It’s More than Nerves

Social anxiety is more than occasional nerves and self-consciousness. It’s a constant and intense fear of interacting with other people, and being judged negatively or being embarrassed in public. It’s often accompanied by physical symptoms such as excessive sweating, trembling, muscle twitching, and a racing heartbeat.

People with social anxiety can agonize over upcoming social events for weeks or months. Sometimes, they will even go out of their way to avoid social situations to the point that it negatively impacts their everyday lives.

Steps to Overcome Social Anxiety

 Step 1: Identify Your Triggers

People have different triggers; knowing what triggers your social anxiety helps you to react more favorably to these situations.

Consider keeping a journal of situations that make you feel anxious so you can easily pinpoint common patterns. Take note of the people, places, and specific situations that you tend to avoid, such as get-togethers, parties, or phone calls. Give each situation a rating from 1 to 3, with 1 being scary and 3 being absolutely terrifying.

Step 2: Face Your Fears

Facing your fears is probably the last thing you want to hear, but science says it’s the best solution.

Start with the least scary situations on your list, the ones with the lowest rating, and work your way up. If a situation seems too daunting to accomplish at once, break it down into smaller goals. For example, if your goal is to be more social with your colleagues, you can start with simply saying hi, and then work your way up to going out to lunch with a group of coworkers.

Also, pick a motivational quote, a bible verse, or a song that you can use to pump yourself up when facing scary situations. It can be as simple as “I can do this”, or as elaborate as you like, as long as it inspires inner confidence.

Step 3: Adopt a Healthier, Anti-Anxiety Lifestyle

Simple lifestyle changes like reducing caffeine, sugar, and alcohol intake, staying active, quitting smoking, and getting enough sleep can help you feel much calmer.

In addition, consuming more omega-3 fats can improve your mood and give you the mental fortitude to handle scary situations.

Step 4: Seek Treatment

If the above three steps don’t make a significant difference in your anxiety levels, seek treatment. There are two main treatment methods for social anxiety: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication.

CBT can give you tools to challenge negative thought patterns and control the physical symptoms of anxiety, and help you improve your social skills.

Medication, on the other hand, can reduce the physical and emotional symptoms of social anxiety so that facing your fears seems less scary. Medication works best when combined with the other methods because it’s not a permanent solution.

If you deal with social anxiety, you can decrease the severity of the symptoms by experimenting with some of the tips in this post. Decide what you can do today to try and make your life less anxious and more enjoyable, but remember to start small and work your way up. You deserve a happy, fulfilling life, so do your best not to let social anxiety bully you.

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You probably already know that a messy, disorganized home can make it very difficult to relax and unwind. What may surprise you, though, is that a clean and organized home can be just as stressful if you make the wrong design choices. However, most design mistakes are easy to fix.

First Things First

Your design choices won’t matter if your home is cluttered, so the first thing you need to do is get rid of the clutter. This is easier said than done because a messy home has a way of draining your energy and making you feel defeated before you even start.

The easiest way to begin organizing your home is to stop putting things down and start putting them away instead! Everything in your home should have its “proper place.” It probably won’t take more than a couple of extra minutes to put things away, and within no time at all you’ll see a HUGE difference.

Secondly, make a routine for your chores. It can be as simple as doing laundry on Tuesdays and Fridays, and deep cleaning on Sunday afternoons. Once you get into the habit of doing this, you no longer have to think about it.

Knick Knacks

Filling every inch of your home with knick-knacks can make your home feel cluttered, even if everything is in its proper place. Think about it, a few extra pillows on the couch can feel cozy, but…if you overdo it, you’ll constantly have to arrange them or pick them up off the floor.

A better way is to only display items that make you happy or you really love; learn to love empty space.

Prints

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about design for a few seconds. Having too many prints/pictures in your home can make it difficult to create a pleasing thematic design. However, you can successfully mix multiple prints if you follow the 60-30-10 rule. The dominant print should take up 60% of the home décor, the secondary print, 30% and the accent print only 10%.

Smells

Life stinks! Toddlers, pets, and messy teenagers can leave your home smelling more like a frat house full of sweaty athletes rather than the soothing oasis you’d hoped for. Although you might get used to the smell(s), this doesn’t mean they’re not stressing you out on some level.

Fresh flowers, scented candles, and essential oils are all easy ways to get rid of bad smells, even those that you no longer notice. It’s a lot easier to unwind in a room that smells like fresh lavender than one that smells like dirty socks.

Lighting

A badly lit home is stressful. Natural light has a way of making you feel happier and boosting your energy. So if your home has windows, use them! However, if your home is not as well-lit as you would like, invest in a couple of nice lamps.

