Changing your habits can be hard. That’s why I believe that instead of focusing on changing a bunch of habits, instead pick 1 or 2 new habits to start on your journey to less anxiety and more peace. Here are 6 habits/things you can deploy today to reduce anxiety, relieve stress, and increase overall well-being.

GET 7-9 HOURS OF SLEEP PER NIGHT

We’ve known this for a very long time, but SLEEP IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I seriously cannot stress enough the importance of sleep for helping manage symptoms of anxiety. It’s really, really, really, really important—and, guess what? Americans aren’t sleeping enough. Besides impacting the health of your body, it also really impacts the health of your mind. Your brain spends those 7-9 hours making sense of the day’s experiences, healing things, putting things together, and relaxing. So, if there’s one thing you change in your life right now, it’s getting enough sleep. Sometimes it takes time to get on a better sleep schedule, so give yourself two weeks to get yourself adjusted.

DRINK ENOUGH WATER

This might be a weird one, but not drinking enough water can exacerbate your anxiety symptoms. A big study found that people who drank water had a lower risk for depression and anxiety. How much water should you be drinking in a day? If you halve your body weight, that’s how many ounces you should be drinking. If you weight 140 pounds, you should be drinking 70 ounces of water per day. So, carry a big ole water bottle around with you everywhere you go and sip on it all day. Always have said water bottle in arm’s reach.

BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CAFFEINE YOU’RE CONSUMING

For people with anxiety, caffeine can make symptoms way, way, way worse. If you really like your cup of morning Joe, try drinking half decaf/half regular—or even just straight up decaf. If you want a little caffeine kick, a cup of green tea doesn’t have nearly as much caffeine but gives just a little kick.

REDUCE YOUR TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Our phones are built to be addictive, so this can be especially hard. However, the amount of time spent on social media is correlated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Why? For a lot of reasons, but researchers suspect that it has to do with FOMO (fear of missing out) and also the human need for face-to-face connection. You can use time limiting apps on your phone to set limits on certain apps.

TAKE A HIKE AND GET OUT INTO NATURE

Nature, it turns out, is good for your anxiety. One study found that a 90 minute walk among the trees reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is where our anxious thoughts and ruminating come from. Why? Research has found that nature sounds can reduce cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone typically activated when we’re anxious. So, go into the woods or walk along a tree-lined bike path to reduce your anxiety.

AND SOMETIMES YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR ANXIETY…

You can’t always go at it alone. You can be perfect in all of these areas and still have anxiety. That’s where a mental health professional comes into the picture. If anxiety is running your life, there is help out there for anxiety.