Exercise and Lifestyle Changes to Manage Anxiety: A Practical Guide

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Lifestyle choices, and a lack of exercise can dramatically impact your experience with anxiety. Anxiety is defined as apprehension, tension, or uneasiness that stems from the anticipation of danger. When experiencing anxiety, you might have excessive fear and worry and try to avoid any perceived threats. Anxiety can bring on a variety of physiological experiences such as lightheadedness, tingling in extremities, hyperventilation, and a sense of unreality.

Most people don’t realize that exercise is a powerful, scientifically supported tool for managing anxiety. By altering brain chemistry and boosting mood, regular physical activity can reduce anxiety symptoms significantly, even with just a small weekly commitment.

Beyond exercise, adopting specific lifestyle changes can further decrease the frequency, duration, and intensity of anxious thoughts, potentially making them a rare occurrence.

Below, we explore how exercise combats anxiety and then discuss six lifestyle changes that can enhance your mental well-being.

Check out part one of this article — ‘Understanding Anxiety: Symptoms, Triggers, and Trends’ to learn about who’s most impacted by anxiety, why, how you might experience its symptoms and more.

Graphic of a depressed young woman — Credit NNBL.Blog Click to watch video

Why Exercise Helps Anxiety

Exercise transforms your brain and body in ways that directly counter anxiety:

Boosts Feel-Good Chemicals: Physical activity increases the production of anti-anxiety neurochemicals like serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), endorphins, and endocannabinoids, creating a calming effect.

Diverts Attention: Exercise shifts your focus away from anxious thoughts, acting as a healthy distraction.

Reduces Physical Tension: It lowers muscle tension, which often amplifies feelings of anxiety.

Enhances Brain Function: Exercise activates the brain’s frontal regions, responsible for executive functions that regulate the amygdala — the brain’s threat-response system. This helps you manage reactions to real or perceived dangers.

Builds Resilience: Regular exercise strengthens your ability to cope with distressing emotions, fostering emotional durability.

How much exercise helps manage anxiety?

For optimal results, aim for 30 – 45 minutes of exercise, 3 – 5 days a week, which can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms.

Even 10 – 15 minutes of movement — like a brisk walk, jogging, dancing, or cleaning can provide immediate relief when anxiety strikes.

How managing anxiety benefits from exercise

Choose physical activities you enjoy to stay committed. Research shows that exercising outdoors creates the biggest benefit, so be sure to get outside daily.

Exercise options include:

Brisk walking or jogging
Dance classes
Playing sports (e.g., basketball, soccer)
Outdoor adventures (e.g., hiking, fishing, cycling)
Playing with children or grandchildren

“Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It relieves tension, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins.” — Harvard Medical School, 2020.

Six lifestyle changes to boost mood and reduce anxiety

In addition to Exercise, these evidence-based lifestyle changes can help you manage anxiety and improve your overall mental health.

1. Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep or diaphragmatic or belly breathing is a proven technique for reducing stress and anxiety. By engaging the stomach, abdominal walls, and diaphragm, deep breathing calms the nervous system and enhances mood.

How It Works: Inhaling and exhaling slowly through the nose (optimal per ancient Tibetan practices) activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering stress responses. It also supports the lymphatic system, which relies on physical movement to function and is linked to psychological stress reduction.
Practice deep breathing: Try inhaling through the nose for 5 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, and exhaling through the nose for 5 seconds. Repeat for 5–10 minutes daily.
Benefits: Improves immune function, reduces stress hormones, and promotes relaxation.

“Diaphragmatic breathing is a simple yet powerful tool to reduce anxiety by activating the body’s relaxation response.” — Mayo Clinic, 2023.

Note: The Western practice of exhaling through the mouth may disrupt optimal breathing patterns. For more information, subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on X for future articles.

2. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs)

Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment without judgment, helping you detach from anxious thoughts. Common MBIs include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

How It Works: MBIs reframe negative thought patterns, heighten awareness of early anxiety signs (e.g., a tight stomach), and encourage proactive responses like deep breathing or stepping away from triggers. They’re also effective for managing anger or agitation.
Practice: Spend 10 minutes daily practicing mindfulness meditation, focusing on your breath or body sensations.
Benefits: Reduces anxiety severity, improves emotional regulation, and fosters calm.

“Mindfulness-based interventions can significantly reduce anxiety by helping individuals stay grounded in the present.” — American Psychological Association, 2021.

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a structured therapy that helps you identify and challenge negative thought patterns, known as cognitive distortions (e.g., “magical thinking,” where anxiety is believed to prevent catastrophe).

How It Works: Working with a therapist, you learn strategies to reframe anxious thoughts and behaviors, replacing them with healthier perspectives.
Benefits: CBT is as effective as medication for anxiety disorders, with longer-lasting results (superior outcomes 6 months post-treatment).
Access: Seek a licensed psychologist or explore online CBT programs.

“CBT is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety, equipping individuals with tools to manage distorted thinking.” — National Institute of Mental Health, 2023.

4. Spending Time in Nature

Modern lifestyles limit outdoor time, but nature exposure offers profound mental health benefits.

How It Works: Time in green spaces (e.g., parks, forests) reduces stress hormones and enhances mood through sensory engagement with the environment.
Benefits:
Boosts immune function (increases natural killer cells for cancer prevention)
Lowers blood pressure and risk of coronary artery disease
Reduces allergies and respiratory issues
Decreases mood disorders and stress
Promotes gratitude and selflessness
Practice: Aim for 20–30 minutes outdoors daily, whether walking, gardening, doing an outdoor activity like kayaking, or relaxing in a park.

“Spending time in nature can lower stress and anxiety levels, fostering a sense of calm and well-being.” — Mental Health Foundation, 2022.

5. Practicing gratitude: Gratitude involves appreciating what you have, fostering a compassionate relationship with yourself, and reducing negative thinking.

How It Works: Daily gratitude practices, like journaling, decrease repetitive negative thinking, a hallmark of anxiety, and enhance life satisfaction.
Practice: Write down 3–5 things you’re grateful for each day in a notebook (avoid apps for privacy).
Benefits: Reduces anxiety and depression symptoms, improves mood, and promotes positivity.

“Gratitude practices can shift focus from anxiety to appreciation, significantly improving mental health.” — Greater Good Science Center, 2021.

6. Prioritizing Quality Sleep: Restorative sleep is critical for managing anxiety, as poor sleep exacerbates stress and emotional reactivity.

How It Works: Quality sleep regulates the brain’s emotional centers, reducing anxiety triggers.
Practice: Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep nightly, maintaining a consistent schedule and creating a calming bedtime routine (e.g., avoiding screens, practicing relaxation techniques).
Benefits: Enhances mood stability, reduces anxiety, and improves cognitive function.

“Sleep is a cornerstone of mental health. Poor sleep can amplify anxiety, while restful sleep helps regulate emotions.” — Sleep Foundation, 2024.

Looking ahead to less anxiety

Exercise and these lifestyle changes form a robust toolkit for managing anxiety, but there’s more to explore. Tomorrow, I’ll cover vitamins and mineral supplements recommended for stress and anxiety relief.

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Citations

Quote: “Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It relieves tension, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins.”