But first < acknowledge. Ideally, we must first recognize that something's up, take a pause, then slow down and try to address it, one at a time. Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.

As elaborated by the American Psychological Association, mindfulness has two main parts:

• Attention piece is about tuning into your experiences to focus on what's happening in the present moment. It typically involves directing your awareness to your breath, your thoughts, the physical sensations in your body and the feelings you are experiencing. 

• Acceptance piece involves observing those feelings and sensations without judgment. Instead of responding or reacting to those thoughts or feelings, you aim to note them and let them go.

Once we're aware of what's going on, we should pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. In the journal, Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice of Kabat-Zinn (2003) in Wells (2010) research, mindfulness is an invitation to let oneself be where one already is and to know the landscape of the direct experience in each moment. 

Inhale. Exhale. Research shows that different emotions are associated with different forms of breathing, and so changing how we breathe can change how we feel. For example, when you feel joy, your breathing will be regular, deep and slow. If you feel anxious or angry, your breathing will be irregular, short, fast, and shallow. When you follow breathing patterns associated with different emotions, you’ll actually begin to feel those corresponding emotions. 

A Harvard research article detailed that changing the rhythm of your breath can signal relaxation, slowing your heart rate and stimulating the vagus nerve that is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” activities. Triggering your parasympathetic nervous system helps you start to calm down. You feel better and your ability to think rationally returns. To get an idea of how breathing can calm you down, try changing the ratio of your inhale to exhale. 

There are various types of breathing exercises you can try:

• 4-7-8 Technique/Relaxing Breath

1. Breathing in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds

2. Holding the breath for a count of 7 seconds

3. Exhaling forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips, and making a “whoosh” sound for 8 seconds

4. Repeating the cycle up to 4 times

• Diaphragmatic Breathing/Belly Breathing

1. Lie on your back and place one hand on your chest, the other on your belly 

2. Inhale slowly and deeply into your abdomen, feeling your lower hand rise as your diaphragm fully expands 

3. Exhale and feel your diaphragm lower 

4. Keep your chest still. Repeat for 2-5 minutes

• 4-4-8 Rhythmic Breath Counting

1. Inhale for a count of 4

2. Hold the breath at the top of each inhale for a count of 4

3. Release the breath slowly for a count of 8 and repeat

• 4-4-4 Breathing/Box Breathing

1. Take a breath then exhale on the count of 4

2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds

3. Inhale to the count of 4

4. Hold your breath for 4 seconds

Who doesn't like eating?? When we're happy, we celebrate over our favorite food; when we're sad, we hold on to our comfort food. Having to change what we got used to doing when we experience extreme emotions can be challenging, but it will always be worth a try. Simple (easier said than done) dietary modifications include the reduction of the inflammatory food and the introduction of an anti-anxiety diet.

Pro-inflammatory food OUT. This is obviously the scrumptious one, but is also the less profitable health-wise. A Harvard Health article conveys that foods with a higher pro-inflammatory potential are red meat, processed meat, and organ meat; refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, and many desserts; and sweetened beverages including colas and sports drinks. This is backed by a study that revealed an association between higher levels of anxiety and high-fat diet, inadequate tryptophan and dietary protein, high intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, and “unhealthy” dietary patterns.

Anti-anxiety food IN. The Health Insider and Harvard Health recommend us to introduce several food in our meals: Grains (oatmeal, whole grain bread and cereal), Magnesium-rich food (leafy greens, legumes and nuts, seeds, whole grains), Zinc-rich food (oysters, cashews, liver, beef, egg yolks), probiotic (pickles, yogurt), vitamin B (avocado, almonds), antioxidants (beans, fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables), and Omega 3 fatty acid (fish, chia seeds, olive oil, walnuts). This is concluded in a study that has revealed an association between less anxiety and more fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, “healthy” dietary patterns, caloric restriction, breakfast consumption, ketogenic diet, broad-spectrum micronutrient supplementation, zinc, magnesium and selenium, probiotics, and a range of phytochemicals.

Change won't be easy and simple, but it's not impossible. This requires a combination of discipline, motivation, and commitment yet still have no guarantee of visible transformation. Lifestyle changes are behavioral or habitual modifications that contribute to a positive quality of life. It may range from a skip of your daily dose of caffeine, a cut in sugary and greasy food (that obviously makes anything better), to an early morning alarm to start an exercise routine. 

Lifestyle change won't just happen overnight but we start with baby steps and... a bit of sacrifice. Some lifestyle changes may include the following:

• Physical activity: Exercise is often the first step in lifestyle modifications for the prevention and management of chronic diseases, as backed by many research studies. Emotional health, being as important as one's physical health, is also vital in enjoying a healthy wellbeing. Exercise improves emotional and cognitive response because as it improves one's coping mechanism, it also activates biological processes. This explains the great job that neurotransmitters are doing after exercising. The stimulation of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are linked to the good night sleep and happy feelings we look forward to daily. Although the frequency and intensity of exercise depends on your body's capacity, the World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity weekly. If we do the maths, that's only around 20 minutes a day!

• Sleep Habits: Sleep, according to the Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research, is an essential therapeutic part of human physiology, has been well established as critically important for functioning, mental health, and good quality of life. An article on anxiety and sleep emphasizes that building healthy sleep habits and a consistent routine can make going to bed a more pleasant experience. Steps including making your bed more comfortable, eliminating sources of sleep disruption like light and noise, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evening can help enhance your sleep. In addition, trying relaxation techniques can help identify ways to get rid of anxiety and make it easier to fall asleep quickly and peacefully.

• Screen Time: It's truly captivating to use our devices especially when we're bored or curious, and all the more it's alluring when we're chilling— waiting to doze off and fall asleep. However, screen time before bed may affect us in one way or another, without us even realizing that it's the culprit. The Economic Times clearly explains that the light emitted from most hand-held devices, even with a night filter, a blue light filter or both, is enough to decrease levels of melatonin, the primary hormone that signals the onset of sleep. When melatonin release is inhibited by staring at a lit device near bedtime, falling asleep becomes more challenging. On another note, a study revealed that a difficulty in falling asleep caused by increased screen time would contribute to poorer sleep quality, further amplifying anxiety symptoms. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that we should cut off-screen time at least 30 minutes before bedtime and that reading a book that sparks your interest is a great alternative. 

• Freshen Up: Taking a bath or shower might already be a part of your daily routine for hygiene and health reasons, but did you know that it can also be beneficial in the psychological level? A self-care article details that a hot shower can soothe the physical effects of stress on the body by relaxing your nerves, reducing muscle tension, and decreasing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Taking a warm shower relaxes your muscles and reduces tension. On the other hand, cold showers help with hormone regulation, improve circulation, and facilitate the release of beta-endorphins—endorphins that improve overall mood. The next time you feel a little low or shaky, you might want to consider taking a shower to make your thoughts and emotions a little clearer and more manageable.