Colors

You might be drawn to bright colors like yellow and red, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best colors for your home. It’s much easier to unwind in a blue or white room than a red or yellow one. There’s also scientific evidence that calming colors can reduce your blood pressure and make you feel sleepy.

We all want a relaxing home where we can unwind after a long day. With the above tips, you can change a stressful home into one that brightens your mood and replenishes your energy.

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Aromatherapy, derived from the French word “aromatherapie”, is the use of fragrant essential oils extracted from plants to promote physical and psychological health and wellness.

The most commonly used oils are lavender, lemon, peppermint, and tea tree, but there are about 150 essential oils in total.

The healing properties of essential oils have been studied since the 11^th century. Science has shown over and over again that aromatic essential oils can relieve stress, improve memory, sleep, and energy levels.

Stress Relief

When you inhale air that is infused with essential oils, your nose sends a message through your nervous system to the part of your brain where emotions are processed. This triggers the release of “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin in your brain. These chemicals help you feel more relaxed.

Some experts also believe that putting essential oils in your bath or massaging them into your skin relaxes your muscles and joints. Some of the best oils for stress relief are basil, lavender, frankincense, rose, and chamomile oil.

Better Sleep

If you are suffering from insomnia and looking for something to help you sleep like a baby, aromatherapy might just be the thing for you. Essential oils like lavender, bergamot, and chamomile calm your nervous system so that you can sleep better.

No More Colds

Aromatherapy strengthens your immune system and keeps colds at bay. If you already have a cold, essential oils can relieve your symptoms and support the recovery process.

The best essential oils for strengthening your immune system include clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, and rosemary. Clove oil, for instance, has strong antibacterial and antiviral properties, whereas eucalyptus stimulates antibodies to help fight infections.

Aromatherapy At Home

You don’t have to go to an expensive spa and pay an arm and a leg for aromatherapy. You can do it at home.

All you need to get started is essential oils. The most versatile ones are lavender, clove, lemon, rosemary, eucalyptus, tea tree, sandalwood, peppermint, and eucalyptus oil. Just pick one or two to get started, and you are good to go!

The easiest way to get started is by adding the oils to your bath. But if you are more of a shower person, just add a few drops to your shower gel. If all you want to do is smell the essential oils, spring for a scent diffuser.

Consider giving aromatherapy a try and start smelling your way to better health with essential oils this week!

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There has been a lot of scientific research in this area, and most of it shows that massage therapy is effective for back pain, tight muscles, compressed nerves, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and depression. It also has beneficial effects on certain symptoms associated with cancer, arthritis, and high blood pressure.

How Exactly Does Massage Therapy Work?

• Improved circulation

Massage improves blood circulation, enhancing the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the cells and the removal of waste products. This is good news for anyone who suffers from arthritis or edema – accumulation of fluid in body tissues.

• Physical relaxation

Massage relaxes muscle tissue, which can relieve muscle pain, decrease nerve compression, increase the range of motion of joints, improve performance during exercise, and reduce the likelihood of injury. It is beneficial for anyone who suffers from carpal tunnel or sciatica, as well as athletes and people who exercise regularly.

The relaxing effect of massage therapy also helps to reduce blood pressure and lower the heart rate. A 45-60 minute massage can reduce average blood pressure by 10 mg Hg and lower heart rate by 10 beats per minute. All this can be achieved in just one massage session!

• Better Mental Health

Massage therapy can reduce the symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety, according to the American Psychology Association. A massage produces a significant increase in the neurotransmitters that reduce anxiety, as well as a decrease in hormones associated with lower anxiety. This helps you to feel less stressed.

• Better Sleep

Good quality sleep is essential to your health and well-being. In fact, insufficient sleep causes obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression.

A massage can help you sleep better, which is great news for anyone who suffers from insomnia or any other health condition that affects their sleep.

• Stronger Immune System

A 45-minute massage produces a significant increase in white blood cells, which play a huge role in defending the body from diseases. It also reduces the level of cytokines, which are associated with inflammation. Reduced inflammation can be beneficial if you suffer from asthma or cardiovascular disease.

Massages are generally safe as long as they are performed by a trained medical professional. However, they should not be used in place of conventional health care.

If you have a medical condition and you’d like to try massage therapy, talk to your health care provider. This way, your physician has a full picture of what you’re doing to manage your health.

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However, stress isn’t always a bad thing. Positive stress kicks your body into high gear by flooding your body with hormones, elevating your heart rate, and boosting your energy as a way of preparing you to deal with the problem.

