Top Ten Tuesday: Ways to Manage Stress and Anxiety

March 17, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme originated by The Broke and the Bookish now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is: [Spring 2020 TBR]

Confession: I had already drafted my Spring TBR Top Ten Tuesday post. But when I was halfway done with this week’s themed post, I realized that this isn’t what I wanted to write about. I wanted to write about something NOT bookish. I wanted to be a part of the solution.

Confession: I haven’t really been able to focus on reading, let alone blogging, for the last 5 days. As news of COVID-19 spreads and I find more and more data (I <3 statistics) from reliable sources, the worse my focus gets. Part of it is anxiety. Part of it is stress. Part of it is fear. I know I’m lucky; I am prepared to weather this storm. I have the capability of working full-time remote from home. I also live on a freaking farm. We own 8 acres, so we are unlikely to run into other people and we definitely have plenty of food.

Mostly, I’m worried about the world. I won’t exhaust all the reasons why, but I am worried about what this will do to our communities. So many people are in much worse shape than I am, and our economy is taking a huge hit.

Okay, yeah. I’m getting anxious just thinking about it.

This week I am sharing my favorite top 10 ways to manage my stress and anxiety during tough moments. Hopefully one or two of these will resonate with you and I can help build your arsenal of resilience tools.


 

Top 10 Ways Jackie Manages Stress and Anxiety

 

Make More Time For Yoga

I love yoga. I’m no yogi, and I have limited consistent practice. But whenever I participate I always feel uplifted physically and mentally. When I’m stressed or anxious, I make little breaks throughout the day to practice. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – it could be 5 minutes of chair yoga when I’m at my desk at work, or 10 minutes of slow, restorative yoga before bed. But I carve out more time when I see I’m stressed or anxious.

If you’re interested in trying out more yoga there are a few free options available to you. In the month of March the app Down Dog is offering all classes for free. There are also a plethora of YouTube channels offering yoga classes. My favorites are Yoga with Adrienne and EkhartYoga.

 

Journal

They say writing things down alleviates stress and anxiety because the worry is no longer trapped with you alone in your mind.

I do a different kind of journaling – I have a gratitude journal. Every morning I write down three things I’m grateful for and a positive affirmation. Every evening, I write down three amazing things that happened today. As this is virtual, I also add a photo from my day, if I took one worth adding. This small ritual helps energize me in the morning and put me to bed with a smile on my face. What better way to remember how wonderful the world is?

 

Consciously Substitute For Foods I Want To Stress Consume

When I’m stressed out I crave warm, carby foods like macaroni and cheese or warm chocolate chip cookies. I also crave red wine. I do my best to recognize when cravings are happening and set myself up to eat something which will make me feel better in the longer term, rather than the short term. If I’m craving warm, carby foods, I will try to eat broth-based soups or sweet potatoes with fixin’s. If I’m craving red wine, I’ll try to drink flavored sparkling water instead.

The key here is having a plan for substitutes that are readily available. And not beating yourself up if you don’t choose the healthier options!

 

Meditate

I hate to meditate. I’m soooo bad at it. But I know it’s good for me and I should keep it up. My husband teaches mindfulness and meditation, so we try to meditate together. I prefer guided meditation to silent and he offers us some guidance. There are plenty of options online, too. You could use an app like 10% Happier, Headspace, or Breathe. Both Adrienne and Esther Ekhart (referenced above in Yoga, but these are meditation sequences!) have meditation videos on YouTube. There are lots of resources available.

Meditating isn’t always a good thing for me, though. I know if I’m in a really dark place mentally meditation will make that worse. Knowing yourself is key to a successful meditation practice. Instead, I do this deep breathing exercise. It really does help!

 

Prepare a Complex Meal

Okay, okay. I know this isn’t for everyone. One of the things I’m exciting myself about during our quarantine is trying to craft creative menus with the food in our home. I am trying to eat through our freezer and use up as much food as I can in our home! I’ve spent quite a few enjoyable hours leafing through cookbooks. I hope to make many delicious things and do a cookbook review or two over the next two months.

Whatever it is that you’re passionate about, make time for it now! Set aside time every day and ensure you’re doing something which brings you joy. Do something for yourself. You deserve it.

 

Clean and Tidy

There’s something about a messy space that makes me even more anxious and unhappy. While it takes a lot of inertia to get started, once I’ve started I’m often on a cleaning frenzy! And when I’m all done cleaning everything up, I am not only proud of my accomplishments, but I’ve set my physical space up to be even better. A tidy physical space means a happy mind over here. 

 

Go for a Walk

My husband and I have made it a goal during our quarantine to take a 20-minute walk around the parameter of our property after every meal we eat together. Staying active helps a lot because I’d just sit on my couch or kitchen table all this time.

Being active in any form helps. As the illustrious Elle Woods of Legally Blond fame illustrates…

Endorphins keep us happy. And endorphins keep us sane. Get endorphins in whatever way you can.

 

Be Outside in the Sun

Speaking of going for a walk — being outside, in general, is amazing. Science shows that the sun is amazing for us. When your skin is exposed to the sun, it produces vitamin D which fights disease and improves bone health. Sunshine absorption also decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety. Which is the whole point of this list, right?

Plus, 30 minutes of exposure to the sun can help you fall asleep more quickly, and deeply, at night. I love the sun.

