How to Manage Stress and Anxiety Naturally

The Hidden Impact of Chronic Stress

In my previous blog post, The Hidden Effects of Chronic Stress: Fight or Flight, I explored the impacts of chronic stress, one of which is the increased risk of anxiety. Stress and anxiety are deeply connected, creating a feedback loop that can leave us feeling stuck in a cycle of worry and overwhelm. But understanding the effects of stress is only part of the equation - we also need practical ways to manage stress and anxiety naturally.

Our lifestyle and environment are the biggest drivers of stress and anxiety. This is good! It means that if we're willing to make changes to our lifestyle and environment, we can take control of our mental well-being. As a health coach, I help my clients find effective, practical ways to reduce stress and anxiety. Many come to me after years of struggling, not realizing that small, sustainable lifestyle shifts can make a huge difference to how they feel on a daily basis.

The Link Between Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are intimately linked. When we feel anxious, our body activates the stress response, releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to prepare us for action. When we're regularly in this state for extended periods of time, our nervous system starts to adjust, like being recalibrated. It becomes more sensitive to stress triggers, and we become more likely to perceive things as threats, fuelling further anxiety - it's a vicious circle!

Unfortunately, our society is anxiogenic - there are many aspects of modern life that fuel anxiety and stress. More and more people are struggling with anxiety each year. In the UK, approximately 11.9% of the population (over 8 million people) experience an anxiety disorder at any given time, and reports show that anxiety rates have been rising. Our environment and lifestyle play a huge role in this increase:

• Processed foods dominate our diets, depriving our brains of the nutrients needed for healthy mood regulation and stress resilience.

• Manipulative advertising preys on our insecurities and leaves us feeling self-conscious and inadequate.

• Sedentary, indoor lifestyles mean we lack movement, fresh air, and exposure to nature—all crucial for mental well-being.

• Poor sleep habits are widespread, with most people failing to get the recommended 7–9 hours of nightly rest we need, affecting emotional regulation.

• People-pleasing culture encourages us to suppress our emotions to avoid conflict, leading to unresolved tension and emotional exhaustion.

• Scary headlines remind us every day about the climate crisis, wars, and economic instability, creating existential worry that we feel powerless to change.

  
  

Our symptoms—whether it’s anxiety, burnout, or physical symptoms—aren’t the real problem. They are our body's alarm bells, signaling that something in our environment or lifestyle needs to change. The good news? There are many natural strategies to help us regain balance.

Natural Strategies for Managing Stress and Anxiety

These are some of the strategies my clients have found most effective for reducing stress and managing anxiety naturally:

1. Breath and Movement

• Yoga and breathwork help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, shifting us out of fight-or-flight mode and into rest-and-digest mode. This relaxes the body and creates mental 'space' to view situations more objectively and process emotions.

• Gentle exercise (like walking, dancing, or stretching) reduces stress hormones, boosts feel-good endorphins. It also provides a change in routine, helps to build confidence, and can create opportunities to meet new friends.

• Grounding techniques help to pull your attention away from spiralling thoughts, and bring you back to the present moment when anxiety strikes. Try my body scan meditation, or the 5-4-3-2-1 method where you look around and identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

  
  

2. Prioritize Rest and Relaxation

• Sleep is essential for healthy minds and emotional regulation. When you're sleep deprived, you experience a negative emotional bias - this means that you perceive neutral or positive stimuli (like interactions and facial expressions) negatively. This worsens or creates anxiety and stress. Establishing a consistent, relaxing bedtime routine, which includes reduced screen time before bed, can help you fall asleep more quickly and get better quality sleep. What lots of people don't realise though, is that your body is preparing for sleep from the very moment you wake up, so what you do in the morning and throughout the day is just as important! Get some sunlight within the first hour of waking up - even if it's just sitting by an open window while you have your breakfast. Doing this will set your circadian rhythm so your body knows when it's bedtime.

• Create relaxation rituals, such as baths, lighting candles, meditating, or listening to calming music, to help your body and mind unwind. Creating a consistent ritual - where you do the same thing, in the same way, at the same place and/or time of day- helps create mental associations between the ritual and the feeling of relaxation, which means you will find it easier and easier to relax each time you repeat it.