Good stress only turns into bad stress when you face continuous challenges without relief, thereby becoming chronic stress.

When stress-related tension builds up in your body, it leads to physical health problems such as headaches, stomach upsets, high blood pressure, and asthma, as well as mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Reducing your stress levels is an important part of being healthy. But it isn’t always easy to do, especially when each day brings a new set of challenges and stress!

Social Relationships

Strong social relationships are a stress buffer. They act as a protective layer and create psychological distance between you and the source of your stress.

Emotional support fills you with a strong sense of self-acceptance, which makes it easier for you to deal with challenges. Friends and family may also offer material and informational support in the form of new ideas and advice. Both kinds of support are invaluable when you’re having a tough time.

Spirituality and Faith

Psychologists agree that spirituality and faith make coping with stress much easier. This is mainly because believers have a Higher Power to lean on and view stress as short-term and external.

Studies have also shown that spiritual practices such as prayer activate the relaxation center of the brain. This gives you a sense of control, which sustains you through stressful events.

Motivation

Stress and discouragement chip away at your motivation and leave you feeling defenseless against life’s challenges. This makes even the smallest problems seem insurmountable.

One way to stay motivated and be less stressed in the face of huge challenges is to break them down into smaller, incremental goals. This can help reignite your excitement about the project.

Limits

It’s not easy to admit to yourself that you have limits. It’s even harder to “say no” to commitments or ask for help. However, all these things are an important part of keeping stress at a manageable level.

If you have trouble knowing your limits, start using a daily planner or calendar. With time, it will get easier to recognize when you need to say “no” to new requests or ask for help.

Stress can snowball easily, and before you know it, you’re constantly on edge and can’t complete tasks efficiently. However, with strong social relationships, spirituality and faith, and reasonable goals and limits, you can take back control of your life.

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Science has also proven that music has many beneficial physiological effects including slowing down the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and reducing the level of stress hormones in the body.

How does it Work?

Music releases “feel good” chemicals and hormones into your body making you feel better almost instantly. The two most important mood enhancing chemicals that are released when you listen to calming music are dopamine and endorphins.

Endorphins give you a sense of pleasure, euphoria, calm and security. Additionally, scientists have discovered that endorphins also act as a pain blocker. They stop pain receptors from transmitting “pain” messages to the rest of the body – just like morphine.

Dopamine is another feel good chemical that increases pleasure receptors. It is released when you do something rewarding like eating, sleeping and, of course, listening to relaxing music. It also pushes you to seek activities that make you feel good.

In addition to endorphins and dopamine, music affects the levels of immunoglobulin A and cortisol in your body.

Immunoglobulin A attacks viruses and other disease-causing agents in the body. By increasing the level of immunoglobulin A in the body, music strengthens your immune system.

Cortisol, on the other hand, is a stress hormone. High levels of cortisol can cause cravings, insulin resistance and high blood pressure. Relaxing music lowers cortisol levels and eases stress and anxiety.

Not All Music!

While music preferences vary widely from one person to the next, not all music is good for reducing stress. Slow and calm music, like classical music, is much better for stress relief than fast, high tempo music.

Your body responds to the rhythm and beat of the music. This is why fast, loud music amps you up and makes your heart race, whereas gentle music decreases your heart rate.

The familiarity of the music also makes a huge difference in how your body reacts. Familiar music produces a sense of comfort and centeredness whereas new music can be unsettling and irritating.

If classical music is not your cup of tea, try listening to the sounds of nature. The sound of water, trees and birds chirping conjures up calming thoughts, like a mountain stream on a warm spring day.

Music has the potential to influence your psychology and physiology, which is extremely useful in stress management. It taps into your emotions and memories, and can either distract you from them or help you to explore them more deeply, depending on your needs. Either way, use music to calm your mind and soothe your soul when feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

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Chronic stress can wreak havoc and cause harmful disruptions to our health and well-being. It can make us vulnerable to disease, drain joy from our lives, and throw our metabolic systems into disarray, from the immune system to blood sugar and the cardiovascular system.  

In fact, the damaging effects of long-term stress are so pervasive that researchers have been unable to produce an exhaustive list of everything that stress can cause to go wrong in the human body. This means that stress can trigger symptoms that physicians might be unaware of or know are stress-related.  

In addition, medical research estimates as much as 90 percent of illnesses and diseases are stress-related.

What Is Stress?

Stress can be anything from aggravating things that go wrong during the day to losing a job. 

Anything that interrupts your daily routine or nightly sleep can have a cumulative effect on the body and brain. 

