sugarcoat butcher: Another Excellent Article from Dr. Laura Ruby

How a Wellness Focus Benefits Anxiety (from Laura Ruby?s Blog)

Wellness is a term without a true definition. Some people define wellness as a type of lifestyle dedicated to healthier living, including fitness and healthy eating. Others attribute it more towards a mindset ? a life that is geared in the direction of being both spiritually and emotionally fulfilled. Still others believe it is a combination of all factors, and true wellness is about your ability to simply perfect who you are in terms of smart decision making, healthy living, and life passion.

Yet no matter how you define wellness, it?s clear that wellness?has a positive effect on anxiety. The positive mental health benefits of wellness are so pronounced that?more than 80%?of all Fortune 500 companies are currently utilizing some type of wellness program, because wellness cuts down on lost work time, improves productivity, reduces turnover, and more.

The Effects of Wellness on Anxiety

It doesn?t matter how you personally define wellness ? every component of wellness systems is geared towards living with less stress, and each one has known benefits for providing relief from daily anxiety. Consider the following components:

Fitness is one of the clearest ways that wellness benefits anxiety. Some studies have found that exercise itself is as powerful as some anti-anxiety medications, with particular emphasis on?its release of endorphins?? neurotransmitters that are strongly believed to affect mood. Fitness also burns stress hormones, and maintains a healthier body chemistry ? all extremely important for controlling anxiety.

Healthy eating is also important for controlling anxiety. Heavy, fattening, oil-rich foods affect breathing patterns and energy levels, all of which are important for relieving stress and improving quality of life. Smart eating also improves self-confidence, and provides nutrients which may help regulate your mood and prevent health issues.

Spiritual fulfillment is a broad term, and affects each person on an individual level that is hard to quantify. Perhaps a better term is ?mindfulness? ? the ability to be in touch with your own emotions in order to control them. Techniques that tap into spirituality, such as yoga and meditation, are all designed to provide some sense of mindfulness and spirituality, which is also highly beneficial for controlling anxiety levels.

Goal setting is its own personal therapy as well. Goal setting aligns individuals with a purpose, and by focusing the person?s energies on tasks, it prevents the mind from wandering towards negative thoughts and living life as a day to day chore. The accomplishment that comes from reaching goals can also create a level of fulfillment that is beneficial for stress and anxiety.

Finally, many wellness programs focus on giving the person back some type of internal motivation in life. There is often a coaching component that is designed to be more uplifting and help someone regain their own mental energy. Personal passion is also beneficial for anxiety, because it ensures that you?re staying consistently mentally active, often with other positive emotions like hope. Those that have regained their passion for life use their minds more, are generally positive thinkers, and are able to withstand some of life?s stresses.