16 Natural Things Men over 35 Can Do To Calm Anxiety And Stress

I fucking hate anxiety. At some point in my life this annoying issue started to hit me really hard, I think that was when I hit around 35. Now as I get older (now 39), I am realizing how debilitating anxiety can be and trying to find healthy ways to combat anxiety.

Now I know this is very off topic for what our site is. We are a travel blog, but this is one area of my life I want to share so that it might help people.

Anxiety solutions for Men over 35

At what age does anxiety start?

It all started at a very young age, my mother and father divorced when I was around 6 years old. My dad unfortunately had some mental health issues that eventually led to him committing suicide in his latter years. My mother was left with 2 young kids to raise on her own.

We did not come from money so my mother had to struggle a lot to make ends meet. I remember after my father leaving, our couches were repossessed from a store. The feeling I got could have been one of my first signs of anxiety. I felt like I was loosing everything. First my father, then my couches……what is next?

Well the answer came very fast, our house was then repossessed. Fuck now what?

At the time, my mom was trying to get back on her feet. She did this by working a lot, she swore these things would never happen to us again. She worked multiple jobs tirelessly.

At the same time she had my sister and I in every type of activity you would want to be in. It was very impressive, I learned to ski, tennis, gymnastics, karate, soccer, swimming and more. I know now that for a parent this is exhausting.

I also know that this creates a rush lifestyle that can affect the kids later in life. Every Monday my son goes to school, then he goes to kickboxing, then I go to jiu jitsu and work etc. It is the day we are the busiest and it feels like we don’t get downtime. It makes me feel anxious.

How did anxiety start in my life?

I think without realizing it my mother created an entire anxious lifestyle, where we were always rushing around.

Really we rushed everything we did. We rushed to eat, rushed to school, rushed to swimming, rushed changing after swimming.

Now in my older life now that I am 39, I am really trying not to do this as I want my kids to have a more relaxing life. It did affect me negatively as all throughout my 20s and early 30s, I would pack my schedule. This is a big part of the reason I have anxiety…I do it to myself.

So here it is, the ultimate no bullshit list of things I do to combat anxiety.

16 Tips men over 35 can take to cope with anxiety and stress

1. Hot Yoga for anxiety

Hot Yoga is an amazing way to help you rid yourself of anxiety. Not only will you get a kickass sweaty workout, but you will Zalsohave a lot of time to think in peace. One of the things people with anxiety always have is something in their brain that will not relax.  Hot yoga can help you hash things out in your head.

2. Meditation for Anxiety

My friends and I talk a fair bit about anxiety. Trust me, wayyy more people than you think deal with this shit. A close friend of mine suggested that I try to go to a meditation class. I’m down to try almost anything if it is going to help me so I went.

It was a pleasant surprise. Meditation is one of the best things I have ever done for my anxiety. The classes are led by someone suggesting what you should think about. It steered my mind in directions of positivity rather than the negative thoughts anxiety brings on. Meditation promotes positive self talk. People with anxiety always think of dumb shit that makes them feel bad.

After leaving the meditation class, I was relaxed and excited to get home to the people I love. I was more appreciative about my health and my job. It really helps you to put things into perspective.

3. Lifting weights with anxiety

Lifting weights can be really good for people with anxiety because it burns some of that shitty energy you are holding inside and makes you feel good. You may feel like your body or health is not what you want them to be, or you might feel like you are dying….I don’t know. Trust me when I say this, if you lift weights you will feel better about yourself, because you are actually doing something good for yourself.

Lifting weights will also give you a lot of time to think about specific things. I spend a lot of time thinking about my work when I lift weights and I listen to podcasts while I do this. Not all the time but sometimes, this helps me with motivation.

4. Have Sex with anxiety

If you are thinking about anything but sex when you are having sex we have a problem. Over the years I have used sex as a positive outlet for my anxiety. I didn’t even realize it at the time, but it just made me feel good and helped calm the rushing thoughts in my brain.

Having sex releases good feeling hormones in your brain, this is probably why sex is really good for anxiety.

5. Shopping with anxiety

I think if a doctor was writing this article they would probably tell you that shopping is not a healthy outlet, so don’t take my word for it. Disclaimer. I am not a doctor, I am a person that suffers with anxiety.

