5 Tips for Coping with Anxiety and Depression: Christian Counseling in Puyallup

Do you struggle with anxiety and depression? You are not alone. Millions feel plagued by anxiety or depression symptoms, and in many cases, both mental conditions co-exist in an individual. Coping with anxiety and depression symptoms is possible with new habits and Christian counseling in Puyallup, Washington.

How to Cope with Anxiety and Depression: 5 Tips

Much of what you can do to cope with anxiety and depression has to do with how you live your life. For example, specific foods and added chemicals can worsen anxiety and depression symptoms.

The following tips for coping with anxiety and depression are lifestyle-based. Choose one or two to work on for thirty days. After one month, reassess to determine if the strategy works for you. Add a new habit to your routine for another month while keeping your new habits. Over time, you should feel a difference in your symptoms.

Adopt a healthier lifestyle

Steer clear of preservatives and other additives in your food, as well as excessive alcohol or nicotine use. Consider cutting back on alcohol and stopping smoking. Ultra-processed foods, such as frozen pre-packaged meals, typically contain sodium, sugar, and added chemicals. These ingredients can lead to cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and other mood disorders.

Choose healthier fare from whole foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Reach out to friends

Forming and nurturing relationships works as a barrier against mood disorders like depression. Coping with anxiety and depression can be as simple as making a date with friends once a week or once a month to do something fun together.

Our identities are often tied to our peer group when we are younger. As we age, socialization becomes even more important.

Practice relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which helps us feel relaxed and calm. The PNS triggers relaxation, which results in lower heart rate and blood pressure. To start, try deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation techniques.

You can find examples online or start with the basics. Lie on the floor or a bed and, starting at your feet, clench the muscles in one muscle group, hold for a few seconds, and then release. Continue scanning the body groups, paying close attention to areas with extra tension. Breathe through each body part as you tighten and release.

Reframe negative thoughts

Negative thoughts can make anxiety and depression worse by causing us to focus on our worries and fears. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to sleep due to your thoughts? Learn to reframe negative thoughts.

For example, if you think you cannot get all your work done the next day because you are a failure, reframe this thought: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I will do my best, and God will do the rest. I am not a failure but created in the image and likeness of God Almighty.

Talk to God

When we talk to God about our worries and fears and give them to Him to manage, a peace that passes all understanding can fall over us. God waits for us to turn to Him. He listens and cares. If prayer is not a habit for you yet, consider saying a short prayer first thing in the morning and again at bedtime. Thank God for what He has done, and ask Him what you can do to serve others.

Volunteering (serving others) can alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms. Ask God to point you toward others who are hurting and need your assistance. Sometimes, just sharing your story with others can help them heal and move forward.

Christian Counseling in Puyallup

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10, NIV

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28, NIV

Examples of anxious hearts and burdened souls litter the Bible, but we can take comfort in knowing that God meets us in the middle of the pain. He cares when anxiety fills our hearts or darkness feels as if it overtakes us. Coping with anxiety and depression can draw us closer to God and build a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Choose Puyallup Christian Counseling and learn evidence-based psychological methods for treating anxiety and depression while walking closer to God.