30 Day Anxiety Challenge, Day 1: Take A Brisk 10 Minute Walk
The day has arrived! I’m so glad you’re joining me in taking the 30 Day Anxiety Challenge. Over the next month, we are going to explore 30 different ways to help manage our anxiety and panic. Before you begin, make sure that you have downloaded the 30 Day Anxiety Challenge Tracker to track all of the progress you’ll be making. If you’ve gotten here from the web, be sure to sign up to the E-mail list to get the full 30 day program. Now, let’s learn how to manage our anxiety!
DAY 1 CHALLENGE: Take A Brisk 10 Minute Walk
How To Meet Todays Goal:
Take 10 minutes at some point today to take a brisk 10 minute walk before midnight tonight. If it’s raining, wear a rain jacket. Don’t make excuses, just go out and walk. It will only require 10 minutes out of the 1,440 minutes available to you today.
How It Helps Anxiety:
While it may seem silly to say that walking can help manage your anxiety there is a lot of science behind it. You may be saying, “I walk every day and still suffer from anxiety”. Today though, you’re going to walk with a different mindset. You are going to walk with the intention of knowing that this walk can help you manage your anxiety today.
Walking Gets You Moving
It is hard for anxiety to exist without energy. It requires a significant amount of mental energy to actually have anxiety. Using up your energy through physical movement chips away at that stored energy which leaves you with less energy for anxiety and panic. By walking, you are releasing a chunk of that potential anxiety and putting it into something that has positive effects on your life.
Walking Gets You Breathing
One way we can work ourselves into anxiety is by not properly breathing. We begin to get a shortness of breath which causes less oxygen to go through our body which triggers physical symptoms which scare us into inadvertently exasperating the anxiety. When you are walking at a pace that is comfortable for you, your breathing is much more controlled. You are forced to breathe in and out at regular intervals which gets that oxygen running through our system and gives anxiety less of a chance to creep in.
Wrap-Up:
Are you ready? Put some comfortable shoes on, throw on your headphones (if you want) and get out there. Don’t let anything stop you from meeting your goal today. You can begin to manage your anxiety right now! So get out there and take that first step.
Join us in the private Facebook group for support of others doing the 30 Day Anxiety Challenge.
Additional Resources:
Scientists Discover A Walk Soothes The Brain
Walking May Decrease Anxiety More Than Rigorous Exercise
Explore Further:
Walking Away From Depression: A Guide For Treating Depression With Gentle Walks – Michael McDonald
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