20+ Tips to Fight Stress & Anxiety

COVID19 has affected all of us in one way or another. Whether it is a job uncertainties, health worries, or simply the fear of the unknown, the stress from all of it can be overwhelming. According to the American Institute of Stress, 83% of US workers suffer from work-related stress and nearly 55% of Americans stress during the day. While it's impossible to eliminate stress, coping and managing it effectively is possible.

Before I go over these tips, I want to take it a step further and split them into 2 main categories: tips that are helpful immediately and tips that are helpful over the long-term.

"Effective-Now" tips:

• Disconnect: Turn the phone off, or stay away from the internet, electronics, TV, news etc. Simply disconnect from the digital world.
• Wash your face or take a shower: If you are at work, take a couple of minutes and wash your face with fresh cold water. At home, take a nice shower (cold one if you can tolerate it), but warm showers are just as good. 
• Have a seat: Find somewhere quiet and sit down for few minutes. Loosen up tight clothing if possible.
• Take a deep breath: Start practicing deep breathing techniques. Sit down with your back supported and shoulders relaxed. (You can also do this laying down in your bed). Take a deep breath through your nose and feel your lungs fill up with air. You should feel more rise in your belly than your chest. Breath in slowly through your nose, hold air in your longs for a few seconds (3-4 seconds) then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat for 5-10 minutes.
• Read a book or a magazine: Occupy your mind with something that is completely different from what is stressing you. Look at a magazine or read a book. You can also read a newspaper, but if the current world affairs are among your concerns, then disregard the newspaper suggestion.
• Listen to music: Music has been proven effective in helping reduce stress, engage positive thoughts, and help elevate the mood. According to Researchers at Stanford University "listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication." Choose a relaxing genre with slow to moderate tempo. Here is an example.
• Meditate: Meditation, Yoga and Tai-Chi are all excellent options to explore and have proven effective in helping to cope with stress and anxiety.
• Drink herbal tea: Herbal teas are great for the body and soul. They are full of antioxidants and vitamins that can help fight off disease and infections, protect against oxidative stress, and boost the immune system. There are countless flavors of healthy herbal teas out there. Here are some of the most popular ones: Chamomile, Peppermint, Ginger, Hibiscus and Echinacea to name few.
• Go for a walk or short jog: If you are at work take a short 2-3 minutes walk, go outside for fresh air if possible. If time constraints are not an issue, then go for a 20-30 minute walk or short jog.
• Socialize: Pick up the phone and call a loved one or a friend, or better yet, get together with your loved ones. If getting together is not feasible, then consider connecting virtually through facetime or zoom.
• Take a nap: Taking a short nap (10-20 minutes) has been proven to bring on great benefits like improved alertness, restored energy and feeling rejuvenated. 
• Stretch often: When you are stressed, your muscles tense up. Stretching can help relax these muscles and brings on a good relief physically as well as emotionally. Try these simple stretches for fast stress relief.

"Effective Over the Long-Term" tips:

• Keep a positive attitude: Oprah Winfrey once said "The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude". Life will always bring on challenges. There will be situations where you simply can not control the outcome. Learn to accept what you can not control and work with what you can do. Also, remember that there is always "tomorrow" and with that comes a fresh new start.
• Exercise: Studies have shown over and over that exercise is one of the best ways to help fight stress, anxiety and even depression. A simple 30-minute walk can have amazing affects. Don't forget your muscles. Whether you like going to the gym and lifting weights, or prefer to exercise at home with resistance bands, taking care of your muscles is an ageless trait that you can benefit from. Check out these simple-to-follow exercise suggestions.
• Lose Weight: According to a 2018 CDC report on Obesity in the United States, over 42% of the US is suffering from Obesity. Being overweight can trigger other medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart diseases. All of which can not help with managing stress. So if you are trying to lose weight, it is a great way to also help reduce stress.
• Eat a healthy balanced diet: This area goes hand in hand with Exercising and Losing Weight. The benefits of a healthy diet also include: reduce high cholesterol, fight off diabetes, lower blood pressure, increase energy and feeling better. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, include fiber and grains, healthy unprocessed sources of protein like seafood, legumes and beans, stay away from processed food and sugary drinks, and hydrate often. Here are 15 Sure-Fire Steps to help you eat healthy and lose weight
• Indulge sensibly: Who among us does not like a reward? Especially if you have been working hard on something. For example, a little sweet indulgence can actually go along way in satisfying your craving and help you stay on track. Just remember to indulge responsibly. Over-indulged? who doesn't? Then go back to the first tip on the long-term list (Positive Attitude). Get back on track and start fresh the following day.
• Start a hobby: If you have a hobby you are passionate about, then you will know exactly what I mean with this. Hobbies help you relax! If you don't have one, or not sure which one best suits you, then make a list of potential hobbies that may interest you and start going through it.
• Keep a log: Feeling productive gives a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Keeping a log or a diary can help you organize your thoughts, memorize your to-do lists and important dates and help you overall feel more positive about your day. Check out these log examples to get your started.
• Get Spiritual: Not everyone may agree on this one, but If you are the religious or spiritual type, then believing in higher power can relieve the stress by knowing that someone else is in control. Reading holy and spiritual books, praying, going to religious services and meeting with other like-minded people all can help with fighting stress.
• Volunteer: Helen Keller once said “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Ask anyone who volunteers their time in helping others and they will tell you that there is a unique joy that comes from helping another human being. There are great organizations around that can use a helping hand. If you are at work, check with your HR for a recommended organization or look for a local one and start lending a hand.
• Don't forget your Zzzzz: Sleep is the body's natural way to reset and recover at the end of every day. Benefits of a good night sleep include rebuilding muscles, reducing inflammation, lowering stress, boosting energy, sharpening memory, improving mood and helping keep weight at a healthy level. A 2010 Study shows people who were well rested lost more fat than those who were sleep deprived.

Finally, remember, everything will be OK!

I hope you find this blog helpful. Feel free to share it and ​Remember, everything will be ok!

Stronger Together,
​Rami