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Coping up with anxiety and depression could be a tiring and challenging task in itself. And while coping is a means of managing stress, it could also turn into a stressor. Stress is almost always a negative experience as it may cause adverse effects especially when it is too strong or lasts too long to handle, and the adaptive capacity of an individual can’t cope up with the gravity of the condition. Prolonged stress may increase the risk for mental disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, while too much of it can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorders, and even psychosis.
Keeping a positive attitude can sometimes be the only thing you need to get out of any difficult and stressful situations. Positive thinking doesn't mean ignoring life's less pleasant situations. It only means approaching and coping with unpleasantness more positively and productively. Research has shown that keeping a positive outlook in life can improve psychological well-being by reducing your chances of getting depressed and distressed during times of hardships. Also, it has been shown to improve cardiovascular health and immunity.
People who are control freaks think that having control over things, situations, or even people whom they meet can prevent untoward things from happening. Always remember, you have no control over all things around you. When you know there are times when you have given all that you can to a situation and things didn’t go on the way you’ve hoped they would, it allows you to redirect and expend energy where it can be more effectively utilized. With practice, you can train yourself to accept that while you can’t control every situation, you can control how you think and feel.
Breathe anxiety and depression out, and learn a way to create relaxation from tension. Deep breathing exercises are one of the most overlooked, yet the most effective stress management tools. They are simple, but effective and convenient ways to relieve stress in the body. Breathing exercises can have a profound effect on your state of mind, as well as improve your abilities to concentrate and to cope. Deep breathing can lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax the body as a whole.
If you let yourself down by becoming listless due to stress, anxiety and depression can totally consume your whole mental well-being. Studies have shown that being active can alleviate symptoms of fatigue, improve alertness and concentration, and enhance cognitive function. This can be especially important when stress has depleted all your energy or your ability to cope. Staying active can boost your feel-good hormones and enhance your overall physical as well as mental well-being. It can take your mind off from daily worries so you’ll be free of negative thoughts that may trigger anxiety and depressive attacks. Engage yourself in exercise to cope in a healthily.
Eat well-balanced meals and drink well. Just as what it can do to our bodies, a healthy diet can also do to our minds. What we eat influences our overall health but most especially our mental health. Research studies have indicated an association between the risk of depression and the food that one consumes, specifically a diet that includes high amounts of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, essential oils, and low-fat dairy, with low intakes of animal-based foods.Eating nutritiously lets you handle stress more effectively. Don’t skip meals as it can make stress-related symptoms worse. Use your mealtime to relax and reflect on positive things. If you can’t avoid it, limit your caffeine intake as it causes you to feel more stressed out, making stressful situations more intense, and if you drink because you’re very stressed and can’t avoid it, limit yourself to 2 bottles.
You might find it difficult to concentrate when you aren’t well-rested and you don’t have adequate sleep. Research demonstrates that when a person lacks sleep, he or she becomes more emotionally reactive, impulsive, and sensitive to negativity, resulting in stress. Our bodies need time to recover from stressful events, so rest and sleep are an important part of stress management. It calms your minds and restores psychological coping mechanisms. You become a better person with improved concentration and mood, as well as with better judgment and decision-making strategies. When you lack sleep, your energy becomes depleted and your mental clarity fades Contrary when you get enough sleep, you are a better problem solver with better coping abilities. More on rest and sleep (What Athletes Need to Know About Sleep).
Try to identify and eliminate your stressors. Knowing your stressors can help you find effective ways to cope with them and avoid their effects. Even if it’s causing you intolerable psychological distress, it is critical to face it. Take control of it and your responses because, in the end, it’s always how you perceived stress that makes the impact. You may not be able to eliminate it totally but you can try to mellow it…
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