Looking for a way to reduce your anxiety? Limit your choices!
You may not realize that the myriad of choices you face every day increases your anxiety level. Most people don’t like thinking about limiting their choices. They feel it is a sort of deprivation. But experiment with limiting your choices and see if you don’t feel calmer. Here are some ways to get you started…
- Limit your wardrobe choices.
Don’t worry right now about getting rid of things and reorganizing everything in your closet, etc. Pretend you are going on a trip. Take out enough clothes for about ten days and just wear those clothes for about a month. Put the other clothes in a different closet, or in the back of your closet. Just concentrate on your limited wardrobe for the next month. It will be easier to get dressed, and you may find yourself getting creative with your outfits in a different way. If this idea appeals to you, you may be interested in doing the project 333 experiment. You take 33 items of clothing and wear them for the next three months. Find out more at theproject333.com. - Limit your food choices.
There are so many ways to do this. You could impose a no junk food for a month rule and see where that takes you. You could stop buying everyone’s favorite beverage and just drink water, tea or coffee. You could try being a vegetarian for awhile. You could choose 3 dinners and just buy what you need for those dinners at the grocery store. You could have a sandwich night one night a week. Think about eating more of the things you loved as a kid. Chances are it was pretty simple food, for example, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc. - Limit your schedule.
For a month, try to avoid doing anything you don’t HAVE to do. Cut out as much as possible. Having fewer obligations may just transform your life.
You can always add things back in if you need to. But I am willing to bet you will appreciate having less to think about when you limit your choices ahead of time.
