Feeling Summer Blues? How to Manage Your Anxiety

Feeling the blues this summer? While everyone is going on vacations and having the “best summer of their lives,” you may think that it’s not right that you are feeling extreme sadness and loneliness. First off, let us tell you that you are not alone. So many people are going through anxious thoughts, no matter what the season is. Be honest with yourself and ask these questions: Are you currently experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression? Do you find yourself listless and demotivated throughout the day? Do you find it difficult to get up from your bed and do the tasks that you have to tick off from your priority list? Are you constantly feeling tired, helpless and clueless how you can solve your problems? Do you not feel any excitement anymore and your days filled with spiraling negative thoughts? Do you feel nausea, stomachaches, and headaches? Are you entertaining intrusive thoughts? Have you considered hurting yourself because you just want the emotional torture and mental gymnastics to stop? If you are finding it hard to continue with your life normally and happily, then you might be experiencing anxiety and/or depression. Sadly, not everyone has the access to a proper healthcare practitioner or mental health professional. They resort to searching online for ways that can help them combat these feelings of extreme sadness and anxiety. First off, if you are one of these people, you have to tap yourself on the back for bravely searching for ways on how to cope what you are currently going through right now. While a mental health professional is who can help you best, there are many ways on how you can practice self-care so that you can have better and happier days. Or just the peace of mind that you have been trying to search for the longest time. Here are some tips:

1. Talk it out.

You will always have people who love and support you no matter what. There is a tendency to isolate oneself when feeling these kind of thoughts but for you to get better, it will help if you can talk with someone you trust and let your feelings out. Be as vulnerable as you can at the moment. Allow yourself to feel loved and that even if your friend may not completely understand what you are going through, receive the support that they are so willing to give to you.

2. Take deep breaths.

Do not ever underestimate the power of breathing. It can give you instant relief especially when you are about to have a panic attack. You literally have to tell yourself to calm down and take deep and slow breaths. You can inhale for three seconds and exhale slowly for six seconds. While at it, why not allot 3 to 5 minutes for some meditation? This will help clear your mind and the more you practice it, the more you will be able to get a hang of the proper technique.

3. Exercise.

It may be hard for you to get up, so much so to exercise. But it doesn’t really have to be an intense workout. Why not start with a 5 to 10 minute stretching session so that you can inject movement into your everyday life. Exercises produces endorphins or oxytocin that will give out good hormones and make you feel good right afterwards. Having a workout buddy can help you be consistent with exercise.

4. Declutter and organize your items.

It’s therapeutic to clean and it helps that cleaning is sort of physically letting go of your baggages. Clean your room and the whole house if you want. You have time in your hands so go hardcore with it. You can do it step by step so you won’t feel overwhelmed. For the items that you will keep, you can pile them in a neat and organized fashion. Install smart storage solutions. For instance, in your garage, you can make use of overhead storage racks and wall shelves, to maximize floor space. FlexiMounts has great options to choose from that will help make the items you keep in the garage accessible.

5. Walk outside.

Take a breather and walk around nature. Go to the park and breathe some fresh air. Nature can do wonders for your mental health which brings us to our next point.

6. Have indoor plants.

Plants can uplift your mood. Numerous studies prove that having plants at home help stabilize the mental health of those suffering from anxious thoughts.

7. Sign up for an emotional support animal.

Animals can provide you companionship when you are feeling down or low. They can ease symptoms of anxiety, depression. It’s important to note that they are not service dogs. You can register your pet as such or buy one that is already categorized as an emotional support animal.

8. Pick up a new hobby.

It will help if you are dedicating time for something that gives you joy. You may be hyperfocused on your stressors that you do not allow yourself time for activities that will make you happy. Power through negative thoughts and slowly pick up a new hobby. Maybe you can dedicate at least 30 minutes of your day for something that you are interested in. Slowly incorporate it in your daily schedule until it becomes second nature for you to do it regularly.

9. Journal.

If you need clarity, pick up a notebook and write down your thoughts. Be honest as much as possible to yourself so that you will be able to see your situation a lot more clearly. You can also focus on positive thoughts by writing down things that you are most grateful for and things that used to excite you. There are many writing prompts you can follow to help you cope through feelings of sadness and anxiety.

10. Talk to a mental health professional.

Of course, it will help if you can talk to a professional psychiatrist or psychologist. They will be able to diagnose your condition and prescribe medicines or activities that you can do to cope and manage your anxiety and/or depression.