Anxiety self help ideas

[bamboobeanbags]

I am just getting back to 'normal life' after a very disruptive year during which I was getting increasingly anxious about situations when I would usually have been fine. I was prescribed and did use diazepam for just under a week.
Now I am feeling much better mentally and feel like I can move on without the help of drugs.

One thing I am really keen to do is dedicate at least half an hour a day to actively relaxing on my own and looking after my mind. I am looking for ideas to keep this plan appealing so I don't get bored of it and back in to a routine of spending all of my spare time staring at the TV and on mumsnet! Hopefully other people will like my ideas and ad their own.

Things I have thought to do are
-read my book in the bath
-go for a walk in the countryside/ a park
-buy an adult colouring in book to do
-yoga (from you tube, not a class)
-meditation tapes from youtube

Has this sort of thing worked for anyone else with mild anxiety? Anymore ideas?

[annandale]

Dh uses - setting a routine, a Lot of exercise, relaxation music from youtube, drawing (so much so that he's starting an art course this autumn), minimal caffeine (diet coke particularly bad), and in the past mindfulness, though this has got less useful for him with time.

[QuietIsland]

I've cut out alcohol and caffeine, got more rest and tried not to catastrophise. Exercise works too.

[QuietIsland]

I've also found the pacifica app good as you can keep track of your caffeine, exercise etc plus there are relaxation exercises.