5 Things Making Your Anxiety Worse
Anxiety is one of the biggest & most common mental health challenges so many of us face, yet so many of us find it difficult to find lasting solutions.
What are five things that could be making your anxiety worse?
1.Chaotic living environment
Whether it’s the physical stuff around you or the people you’re living with (or both!), our surroundings greatly affect the state of our mental health. Especially for South Asians who live in joint families, more people around also means more stuff!
Decluttering can do wonders for this, even if it’s just one area in your space, where you can go when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Having an area in your living space where you can go to be alone can also really help. Of course, this is not possible for many of us, so another suggestion is to look inwards. Closing the eyes and visualising the environment you want to be in has proven calming effects on our nervous system.
2. Loneliness
Post-covid, this is still a big one. Even when we’re surrounded by people, it doesn’t always lift the feelings of isolation. Only real social & internal connections can help.
Best way to do this? Sangha or community. Join anything that interests you, put yourself out there, and as scary as that may seem, it can really pay off when you meet someone u really connect with. Sadhana or a consistent personal practice will also help build the internal connection with your true self, getting to the root of your loneliness in the first place.
3. No time for yourself
For so many us, having time to take care of ourselves is a dream.
Unfortunately, unless we actively carve out time for ourselves, to explore what kind of things help ground us, we will never be able to get on top of the anxiety.
4. No money for ourselves
Another big one for a lot of us with the ever increasing cost of living is not having anything left over to spend on ourselves.
Look for free resources and ethical businesses with a sliding scale. You might also be able to find free community yoga classes in your area, such as what Umbrella Yoga CIC offer as part of their outreach program.
5. No work-life balance
As a society, so many of us are overworked & underpaid. Anxiety is almost natural in this case. Especially for us busy moms who are trying to tackle it all.
Ask your workplace for corporate yoga. Or try & find one grounding activity you can incorporate into your commute or work day, such as some some activated breathing or a few chair yoga stretches.
Yoga can help with so much if you’re struggling with anxiety and are looking for relief. If this is you, do any of these reasons resonate as things that make it worse? Let me know in the comments section below!