Lifestyle changes to manage anxiety

[Bunting9]

Those of you with a long term anxiety disorder (like myself) - what lifestyle changes have you made to manage your anxiety?

For example, I:
Don't drink alcohol
Don't drink coffee (I will have one cup of tea at work but that goes to decaf immediately during a flare up)
Go to a craft session every fortnight

What I need to do more of:
Improve my diet
Get more exercise
Treat myself to massages etc regularly
Use my meditation apps (I use them only in a crisis which is too late)

I don't have a long term anxiety disorder but when I had acute anxiety, I did a lot of walking, knitting and baking. Normally I'm a bookworm but couldn't keep my mind on reading at all when it was too busy constantly kicking the inside of my head.

Meditation.
Start every day with more calm= more capacity to absorb life's knocks without reaching anxiety overload.

I really know from experience that this works.
So why am I not doing it?

Going for walks in the woods? Having a dog? (Or a combination?)

Fresh air and exercise.

Definitely a dog. My goodness, are they models of how to live well! I've learned more from my dogs than from any humans. If you can't get your own, borrow one!

Yoga and Pilates.

Gardening. Being in nature generally, really.

The big one for me is talking to nice people - am a sahm and can go days without proper conversation. Always makes me feel more normal, whether I talk about my mental state or not, but I still don’t prioritise it enough.

Also I have got a lot better at recognising the pace of life which works for me - I am not terribly productive but when I push myself to be like ‘normal’ people I always end up knocking myself out with exhaustion for a day or two.

I do drink coffee but exactly the same amount every day. I don’t drink alcohol but that is partly as a result of health anxiety and I sometimes wonder if I should drink a bit more!

tossdaily oh yes, there is borrowmydoggy for dog loans! That may well help people!

An important one for me is pacing myself and not scheduling too much.

I also feel much better if I get enough sleep. So I stick to my bedtime routine religiously and make sure I don't have too many late nights.

Yup, Bunting. Honestly, if you want a lesson in living in the moment, moving your body for the fun of it, resting when you need to without guilt and just generally being positive, watch a dog.

I sometimes start dancing and getting excited just so mine will join in - and they always do. Dogs don't need a reason to celebrate