Bad things happen to the brain when a person is overly stressed for a long time without relief. Consider this:

“Chronic stress and prolonged exposure to cortisol also increase the production of glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in mood regulation, cognition, and memory functions. Excessive glutamate, however, can contribute to the damage or death of brain cells.”

Hormones

Powerful hormones are released during stressful situations or events. These include corticosteroids, cortisol, and others released from the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. 

These hormones are released in ways that drive the body to respond appropriately during stress and then bring the body back to a normal state.

When these hormones continue to run rampant throughout the body of a person who is dealing with ongoing chronic stress, they cause mental and physical health issues.  

Life Events That Trigger Stress

Certain life events cause stress in all people. Some of these include the death of a spouse, divorce, jail time, change in financial situation, sexual difficulty, pregnancy, mortgage, change in residence, change in church activities, going back to school, change in sleep habits, vacation, and minor violations of the law. 

Just about any significant change in one’s situation or circumstances – positive or negative – is perceived as stress by the body.

Symptoms of Stress

Stress-related physical illness can include backaches, insomnia, cancer, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, absence of menstruation, changes in sexuality, sexual dysfunction, headaches, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, colds, infection, dermatology changes, and emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.

Eliminating Stress

It’s impossible to eliminate all stress from your life, and even if you could, you wouldn’t want to because stress, when “used” appropriately, has an important function.  

However, we can reduce some of its harmful effects and hormonal responses by implementing stress reduction techniques. 

Stress-Reducing Strategies

Most people find these strategies helpful: following a balanced diet, regular exercise, and 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

Other effective techniques include deep breathing, prayer, meditation, memorizing scripture and reading Bible promises, staying present and not dwelling on the past or the future, or becoming overwhelmed by everything that has to be done, focusing on one thing at a time instead, and spending time with trusted friends and loved ones. 

You’ve Got This!

While it’s true that life gets increasingly stressful every day and chronic stress damages one’s health, you can control the damage. 

Using stress reduction techniques and getting emotional support disrupts stress’s disruptive influence in your life. 

Consistency is king. By consistently managing your stress levels, you will reduce any long-term effects on your health and, as a bonus, unlock your best life! 

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According to Christina Smith, LMHC, “Avoidance is a maladaptive coping skill that offers the mind an escape from uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and/or experiences. It may seem like avoiding discomfort could be helpful, however, it results in never addressing the actual issue. In fact, avoidance may create a cycle of behavior that exacerbates feelings of anxiety and depression, making it much harder to problem solve, cope, and heal.”

When our dreams start to crumble and our plans fall through, and we feel overwhelmed and stressed, facing the situation and dealing with the problem reduces stress and eventually makes things better.

Avoiding or escaping from a situation increases our risk of developing emotional and physical problems due to increased anxiety and stress. 

The Body’s Response to Stress

The body releases hormones, such as adrenaline and norepinephrine, into the bloodstream when it feels endangered, which helps in emergency situations when we must act fast to protect ourselves. 

Unfortunately, ongoing stress in our relationships, jobs, and finances, or when our plans fall through, can cause adverse physical reactions, resulting in emotional issues and illnesses.

Ongoing feelings of anxiety, worry, and fear cause some people to experience back pain, depression, fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, insomnia, problems with relationships, weight gain or loss, and upset stomach.

Healthcare professionals recommend eating a healthy diet, exercising, and sleeping seven to eight hours nightly to help the body manage stress and reduce the long-term effects of chronic stress.

But what else can we do?

Here are some tips for coping with stress when your plans fall through or your life starts feeling overwhelming.

Be Aware and Acknowledge When You Feel Stressed

Try not to ignore the symptoms that come with feeling stressed. You have to be aware of a situation before you can do something about it. 

Some people clench their fists or feel muscle tension in their necks when feeling anxious or stressed. Others get short-tempered and snap at people; some lose their appetites or binge on their favorite comfort foods; others will notice their breathing is shallow. 

The body responds to stress physically and emotionally. 

What are some ways you react to stress?

Next time you feel stressed, anxious, or worried, become more aware of your reactions and acknowledge your feelings, whether you feel stressed, anxious, or worried, or all three. 

Once you become aware and acknowledge your feelings and physical reactions, you can cope with the situation by taking necessary action.

Identify The Source

Dig deep by asking, “Why am I feeling stressed, anxious, or worried?” 

Ask the question more than once to get to the underlying root cause. You might have to ask the question six or seven times to identify the true source.

Once you know the reason(s) for your feelings, it’s time to do something about the situation. 

Sometimes you can remove the event, person, or place from your life. 

Often you can’t.

