Ways to Improve Mental Well-being in Daily Life
Exercise Can Also Serve as Exposure Therapy
While it may sound obvious, short-term aerobic exercise is highly effective in relieving muscle tension. Numerous studies have proven that aerobic exercise helps reduce anxiety, often working faster than most medications. It can be particularly beneficial for those who experience anxiety symptoms such as an increased heart rate or shortness of breath. Exercise is often used as a form of exposure therapy for individuals dealing with anxiety.
Sleep is the Best Gift You Can Give Yourself Every Day
Anxiety can disrupt sleep due to the influence of the amygdala. Worries generated in the cortex trigger distressing thoughts that activate the sympathetic nervous system, further aggravating the issue. When sleep is insufficient, the amygdala tends to react more anxiously, worsening anxiety if proper steps for a good night’s sleep are not taken. People with anxiety often experience heightened activity in their sympathetic nervous system, leading them to believe they don’t need rest because they don’t feel sleepy. However, they may actually be sleep-deprived without realizing it. Sleep deprivation can manifest in various ways, such as increased anxiety or irritability, reduced focus, and lack of motivation.
Reducing Anxiety by Changing Interpretations – Cognitive Fusion
First, recognize that it is your interpretation of a situation, rather than the situation itself, that triggers anxiety. This awareness gives you a new approach to reducing anxiety. By using a cortex-based method and suppressing the activation of the amygdala, you can change your existing interpretation. Optimism is more common among people and consistently helps in suppressing anxiety. On the other hand, a pessimistic outlook tends to increase the likelihood of anxiety. Those with pessimistic tendencies might also make less effort to change their anxiety, as they often expect little success.
Cognitive fusion is a very common phenomenon. We all tend to assume that what we think is objective reality, rarely questioning our own assumptions and interpretations. However, it’s essential to sometimes challenge our perspectives, especially when dealing with distressing situations. Realizing that our assumptions might be wrong is crucial, as cognitive fusion often generates unnecessary anxiety.
The core of cognitive restructuring is this: First, question the thoughts that cause anxiety. Then, counter those thoughts with objective evidence and replace them with new, more adaptive thoughts—what we call coping thoughts. Pay close attention to the thoughts that frequently trigger your anxiety. Remember that neural circuits operate on a "use it or lose it" principle, meaning the more you engage with certain thoughts, the stronger and more ingrained they become. To stop anxious thoughts and images, you must repeatedly replace them with alternative thoughts. By doing this, you can literally rewire your brain circuits. Alternative thoughts are positive or adaptive statements that lead to calmer reactions and help you cope with difficult situations.
