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Environment Matters When it Comes to Anxiety

An visual art rendition of the silhouette of a person with their head down with balled up pieces of gray paper coming out of the top of the head.

Anxiety & Your Environment

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults each year. Yet only 36.9 percent of people living with anxiety disorders receive treatment.

The good news? In addition to seeking professional treatment, there are self-care tools you can use daily to manage symptoms of anxiety. BUT…The first step is having a second look at your environment and reflecting on how your environment impacts your anxiety level. 

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This includes your:

Let’s Explore Your Physical Space

Making subtle changes to your physical environment is key to easing you anxiety — especially if you are working from home. But…start small, don’t tackle your entire home. The key is to unclutter your life of ‘things’ – so begin with a closet & move to a room.

Here are some tips for easy space transformation:

Try to declutter in small chunks – but start here!

  • Use your green thumb – add some small houseplants. Succulents are a great option and they are hardy; easy to grow!
  • Keep your bookshelves half empty – this also makes for a great donation too to your local Goodwill too (not to mention tax deductible).

An infographic showing a process for how to keep your environment de-cluttered.

Making Your Space Special

Even if you have limited square footage – it’s important to carve out a place just for you. You might have to get creative, we’ll show you how!

It’s amazing how you can quickly transform a space when you use components with wheels! Try to integrate these items into your home. Turn your dining room into your office with a few furniture swap-outs. The wheels are the ticket to revamping your special space.

Conversely, alter that same space into a mini-yoga zone! Roll away your office pieces, then grab your yoga mat and bands. Or, flip on your Spotify & just dance and wiggle your body parts! There are endless ideas on how you can utilize your special space – even if it’s a zone where you can grab 10 minutes to write in your journal.

Check Out These Tools for Transformation:

A visual of various transitional tools from privacy screens to mobile workspaces.

Social Environment – What’s That?

Your environment extends beyond your physical space. Another key anxiety factor is where you are spending your time also known as your social environment. Answer the questions below to see if there’s room for change in this area of your life – meaning to change a time-sucker into a life-enhancer.

Are you spending more than 2 hours a day on:

  • Social media – this includes all platforms 🙂
  • Gaming
  • Watching TV/Video Apps
  • Not engaging at all – isolating?

Here are 4 steps you can take today to improve your social environment.

  1. Limit your time on digital time-suckers -When on social media, follow what makes you happy! Use platform tools to only show you people and pages that bring you joy.
  2. Have a game plan – You’ve got to have a plan! If you limit your time devices/inactivity, you’ve got to replace the time spent with activities you love to do – reading, exercising, calling, or even writing a snail-mail letter.
  3. Engage with your surroundings – Most of us have been cooped up inside. Take a simple walk and use the “new eyes” technique. Leave the headphones at home and just walk and observe.
  4. Pick up the phone & call someone you like – Even the most introverted person can benefit from human interaction. Set aside 30 minutes per week to call at least 1 person you care about but have lost touch.

Putting It All Together – Making a Game Plan

Now that you know all about how to spruce up your space and you’ve got a plan to limit your “time-suckers”, it’s time to visualize what activities you can perform in your new space to help ease your anxiety. Here’s a graphic to help kick-start your anti-anxiety game plan.

Anti-Anxiety Game Plan infographic

Counseling Works!

In closing, the good news is that anxiety disorders are manageable, and counselors have a plethora of tools to help clients lessen the impact of anxiety. If you reside in Oregon or Washington we have therapists available to help with your anxiety concerns. All you have to do is call us today at (360)-619-2226 or visit us here to request an appointment.

Anxiety Resources

Download our free eBook – Dealing with Anxiety
Visit our blog for more anxiety and depression resources.

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