Relieving Anxiety and Stress: An Important Part of Caregiving
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Relieving Anxiety and Stress: An Important Part of Caregivin

In the normal course of a day, anxiety and/or stress seem to find a way to worm their way into our lives. As a caregiver, anxiety and stress can take a toll on our ability to care not only for ourselves but for our loved ones as well. With this in mind, finding strategies for relieving any tension you feel can help with your productivity, personal relationships and overall well-being throughout the day. Here are three ways to relieve stress and anxiety.

Start Writing

Harvard research has shown that writing about your personal experiences can positively impact your mood and stress levels. Writing can take many forms. Whether you prefer to take your pen to paper the old-fashioned way in the form of a diary or journal or if you prefer to blog about your experiences, the physical act of writing helps you put words to feelings. This type of journaling is also called expressive writing and it is something that you can do if you have small increments of time during the day. You can also set aside time in the evening to get those emotions out of your system and help you get a peaceful night's rest. In whatever way you decide to document your feelings, the physical act can be cathartic and provide an outlet for the overwhelming emotions you are feeling.

Engage in Meditation

The Mayo Clinic recommends meditation as a quick and easy way to regain your sense of control or inner peace. Meditation can take many forms including, but not limited to, deep breathing exercises, guided imagery--where you visualize yourself elsewhere to help calm your emotions--or transcendental meditation, the practice of repeating a mantra to help you through a difficult time. Meditation can be done all throughout the day. It may just be a minute or two during a stressful period or you may set aside time at the beginning or end of your day to help you prepare or process your emotions. The best part about meditation is that there is no special equipment required and anyone, at any fitness level, can practice. Some of the additional health benefits of mediation include: improving sleep and decreasing blood pressure.

Practice Exercise

Whether you prefer high intensity activities like dancing or running or lower intensity activities like yoga or pilates, both of these types of exercise are beneficial to relieving stress and anxiety. This Healthline article outlines the benefits of engaging in exercise by facilitating the movement of highly oxygenated blood to the brain and releasing endorphins that "feel good stuff", into your bloodstream. Exercise isn't an all or nothing proposition. You can find a few activities that take just a minute or two to help keep you centered, like calf raises while you are cooking in the kitchen or wall push ups while you are waiting for the elevator.  If you are looking to raise your heart rate, try a brisk walk up and down the steps for 10 minutes. By doing this three times a day, you are getting 30 minutes of exercise daily.  This time also allows you the opportunity to think about something other than what might be causing your stress or anxiety by focusing on the activity at hand. 

Whatever method suits your personality best for relieving stress or anxiety, remember regular attention to your emotional well-being is important. If you find that one method is difficult to sustain, try another one. Try to find a routine that keeps you on track both mentally and emotionally. And who knows, you may find a new hobby in the process.