I freaking love shopping when I am anxious. It helps me take my mind off of things and to direct my focus on something other than what is in my head or what I have to do. Lately I have been doing more pre- research into what I am going to buy and this made me anxious. So I will revert back to just going to the mall and spending a few bucks.

Either way you should be shopping on a budget, so don’t blow the bank. Do just enough to make you relax. If malls are not your thing then don’t do this.

6. A Prioritized to Do List for people with Anxiety

I live by to do lists. If you are suffering from anxiety, you had better start doing this. I put everything I feel like I need to do in my to do list in my iPhone. I would add so much shit throughout the day that it eventually started making me feel anxious because I could not finish the list.

So I started to prioritize every item on the list. Starting with the absolute must do items. There should only be 2 or three of these per day. After those are complete I move on to secondary and tertiary items. The 3rd really does not need to happen today. But getting through one or 2 of those items every day really ads up at the end of a week.

7. Kayaking with Anxiety

Kayaking is good for anxiety the same way meditation is. You are in your head and you have a set purpose. While I am kayaking my set purpose is as simple as getting to a destination and then to return to my launch point. It allows me to be out in nature and to fell grounded with mother nature.

Kayaking allows you to be in your own head and hash out some of the things you are concerned with. If you are over 35, you probably have a lot to be concerned with. Family, money, bills, taxes etc are all at the top of your mind.

Kayaking will allow you to simplify the moment for a brief moment. Your mind needs room to breath.

8. Hiking and Anxiety

Hiking is so relaxing. Most people think hiking is a lot of work and a wicked form of exercise. I agree it is a good form of exercise, but for me hiking is a spiritual experience that brings me closer to nature.

Humans have some natural tendencies inside of them, and one of mine is escapism. I love to just bounce out and disappear for short periods of time. I think this is why my family goes on vacation so often. My brain needs to unwind from the daily anxiety that I deal with.

Every time I go on vacation I use hiking as a method of exploring the areas around me. My wife and kids usually sleep in, but I can’t….fucking anxiety… I try to let them enjoy their sleep as much as they can and I head out for a jog/hike.

Hiking gives me the free time alone to understand and develop my thoughts. When you are constantly “at it”, your brain does not have the time to carefully decipher things. When you are hiking you have this time to just be. I love it. Usually when I come back from hiking, I have a feeling of appreciation to be in the presence of my family.

9. Muay Thai Kickboxing for Anxiety

Punching and kicking things in the right setting can be amazing for your anxiety. I do kickboxing a couple of times a week and it forces me out of my comfort zone.

Sometimes it gives me anxiety thinking about going to kickboxing, but once I am there all other problems clear away. You will have no time to think about dumb shit, all you will think about is the person leg kicking you and what you need to do to stay out of pain.

I’m not saying that all kickboxing is painful, I do this competitively and get a cheap thrill out of sparring with people that know how to fight.

The reason I say this is great for anxiety in men over 35 is because it makes you feel young. During your kickboxing session your fight or flight response is high. This can lead to increased testosterone and make a man feel like they are younger.

Age anxiety is a bitch and no man or woman likes to face the fact they are aging. Many of the hormones and chemicals are not released as much as we age and Muay Thai kickboxing helps with this. Now go punch something!

Anxiety Solutions for men over 35

10. Practice Thankfulness

When you practice thankfulness, your whole mindset will change. During most of the activities I wrote about in this anxiety blog today, I practice thankfulness.

Now what the fuck do you have to be thankful for…..Well first and foremost you can be thankful for your health if you have it. There are millions of people in this world with horrible debilitating health problems. If you are lucky enough not to have one of these, then you can be very thankful for that.

Having a bad disease can ruin every single part of your life including family life, sex life, work life and more.

Do you have a family? A wife? Kids? If you do, you need to realize you are one lucky mofo. There are a lot of people in the world that could never have kids, there are many people who’s spouses have cheated on them. And there are many people that just can’t find someone.

Believe it or not, I know a lot of women that cannot find a man that is worthy of them.

