FREE or Cheap Ways to Reduce Anxiety & Improve Sleep

FREE or Cheap Ways to Reduce Anxiety & Improve Sleep

Anxiety can take over your thoughts and make it hard to rest or feel at ease. At Mindful Psychological, we’re here to help you manage the stress, quiet your mind, and feel more like yourself again. Take care of your mental health in Tacoma, WA.

1. Don’t Put Yourself To Bed Too Early ($0)

Your body has a natural awake system and sleep system (sleep drive) which builds over the course of the day.  The strength of the sleep system depends upon the accumulation of sleep neurotransmitter adenosine. In order to increase the accumulation of adenosine, aka strengthen your sleep system, one must get out of bed earlier and go to bed later. Putting yourself to bed early, before you are tired, does not work. 

Stressing about needing to go to sleep early exacerbates anxiety and is a myth. You might be tired when you wake up in the morning, but outside of extreme circumstances during which a person endures extended periods with less than 5 hours of sleep, you will be okay.  

2. Chamomile Tea (<$5)

Having a non-caffeinated tea before bed does several things. For one, chamomile acts on GABA receptors - the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Your brain’s inhibitory system is crucial in counterbalancing the brain's excitatory activity (e.g., racing thoughts) and preventing overstimulation, which often causes that feeling of anxiety. But also, a warm soothing beverage is nice. Many people are so wrapped up by their anxiety, they are not taking care of themselves as they would a friend or a child. 

Ritualistic self-soothing activities can provide low stress structure to one's life which inevitably helps improve emotional regulation, calms the nervous system, promotes relaxation, and offers your brain multiple sensory points (i.e., sight, smell, taste, warmth) to pull you into the moment and out of your anxious thought loop (think mindfulness). 

3. L-Theanine ($10-$20)

While more research is needed, L-theanine is known for its calming effects by increasing levels of neurotransmitters like GABA, dopamine, and serotonin. It can help reduce stress and anxiety and lower the stress hormones like cortisol. Talk with your doctor about potential interacting effects with your medications.

4. Sun, Food, and Water ($0 +)

Unsurprisingly, attending to our fundamental needs is crucial to maintaining balance and good function of the whole mind body system. Sunlight helps melatonin production, and increases your serotonin levels resulting in a better mood and improved sleep quality. It also helps synchronize your circadian rhythm. 

5. Expend Energy ($0 +)

It's not uncommon that anxiety results from the brain's relentless pursuit to make the unpredictable predictable. Exercise not only gets you out of your head and into your body, via distraction, but it also boosts your mood and reduces stress… all essential to better mood and sleep. 

6. Bed Side Brain Dump

Sometimes we are anxious and not sleeping because our lives are objectively overflowing with tasks or disorganization. Trying to remember everything that needs to be done can produce anxiety and interrupt sleep. Try keeping a paper and pen beside to brain dump anything that comes to mind that you don't want to forget. This should take less than 5 minutes. Tell yourself you can let it go because you have noted it and will attend to the details in the morning. Do not journal, this is simply dumping things out of your working memory so you can tend to the task at hand- relaxing. 

Trust Mindful Psychological to help you with our anxiety therapy in Seattle. Whether you're struggling with racing thoughts, constant worry, or sleepless nights, we’re here to help you reset your mind, improve your sleep, and face each day with greater clarity and calm. Let us guide you toward a healthier, more grounded version of yourself—starting today.