Having anxiety can be hard, but luckily there are a lot of treatments that can help ease your nerves. I’ve tried just about all of them, and for me the most effective natural treatment is something I didn’t expect: deep breathing.
I have a lot of anxiety. Pretty much about everything. I used to be embarrassed to admit that, but after going to the doctor and educating myself about it, I soon learned that a lot of people suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. In fact, 18 percent of America deals with what I do every day, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
To be honest, when my doctor first tried to teach me deep-breathing exercises, I thought it was silly. I was trying not to laugh, actually. But when you take them seriously and really focus on slow, deep breaths, it helps slow your heart rate and get you to a calmer place mentally.
When I’m feeling panicked, I put one hand on my chest and one hand on my abdomen and take very slow, deep breaths for three to five minutes. Try to think about something that makes you happy or something you’re looking forward to that day. After taking the time to do this, I always feel better. It’s no cure-all, but it can definitely help.
To guide your breathing and give you something to focus on, I suggest watching the video below. Follow the flower as it expands and contracts – and then sync your breathing with it.
When it comes to alleviating anxiety, everybody has a different and effective method. For me, this can really work. Give it a try the next time those nerves creep up on you. We’re all in this together!
15 pairs of slippers that are perfectly acceptable to wear all day during self-isolation
We’re a month into this new world of working from home, and while the vast majority of us are facing similar productivity problems and struggling to perfect the art of the Dalgona coffee, there’s one area in which no two of us are the same. We are, of course, referring to the art of the self-isolation wardrobe.
A concept so varied that we’re no longer even certain where on the spectrum we ourselves sit, you only have to spend a minute on a full-team Zoom conference call to witness the broad smorgasbord of styles adopted by staffers working in a whole new way.
Sure, some are sticking to the rule that a working day requires workwear (we’re even talking suits, in some extreme cases), but other colleagues’ outfits vary from jeans and a sweater to whimsical sundresses and even the occasional pair of pyjamas (crucially different ones from those they slept in).
But however you feel about WFH uniforms – and whether they do or don’t need a degree of formality – we likely all agree on one thing; footwear doesn’t count.
Trust us – even the most staunch advocates for formal office-wear, who spend the Zoom call stroking a suit lapel whilst their professional-looking ‘home office’ puts our chaotic kitchen table to shame, have forsaken their heeled court shoes and slipped their hooves into a pair of blissfully soft slippers. Because, let’s face it, no one’s webcam sees that far down and we all need a little comfort right now.
So, now that you’re reassured that quite literally *none* of us are wearing anything on our feet but slippers right now, perhaps it’s time to invest in a new pair?
Scroll down for 15 pairs of slippers that’ll seriously up your self-isolation game (and no-one need be any the wiser)…
