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Everyone experiences anxiety sooner or later. But while occasional bouts of anxiety are common, chronic anxiety is something that requires immediate medical attention.
In the meantime, those experiencing anxiety have ways to manage the condition themselves. It’s not a long-term solution to chronic anxiety, but taking steps to alleviate it is a practical short-term way to regain control.
Since this is a blog centered around the home, we figured that’s a good place to start. The following are six anxiety-soothing home projects to consider doing as a way to manage chronic anxiety:
Gardening
Whether it’s fruits, vegetables, flowers, bushes, or a healthy mix of one or more of these plants, backyard gardening provides homeowners with a relaxing hobby. It’s also a great way to access healthy produce, improving health and wellness in the process.
What’s more, successful gardening requires dedication and attention to detail, which keeps your mind off the sources of stress and anxiety. Lastly, working towards something with a desirable result – whether it’s a bounty of fresh veggies or a bed of beautiful flowers – is a great way to feel a sense of pride in your achievement.
Organizing
We’re all about staying organized! If your home is cluttered, consider spending a day or two getting things organized. Use labels and containers to develop an accessible storage system for items you only use every so often.
Disorganized living space is inherently anxiety-inducing. With this in mind, those who keep their homes organized are less likely to experience crippling anxiety.
Cleaning
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the result is a vicious cycle where you lack the motivation to clean up after yourself, followed by feeling anxious about the mess you’re creating.
With this in mind, consider spending a weekend doing some deep cleaning around your house or apartment. The process of cleaning is itself an effective way to alleviate anxiety, as it leads to an instant sense of accomplishment.
Rearranging
When was the last time you rearranged your furniture and decor? If it’s been a long time, chances are your current arrangement is inherently anxiety-inducing. That’s because it serves as a constant reminder of things that have happened in the past, many of which are events you’d rather soon forget.
By rearranging your living space, you effectively transform your living situation. The sense of newness will provide a useful distraction as well as a springboard for those in search of change as a means to feel better about themselves.
Painting
Few so-called chores are as soothing as painting. If one or more of the rooms in your home have dull or faded walls, consider spending a weekend covering it up with a fresh coat of paint.
Even the prep phase can serve as a relaxing break from the unpredictable world we live in. The painting itself is almost a metaphor for our efforts to move away from the past in favor of a brighter future.
While the aforementioned home projects are great for alleviating anxiety, they’re not a practical long-term solution for those struggling with their mental health. Seemingly neverending stress and anxiety should be addressed with the following:
Licensed Therapy
Those suffering from excessive stress and anxiety should consider seeing a licensed therapist. The process starts with seemingly unrelated conversations but eventually shifts toward practical ways to alleviate your suffering.
Your therapist may help you uncover the root cause of your anxiety by encouraging conversations about past trauma. Alternatively, your therapist may refer you to a psychiatrist who can make a diagnosis and prescribe medication.
Prescription Medication
A psychiatrist may diagnose you with a mental health disorder of some kind. If so, they may also prescribe you medication. Whether it’s OCD medication like Prozac or bipolar depression drugs like Vraylar, it’s essential to take the recommended dosage as instructed by your doctor.
If you experience adverse effects, tell your doctor as soon as possible. The problems could be related to interactions with other medications, dosage size, or allergic reactions.
Anxiety is an unfortunate fact of life. While the occasional bout of anxiety is normal, generalized anxiety disorder and related disorders are crippling conditions that require immediate attention.
In the meantime, consider doing one or more anxiety-soothing projects around the house. You’ll soon find yourself feeling calm and in control.
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