5 Daily Rituals To Help With Depression and Anxiety
There is alot going on in our lives. We can get worn down by it all and feel exhausted as a result. This article will talk about how to incorporate daily rituals to help reduce the impacts that anxiety and depression can have on our lives. We can get caught up in only taking breaks when we are allotted a vacation or a holiday. This however is not sustainable over a long period of time. Keep reading to explore more into what might help with motivation levels to be able to still show up in everyday life with more ease.
1.) Start your day off the phone
What is one of the first things that you reach for in the morning? If you say your phone you are not alone. Our phones are a huge part of our lives. They can also contribute greatly to our mental health problems. If you find yourself scrolling once your alarm goes off in the morning it might be time to look into another way to start your day. If you feel the urge to reach for your phone one strategy that you can use to combat doom scrolling is by opening a music app. Once you have a music app open to playing your favorite songs you can put the phone down and start getting ready for the day off social media.
2.) How are you moving your body?
A lot of jobs today can be sedentary in nature and impact health. Do you try to incorporate exercise into your week? Even just going on a walk outside can be a great way to start incorporating that. When we move our body we release endorphins and dopamine which are natural chemicals that help us to feel better. If you want to incorporate more exercise into your life, start off with small steps. Don't try to tackle a vigorous workout when starting out because it could cause more strain on your body. Small incremental changes can also help combat overwhelming feelings when thinking about making a change.
3.) Incorporate one hobby or fun activity everyday
Do you save fun activities for one or two days out of the week? That can make the week feel like it is dragging on. What are some of the things that you value and want to look into getting into? Dedicating a small amount of time to enjoyable activities everyday can make a difference in our moods. The activity can be just as simple as writing down what you are grateful for at the end of the day. When we have a ritual that is outside of work or other duties we create more positive meaning into the everyday.
4.) Take a mini in between break
When you have a busy schedule it can be hard to think about yourself or attune to your body. When you have a moment to yourself how are you filling that time? It might be helpful to engage in deep breathing techniques. One deep breathing technique that is helpful is the square breathing technique. Inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for four seconds, and releasing breath for about 6 seconds. When we get busy we forget just how tense we are at times and doing deep breathing exercise can help be a release.
5.) Limit usage of mind altering substances
When we feel anxious or depressed we will try to use whatever we can to feel better sometimes. The very thing that we use to cope and feel better could feed more into our symptoms over time however. Cutting back on substances and replacing that with healthier options can be a hard change but can make a big difference.
Did you like this list? Another way to engage in a ritual to take care of yourself and your health is by getting treatment for your symptoms. Here at Inward Counseling we see individuals and couples that struggle with anxiety and depression symptoms. Please reach out to us to see if we can help.