When I feel stressed and anxious, I take a deep breath. It creates a physiological change in us and it does actually bring in more oxygen for our brain to use. It allows us to think better and process information better. So simple breathing actually does help. I would encourage everybody to do when they are feeling stressed an anxious.

As a lifestyle habit, we should be exercising regularly. I don’t exercise a lot and I’m not muscular. I’m not super fit, but I do go on walks. Although I don’t do it all the time, it creates enough exercise for me to help reduce some of those stress levels that end up building up. What we don’t want to do when we are feeling stressed and anxious is choosing unhealthy habits to engage.

For example, I drink a lot of coffee because I need that energy and I feel like it makes me think better and it helps me process my thoughts. But, I have realized that it makes me more anxious, especially when I have a stressful day, and I have several meetings where I’m speaking the front of everybody. As the meeting gets closer, I’m drinking more and more coffee in order to say alert, but I’m getting more and more anxious.

Whether it’s caffeine or you’re taking medication with a stimulant, it makes the anxieties worse, so be aware of those things. If you are choosing to engage in unhealthy ways to cope with the stress and anxiety, make sure that you’re aware of when you need to stop or seek help because it can and will make the situation worse and make your stress and anxiety levels more severe.