 

Snuggles

Speaking of science… I freaking love snuggles. When I’m feeling lonely, I’ll snuggle my husband. When I’m feeling sad, I’ll snuggle my dog. When I’m feeling overwhelmed by the real world, I’ll snuggle a fantasy novel and a mug of hot tea.

But really, if you can, try to snuggle something. Physical touch with another living thing releases oxytocin in our bodies which, well, makes us happier. Science isn’t sold on all the effects related to fear, anxiety, and depression. But tests show that increased oxytocin in our bodies produces anti-depressant-like effects. Whatever it is doing, I love it.

 

DANCE PARTY!

I’m not kidding. When I’m feeling anxious, stressed, or sad, I crank my favorite tunes and rock out completely. I might be with others (dog included) or I might be alone. Who cares? All I know is that listening to upbeat music, dancing, and letting everything lose is one of the best ways to cheer myself up.

 

Remember: You aren’t alone. While we all feel so isolated, we are still a community. Globally, yes. In neighborhoods, friend groups, and through work we still have communities. The bookish community is here for you too. If you’re feeling lonely, reach out. To whatever community speaks to you! Share your fears and anxieties. Talk about what you’ve been doing. Just make a connection. We’re all in this together.


What do you think?

  • Did you participate in Top Ten Tuesday? Share your links below!
  • Do you participate in anything I’ve listed above to alleviate stress or anxiety?
  • What other ways do you reduce your own stress and anxiety?
  • How are you doing? How can I help?

16 Comments

  • Patrick Prescott March 18, 2020 at 7:21 am

    I worry about my son who works at a cash register in pharmacy.. He’s on the front line and smokes. https://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2020/03/ttt-031720.html

    • Jackie B March 25, 2020 at 4:12 pm

      🙁 Oh dear! That is worth worrying about. I hope your son is taking care of himself as best as possible. We are all thankful that he’s working, though– we still need to get our medications at a time like this!

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Patrick, Stay safe and healthy!

  • Grab the Lapels March 18, 2020 at 7:55 am

    Although it seems obvious, I think a lot of people need to get off of social media to escape the panic feedback loop. I know you aren’t a frequent user, and neither am I, so we’re good, but I hear it is intense over there on the social internets.

    • Jackie B March 25, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      I’ve actually become more of social media user with the quarantine because my extroverted self needs that connection with others. But it hasn’t been good. I firmling believe in controlling the controllables– and watching the news won’t help. This is a good reminder for me that I’m probably causing myself more harm than good here. Thanks for the suggestion!

      • Grab the Lapels March 26, 2020 at 10:24 am

        You’re welcome! I’m happy to do another video chat soon. Feel free to reach out whenever. I know we’ve been texting a lot <3 🙂

  • lydiaschoch March 18, 2020 at 10:12 am

    I’m anxious about Covid-19, too. This was a good post. Hope you stay healthy.

    My TTT .

    • Jackie B March 25, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      Thanks, Lydia! It’s hard not to be anxious with all the news. The best we can do is stay inside and away from others. And bake. 😉

  • Sam@WLABB March 18, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    Snuggles are always the answer. This is why I need a pet. My campus is a ghost town, but my team still has to report to work. We were pretty slap happy today, when we found out the other two teams in our tier were going to be working from home, but we are trying to get by via humor at work.

    • Jackie B March 25, 2020 at 4:25 pm

      Oy. I’m sorry you’re still going into work (well, it’s been a week, so maybe you aren’t anymore) if it doesn’t feel safe or is making you anxious. But I’m so glad that you are using humor to get by! It’s amazing what a smile or two can do for our psyches.

      • Sam@WLABB March 26, 2020 at 2:28 pm

        I personally am not at work, but my team still is there. I got emergency leave, because my dad is high risk. I am not sure how long this will last though.

        • Jackie B March 29, 2020 at 4:08 pm

          I’m glad you got emergency leave! I hope that you and your father (and the rest of your family) stay healthy.

  • PerfectlyTolerable March 19, 2020 at 4:07 pm

    I like your topic better than the actual topic! (I don’t do TBRs haha) I’ve been getting lots and lots of snuggles (both from my BF and my dog) and they are definitely helping with my stress and anxiety! I am also lucky enough to be able to work from home, but its still super stressful! I think I need a dance party <3 great list!

    • Jackie B March 25, 2020 at 4:28 pm

      I don’t often do TBRs either– mostly because I find them as super lazy posts. #SorryNotSorry

      Thanks for the kudos on this post. 🙂 I’m so glad you’re getting all the snuggles! I wish my dog was more of a snuggler. He’s very much a lone wolf. But lately, he’s been willing to rest his head on my ankle if I’m fully stretched out and he’s onthe opposite side of the couch. XD I’ll take what I can get!

      I definitely recommend dance parties. Not only is it fun, but it releases endorphins and you burn off some of your quarantine snacks at the same time. 😉

  • Gayathri Lakshminarayanan March 28, 2020 at 9:47 am

    Those workout videos are keeping me sane these days. I so miss going to the gym and working out is definitely a good way to keep us distracted!

    • Jackie B March 29, 2020 at 4:37 pm

      It’s been so good that DownDog and other companies have made their videos free for people. I know I’d lose my mind if I didn’t have a chance to get my endorphins each day!

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Gayathri!

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