Facing emotional breakdowns or mental illness isn’t easy. It’s like your life is filled with darkness and sorrow but you don’t know the reasons why. Well, it’s normal for people to face stress and anxiety. What’s not normal is that letting it swallow you as a whole and make you feel like you’re less of a person.
If you think you’re one of the thousands and millions of people suffering from stress and anxiety, don’t search further because the solution is already on the palm of your hands. Read and reflect on how being physically active can help you escape the haunting realm of stress and anxiety.
1. Biking
Getting sweaty with biking as a sport or as a simple recreational activity isn’t only for getting physically fit. This activity can also help you lower your stress and anxiety level.
When you go biking, you tend to channel your sense of coordination and exploration as well. This will give you the opportunity to divert your thoughts and attention.
Also, biking gives you an ample supply of fresh air. With the frequent changing of the environment, from the different mountain and natural sceneries to neighbourhood parks, your mood will more likely be more uplifted.
2. Dancing
When you’re swallowed by too much stress and anxiety, you’re possibly losing confidence. To gain confidence again, you can try dancing in your leisure time.
Dancing greatly helps you to express yourself in an exceptional way. It enhances your memory (through memorising the steps), cooperation, and coordination.
Getting yourself active with dancing can also help you lose weight, have healthier lungs and heart, and gain stronger bones. Just imagine that in every step, you’re gracefully shooing the stress and anxiety away.
3. Gardening
In a simpler and easier context, you might want to try and welcome the idea of gardening. If you think that gardening is merely a hobby, well, you better think again.
Because gardening is also a mood-booster and by engaging yourself in it for about 30-45 minutes a day can burn from 150-300 calories!
Gardening is one of the easiest ways you can aim for stress and anxiety and eventually shoot them down. Moreover, in this way, you can have a little time interacting and connecting with nature.
4. Hiking
You must be well aware that nature has a positive impact on the mind. Getting around with nature can easily boost your mood and mental well-being.
And hiking is a good example of an activity to engage yourself in if you want to have fun with nature. Hitting different trails gives a breath of fresher air in a more thrilling way.
This might look difficult for some but overcoming hiking as a challenge will totally leave you wanting for more of it. It can also develop your sense of direction, responsibility, and awareness of nature conservation.
5. Kickboxing
Kickboxing seems often to be mistaken as a sport or an activity that’s intended for men only. But, that’s not true. Men and women who want to engage in the activity are always welcome.
Do you know that it’s also a great means of reducing stress and anxiety? Well, yes it is. This activity includes skilful punching and kicking movement implemented with discipline.
An enhanced balance, flexibility, and coordination are some of the influences of kickboxing to whoever practices it. It’s a great way of punching and knocking down stress and anxiety. So, would you want to try?
6. Pilates
Named after the creator, Joseph Pilates, Pilates exercises are now one of the fastest booming exercises today. It’s best known for its well-ordered movements and mat exercises.
It’s targeting the flexibility, coordination, and focus of a person who does it. One of the exceptional benefits of Pilates exercises is toning your body. But, hold on because this set of exercise has more to offer.
Pilates exercises manage stress and relaxation, enhance memory and brain improvement, and excellent treatment in curing depression and anxiety.
7. Swimming
Swimming isn’t only good for sports or recreational activity. It’s also helpful to prevent and stun stress and anxiety.
The calming and relaxing effect of water while swimming is incomparable. If you opt for swimming, you’ll see how happier and more motivated you’ll be. It seems like you’re feeling much better and lighter.
Also, a 30-minute swimming session thrice a week will be able to reduce your stress levels, boost your mood, and prevents the sudden attack of depression and anxiety. So, you better get yourself a custom swimwear, swimming caps, and swimming goggles to start the game!
8. Tai Chi
This exercise called tai chi is also prominent to be one of the most efficient exercises for this benefits both physical and mental health. Like yoga, tai chi has different methods and styles.
According to careful studies, tai chi boosts flexibility, immunity, muscular strength and aids in relieving pain. And with that, you’ll surely achieve peace and serenity and push away the stress and anxiety.
Tai chi may sound difficult and hard to execute upon hearing its name. But these prehistoric Chinese uncompetitive martial arts can be practised or executed anytime anywhere once you engaged yourself into it.
9. Team activities
Surrounding yourself with your family, closest friends, and more people who can bring out the best in you is highly advisable. That’s why team activities or activities that are done by a group are best for you to say goodbye to stress and anxiety.
The more people you interact with, the more people who can lay their hands to you to help you in your downtimes. Also, you’ll have more people to talk to about what you’re going through, but of course, family first before anybody else.
10. Yoga
One of the major tips you can do to win the battle over stress and anxiety is by enrolling in a yoga class – or simply learn yoga exercises. With its unique movements and positions, yoga helps you loosen up while enhancing your flexibility and physical strength.
With controlled breathing exercises and enhanced focus, yoga can absolutely help divert your attention rather than minding about your stress and anxiety.
So, now that you’ve come this far, what do you think you can add on these suggestions? Are you going to pick some activities and start engaging yourself in it? Well, you better trust yourself in fighting stress and anxiety. There are lots of ways and help available. Just always open your eyes and mind to see all of it.