So you must create an action plan to respond to the stressful person, place, or event.

The first place to start is by adopting a more flexible attitude.

For example, how does getting stressed and upset make things better if the weather ruins your plans for a family picnic at the park? You can’t control the weather. Next time have a backup plan in case it rains.

As a rule, although it isn’t easy, please try not to stress over things you cannot control. Respond and adapt as best you can. Have a positive outlook and search for the silver lining and opportunities. What more can you do? 

Another source of stress is important meetings and job interviews. The best way to handle those situations is to prepare as best you can. You can write questions in advance and practice asking them or role-play with trusted friends. Preparation reduces stress (it doesn’t eliminate it). Dress your best; be on top of your game. Walk into the situation with your best version of yourself.

Change Your Perspective

One of the best ways to reduce stress when your dreams start unraveling or your plans fall through is to change how you see things. 

You can view the situation as an overwhelming obstacle that floods your soul with stress and defeats you, or you may see it as a challenge or opportunity to become better or improve your life. You might even be able to reframe the situation from being a dreaded problem into an exciting adventure that brings out the best in you. 

Other Stress-Reducing Strategies

Some other things you can do to cope with feelings of worry and stress include: talking with a trusted friend or counselor, setting realistic goals and breaking them down into manageable daily or weekly tasks, and enjoying activities that bring you peace, like certain recreational activities, hobbies, or participating in a faith community.

Roger Crawford said, “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.”

Don’t let stress, worry, or anxiety ruin your life.

By practicing these stress-coping tips, you’ll be healthier and happier, have a better outlook on life, and make steady progress on unlocking your best life. 

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Although exercise is proven to change our body, mind, attitude, and mood, how many people get physical activity regularly? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 46.9 percent of adults aged 18 years and over meet the guidelines for aerobic physical activity, and 24.2% meet the guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity. 

If you love working out and going to the gym, keep going. But if you’re someone who doesn’t fancy adhering to an exercise program, here are six enjoyable hobbies that will add more physical activity to your life. 

Cycling 

Cycling is relaxing and fun!

You don’t have to ride a hundred miles in a pack of sweaty people wearing flimsy spandex or train like you’re competing for the next Tour De France.

You can take a nice ride along the beach on a cruiser, invest in a Peloton to enjoy group classes with people from around the world, enjoy the thrill of a downhill race on a mountain bike, or take a bike cross country; it doesn’t really matter. There are so many ways to enjoy cycling, and each offers health benefits, social interaction in a community of like-minded enthusiasts, and a fun way to exercise your body.

Dance 

Dancing is fun and can burn over 300 calories an hour. You can take a class, attend an event like salsa night, or go to a concert and enjoy yourself. You can even find dance-themed workouts online. And if you’re a little shy, play some music and dance in the privacy of your own home!

A study for Complementary Therapies In Medicine found that exercise is as good as drug interventions for reducing the risk of overall mortality. In addition, they found that dance was a more enjoyable, easier-to-maintain, form of exercise that helps people to lose weight, improve flexibility, gain muscle tone, improve cardiovascular health, and convey social/emotional benefits.

Running

Okay, I know, running sounds an awful lot like exercise, but the great news is that you can run just about anywhere. All you need is a pair of good running shoes and the will to take a run! Easy! And running is a great way to explore new places. Running has meditative aspects to it, too, because of breath awareness, gait, and fresh air that soothes your nervous system, all of which, when combined, ground you in the present, enriching the moment and your life as a whole. 

Couples Yoga 

Full-body stretching is good for you, and it’s relaxing. There are even postures you can try with a partner that would be impossible alone. Not to mention the social aspect that enhances relationships, which is another essential pillar of good health.

Birding

Immersing yourself in nature relaxes the mind, body, and soul. And birding is a great way to do just that. Plus, the benefits multiply when you add to that immersive experience the mindful awareness of another species. According to some estimates, there are about forty-five million bird watchers in the United States. One of the reasons people enjoy bird watching is because it feels like a kind of treasure hunt, and who doesn’t love treasure hunts?

Swimming

Swimming covers all the bases: it’s challenging and intense, has many variations, is low impact, and immerses you in one of nature’s most fundamental elements. Besides, something is soothing about being in the water. 

The Takeaway

When they were kids, most people didn’t exercise; they played. So, making play out of physical activity makes it more enjoyable and less likely that they will quit. 

It doesn’t matter what you choose to do; what’s important is that you keep moving. So, consider using these six hobbies for physical health as a springboard to explore your own ideas. 

Let your life be an incredible adventure, and may you make it a fun and exciting one. 

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