5 Ways to Feel Less Anxious

1/ Get Rid of Clutter – Whether it’s your bedroom, your wardrobe, your desk, or even just your handbag, looking at, or being surrounded by clutter, overwhelms our already overloaded brains with too much sensory information and induces feelings of anxiety. When de-cluttering start small. Take it one room, one cupboard, one drawer at a time and you’ll soon start feeling calmer.

2/ Go to Bed Early – It may seem impossible if you feel you have to stay up late to get everything done, but this is a must. Sleep deprivation is a huge anxiety culprit. It's impossible to have healthy emotional functioning without enough sleep. Don't burn the midnight oil in hope of catching up on the weekends. Unused sleep minutes don't roll over.

3/ Get Outside – The great outdoors is a wonderful anxiety soother. Deep breathing fresh air and connecting with nature are all proven mental boosters. Visit your local beach, park or forest, even if it’s only for a quick walk. Purposely take notice of the waves, the birdsong, the plants and trees. Plan a daytrip to somewhere nice, meet up with a friend – anything that forces your mind’s focus away from what’s causing your anxiety.

4/ Cut the Caffeine – Anxiety is our body’s response to situations that we perceive as being  threatening, and it induces the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response and production of the ‘stress’ hormone cortisol. Caffeine also triggers this response. Too much caffeine can also make you irritable and agitated in situations that normally wouldn’t affect you. And if you already have increased anxiety or suffer from panic attacks, caffeine can cause these symptoms to become worse.

5/ Exercise, Exercise, Exercise – Exercise is nature's anti-anxiety remedy. Besides clearing the mind, inducing feel-good hormones, and helping you sleep soundly at night, researchers have found that individuals who exercise regularly were less likely to suffer from anxiety. Build taking a brisk daily walk, a run, a swim, going to the gym, or even just running on the spot for 20 minutes into your daily routine. Yoga is also great for anxiety. As well as improving strength and flexibility, it also trains your mind to focus and be calm.