MD Offers Tips on Minimizing Anxiety

We’re all very busy.  In this tough economic environment, normal stresses of life can become amplified by the extra efforts we all must make to protect our jobs, families and households.  Many of you are employed full time, parents and heads of households in addition to being online students.  It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that your stress levels are higher now than they have ever been.  Dr. Matthew Edlund is the Director of the Center for Circadian Medicine and the author of the book, The Power of Rest.  Dr. Edlund recently published a list of eight things each of us can do to better manage our stress levels.  I found it to be particularly helpful in helping me cope with my own frazzled existence.  I thought readers here would find it equally useful.  Read his article here.

3 Responses to “MD Offers Tips on Minimizing Anxiety”

  1. I myself find that getting help and advise from friends helps sooth stress very quickly, almost like it was never there. I believe different things work for different people. Im more of a people’s person and just going out with friends can make me forget the stress very quickly.

    Dr Edlund also talks about focusing more on solutions than problems and I find that very helpful too.

    I have never used active rest techniques and it will be interesting to see some more details on how they can be used and how one can train themselves to use them.

  2. Sasha Elliott

    I feel that taking a walk sometimes helps to clear my mind and focus on what is really bothering me and kind of prioritize my stresses.
    I also have a wonderful network of friends and family that I can talk to and they can talk me through my anxieties. It is always helpful to have people that can be there to listen and not judge.

    I have tried the breathing before like Dr. Edlund suggested but it never seemed to work for me in the past.

    These techniques are wonderful ideas and very useful.

  3. Giuliana C.

    Anxiety is a natural part of life, and we must learn to treat it with easy remedies. I think all the tips in this article are pretty great.

    Using quick social connects for advice, is an awesome idea. I personally use this technique a lot. Talking to my husband or my sister when I feel tense helps me fight stress and take my problems with a different attitude. I’m very happy I got them as my support team, and it’s comforting to know that I have people I can turn to in time of need.

    Another good technique Dr. Edlund mentions in this article is making a priority list. I think most of us, stress about little things instead of the big things. I think creating a priority list at the beginning of the day with projects that are most important to us is essential. This could help us deliver work reliably, without letting important tasks “slip through the cracks”, and also reducing that awful tension.

    I never tried paradoxical relaxation, but it sure sounds like another great technique.

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