness meditation, loving kindness meditation or body scan meditation
• Pranayama breathing
• Gratitude journaling
• Eating the right foods

Check out the video below for a summary of these tips:

Learn to manage anxiety in only 5 minutes per day