How to Beat Stress and Anxiety

Related anecdata + a study I found useful. After an auto accident I used to stress out when driving. I would recognize that I was stressing out and try to clamp down on it... which worked quite poorly and made me more stressed. Things got to a points I would hear a crash in my head every time I switched lanes causing even more panic and stress. Things changed after I watched https://www.ted.com/talks/heidi_hanna_the_cure_for_stress . Instead of trying to clamp down I recognized that stressing out is making me more aware to keep me safe and leaned into it. That coupled with some structured breathing helped a lot in just a few weeks and a year later I got back into driving is fun mode.

Recent Huberman study showed that structured breath work has measurable positive effects - https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-37... . See more discussion on https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34480039

    While all four groups showed significant daily improvement in positive affect and reduction in state anxiety and negative affect, there were significant differences between mindfulness meditation and breathwork in positive affect

    Specifically, the cyclic sighing group showed more increase in positive affect toward the end of the study in a way that was significantly different than that for those randomized to mindfulness meditation, who had the least increase in positive affect

Instructions for cyclic sighing:

    First step - inhale slowly until the lungs are expanded.    
    Second step - inhale again once more to maximally fill the lungs.
    Third step - slowly and fully exhale until lungs are empty. 

    Repeat this pattern of breathing for 5 min. Ideally, both inhales are performed via nose and the exhale would be performed via mouth, but, if preferred, the breathing activity can be performed entirely through the nose. It is normal for the second inhale to be briefer than the first.

I am extremely excited that there is a follow up study being planned/worked on. One criticism I would give to the methodology is that instructions for cyclic sighing are by far the simplest compared to mindfulness meditation, box breathing, and cyclic hyperventilation with retention. As such it is possible that this method performed the best because it was simplest to follow.

1. Establish good sleep habits. Sleep is how the body recovers from stress.

2. Exercise daily. Movement is how the body puts the stress hormones to work.

3. Eat well. The gut-brain connection drives how we feel as we digest.

The most important thing I’ve learned about anxiety in the past year is that the conscious/cognitive part of your brain is not effective at calming down the stress response. I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with anxiety: https://amzn.to/3B3muZ9

Regarding number 3. I've developed some GI issues the last year and was diagnosed with celiac disease. My stress and anxiety are higher than ever. I've often reflected on whether the GI issues are causing my stress or just making me more aware of the stress that has always been there.

To point 1, this almost feels like catch-22. While sleep may be a way to recover from stress, stress is probably the single thing that impacts my sleep the most (aside from alcohol consumption, which is much easier to control).

Does anyone have any help or tips here?