3. Express Yourself and Find Joy

• Creativity and play are powerful stress relievers, and effective ways to process and express emotions and thoughts. Painting, journaling, dancing, or playing music can be very therapeutic.

• Laughter and fun release tension and help reset your nervous system—so don’t forget to engage in activities that bring you joy!

  
  

4. Support Your Body with Nutrition

• Eat whole, nutrient-dense foods rich in magnesium, omega-3s, and B vitamins - these nutrients are essential for supporting mood and stress resilience. Supplements can be helpful in the short term, but ideally we want a varied whole food diet, as it provides a wide range of essential nutrients. Reducing ultra-processed, sugary food and drink is equally important as they contribute to systemic inflammation which promotes anxiety

• Reduce caffeine and alcohol. Coffee produces its energising effect by releasing stress hormones, which exacerbate anxiety. Go for green tea instead, as it contains less caffeine, and theanine which provides a calm energy. Alcohol disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, so although it may initially relax you, your anxiety will increase the following day.

• Adaptogens like ashwagandha and rhodiola help regulate stress hormones and enhance your body’s ability to cope with stress. You only need a small daily amount, which can be added into smoothies or meals.

• Herbal teas (chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower) have calming properties that promote relaxation, and can be included as part of relaxation rituals.

5. Shift Your Mindset with Mindfulness and CBT

• Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps retrain the brain to respond to stress in healthier ways. Free apps like Insight Timer provide mindfulness meditations, and you can find free CBT resources online.

• Journaling and self-reflection can help identify thought patterns that fuel anxiety and allow you to reframe them.

• Gratitude practices are a simple, quick and effective way to retrain your brain, shifting focus away from worry and toward positive aspects of life, reducing stress and improving resilience. Simply set yourself a daily reminder, and take 2 minutes to write down 3 things you're grateful for - they can be as small as you like. Do this consistently for a couple of weeks and you'll be surprised how much it starts to change your thought patterns.

  
  

6. Identify and Address Your Triggers

• Recognize your triggers and acknowledge the factors in your daily life that are making your stress or anxiety worse. Be honest with yourself, and don't fall into the self-defeating trap of feeling shame about it.

• Identify what's within your control some of your triggers will be unavoidable, others will be things you have the power to avoid, change, or prepare for. Write them down in two lists. Do your best to accept the things you can't change - this may feel tough, but it's something that gets easier if you keep trying.

• Change what you can. If certain relationships drain you, learn to assert boundaries or, if necessary, distance yourself from toxic influences. If work stress is overwhelming, learn to say no or ask for help, or explore other job options. Some of these changes may not be easy, but they will certainly be easier than living with a lifetime of ever-worsening anxiety.

7. Remember: Fear is not your enemy

• Fear is a natural response to dangerous situations. It keeps us safe. In the right situations, fear actually helps us to perform better. They key is to recognise that sometimes, your feeling of fear may be mis-placed. There are factors in your life that may seem scary, but aren't actually life threatening. Practice using your logical mind to challenge those irrationally fearful thoughts.

• Feel the fear and do it anyway. We're often led to believe that brave people don't feel afraid. They do - everyone does! What makes someone brave is that they don't let the fear stop them. Confidence doesn't always come before the act - sometimes it's the act which gives you confidence in your ability to succeed. So whenever you can, do the thing that scares you instead of avoiding it. Doing this will help build your resilience, just like lifting weights helps make muscles stronger. The more you face your fears, the more you will teach yourself that you are strong, and you can cope, and the less scary those situations will seem in the future.

Take Back Control

You don’t have to be at the mercy of stress and anxiety. By making small, intentional changes, you can train your nervous system to shift out of chronic stress mode, reclaim your inner calm, and build resilience against life’s challenges.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start, I can help. As a health coach, I support my clients in making sustainable lifestyle changes that empower them to manage stress naturally. Whether you need guidance on nutrition, movement, mindset shifts, or creating a personalized self-care routine, I’ll work with you to find strategies that fit your life.

To find out more about how I can help you take control of your well-being, visit my services page.