Be thankful of what you have and give consideration for those that do not have. The next time this shitty thought comes into your head, remember there are children that cannot find food to eat and that there are people that die from starvation. You are lucky.

11. Get Shit Done, stop procrastinating

Procrastination is one of the worst things that people with anxiety are notorious for. I make all of these lists and plans and then sometimes, I don’t get any of it done. This creates more anxiety. For example, I fucking hate taxes but I own a small business. I sometimes wait longer than I should to get this done because of the work it takes, and then I end up paying the price.

There is always a price to pay….You don’t do your taxes, you pay. You don’t exercise, you pay.  Don’t spend time with your family, you will definitely pay.

12. Have a glass of wine

Again, this is another one of those things the doctors don’t recommend but I do. Right now as you are reading this, it is late in the evening and my anxiety level is pretty high. To unwind, I went to the gym, came home and had a couple glasses of wine and had sex. Honestly I feel so chilled right now I could just go to sleep.

Not everything “they say” is correct. Dealing with anxiety is more than just medication and psychiatric treatment. For most people it can be natural.

13. Take a bath

Taking a bath relaxes you and gives you time to think by yourself, with no distraction. It can also help you sleep. Sleeping is one of the best ways to deal with anxiety. Sometimes I will have a bath with my significant other and it leads into sex, that is also a relaxant.

Clear your mind by spending time in there thinking about positive thoughts rather than the shit that is not important.

14. Steam room or Sauna for anxiety

For me I usually hit up a steam room or sauna right after the gym. I spend way more time than I plan to in the gym because of the hot rooms. While I am there, I take a lot of deep breaths and it releases tension in my chest. This is a symptom of anxiety that is super annoying.

I have random chats in the steam room with strangers that I somehow find therapeutic. They are general conversations about nothing important at all.

I think sometime the reason I like this general conversation is that there is nothing bad that can really come out of it. You are communicating, you are expressing and there is no real judgement. And if there is, you don’t give as shit because the conversation is with a stranger.

15. Have a Plan for your anxiety

If you suffer from anxiety when you are over 35 years old, you need to have a plan. Anxiety is like stress, it can take a toll on your life span. It can affect any areas of your life including your relationships with your family and friends, and your work.

If you have a plan on how to combat anxiety, you will have a better chance of being productive in anxiety. I don’t think there is a real cure for it.. I just think it is a thing some people deal with because of the way their brains are wired.

In my situation, I always try to have a plan for how I am going to deal with how I feel. It took me many years to get to this stage and it will take me many more to master it. By that time, I hope to help as many people as this article will reach to deal with anxiety.

16. Sleep for people with anxiety

Getting a proper sleeps helps me a lot with my anxiety. I don’t mean sleeping all day as many people with depression do, I mean getting 8-9hrs of really good rest.

Avoid alcohol or any other types of stimulants before you go for the ultimate sleep and try to things that promote sleeping, like taking a hot bath.

The point of this is to let your body get the rem sleep it needs so that your can really function properly. When you sleep well, you brain is in its optimal performance and will just function way better.

As I said before, I am not a doctor. Only someone that suffer from anxiety. I combine many of the items I listed above to improve my well being and anxiety level.

Common Questions about Anxiety

1. What are the symptoms of anxiety?

Some of the symptoms of anxiety are excessive worry, problems sleeping, Panic attacks,Muscle tension, Nausea and irregular heartbeat.n Yeah it really sucks.

2. Should I take medication if I have anxiety?

Medication is a good option if your anxiety disorder is out of hand and you have exhausted other options like the ones listed above.

The medication is actually anti depressants and can take a negative toll on your body. Try using the methods above first.

3. Is anxiety a mental problem?

Yes I believe it is. Anxiety is something that comes from your brain and can affect your entire body.

4. Does Anxiety lead to suicide?

I’m sure people have committed suicide after having anxiety. Anxiety is not the same as depression but some of the symptoms are very close.

5. Can you get anxiety from drinking alcohol?

Yes, my anxiety is always worse after a night of getting hammered. You are much better off to drink in moderation to avoid this.

If you have any more insight or questions about how I deal with anxiety, please shoot us an email or comment. We want our health and wellness blogs to be the most comprehensive source of information about anxiety for men on the internet.

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