Do hoodies help with anxiety? (A complete look)

In this brief guide, we will answer the question “Do hoodies help with anxiety”and give you a few tips to overcome your anxiety.

Do Hoodies help with anxiety?

It is possible that Hoodies help with anxiety, as it has been seen that a person’s clothes can make a huge difference to their experience of anxiety.

There is a huge market for things like heavy blankets and soft clothes that are directed towards those suffering from anxiety, and hoodies also fall under the same category due to the feeling of safety they make the wearer feel.

In addition, the softness of fabric in hoodies can also bring about a feeling of calm in people who are likely to feel the agitation that people with anxiety often feel.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is defined as a state of constant fear and general feeling of apprehension, as well as feeling like something bad is going to happen. This leads the person to be fearful and conscious all the time and this has a very bad effect on the body.

Anxiety results from primitive mechanisms that are supposed to keep us safe from a threat by keeping us sharp but when the body starts getting activated for no reason it causes extreme stress and this is called anxiety.

For people who have mild versions of anxiety, simple measures like relaxation, and wearing comfortable clothes such as hoodies and being in safe spaces can help.

Those who do not get better with these things like these need professional help and probably medicines.

Symptoms of anxiety

These are some of the symptoms of generalized anxiety.

·       Feeling nervous, restless or tense

·       Constantly feeling like you are in danger, panic, or feelings of dread

·       Constant rapid heart rate that increases when you are slightly more afraid

·       Rapid breathing on occasion also known as hyperventilation

·       Increased sweating

·       Trembling or twitching muscles

·       Weakness, lethargy

·       Having difficulty while focusing

·       Not being able to think clearly about anything other than whatever it is you’re worried about, or in case of generalized anxiety just not being able to stop worrying and being distracted due to that

·    Trouble sleeping

·    Frequently occurring digestive or gastrointestinal issues like gas, constipation, or diarrhea

·   A very strong need and tendency to avoid the things that feel scary for no reason

Symptoms of Panic attacks

Another thing that hoodies are thought to help with tremendously due to their comforting features is panic attacks.

A panic attack is a debilitating problem, which is characterized by the sudden onset of fear or distress, which tends to peak in minutes and may involve some of these following symptoms:

·       Palpitations

·       Excessive sweating

·       Shaking or trembling

·       Feeling shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

·       Feeling like you are choking

·       Chest pains or tightness in the chest

·       nausea or stomach rumbling

·       Dizziness or light-headedness

·       Feeling change in temperature in extremes

·       Numbness or tingling sensations especially in the limbs

·       Feeling detached from reality which is clinically known as depersonalization and derealization

·       fear of “going crazy” or losing control

·       fear of dying or general apprehension of something bad happening.

Why do hoodies help with anxiety?

Hoodies may not be the final fix for anxiety but they can help with the symptoms until you can get yourself some significant help.

Anxiety may or may not be a reason why you choose certain clothes but what you wear does influence your level of confidence.

Hoodies are comfortable choices and generally help your self-esteem and can influence the experience of anxiety.

Also bear in mind, that the power of first impressions is great, and if you feel like you are presenting yourself to the world in a non-threatening manner, the world may see you that way as well, and the feeling that you won’t be noticed can also do wonders for people who are suffering from anxiety in any form.

Hoodies also tend to help with anxiety because as children we associate safety with comfort, and hoodies are the ultimate comfort clothes.

This is another possible reason why hoodies help with anxiety.

Clothes and anxiety

Clothes are important, they tend to play a role in what others think of us and therefore, how they treat us.

Sometimes people may seem like they have paid no attention to what they are wearing, whether it’s hoodies or anything else.

In these cases, it may be because they don’t feel enough motivation to make any effort whatsoever with their appearance.

It may also be because it causes them too much stress and the decisions that they are faced with when they try to figure out what to wear, can have a negative result where their anxiety is concerned.

Sometimes little decisions like what you wear may actually lead to feelings of rejection from themselves and even paranoia that people won’t like, and this can easily cause anxiety and panic attacks.

In general, one’s clothing must be appropriate for certain situations, and that is the common social convention, for example, at work or at college, etc.

Beyond that stressing about what you wear is not beneficial and can be avoided.

Keeping that in mind clothes like hoodies tend to be a great, safe option for most people in a variety of situations and they have the added advantage of feeling comfortable.

Also one needs to keep in mind that they may not care about their attire very much, but sometimes the constant anxiety that they may be experiencing may well be associated with situations in which their choice of clothing might make a difference to their social interactions. 

Comfort dressing and Anxiety

Let’s face it, comfort dressing helps with the worst of moods, so it should obviously help with anxiety as well, which is probably why hoodies feel so good on those days when you feel like everything will go wrong and you just need a hug all day.

One major thing that can lift your mood a lot is just dressing comfortably.

Some outfits make you look nice are but are extremely uncomfortable, and ones that feel great tend to look shabby or too casual, like hoodies.

However, it is possible that a pair of 4-inch heels or a pair of skinny jeans or an old belt may be contributing to your anxiety.

Just because looking fashionable is important too, make sure you are not sacrificing peace of mind for it.

It’s obvious that it will be hard to feel good when your feet are aching or your internal organs are getting squashed under tight clothes.

In addition, you need to keep in mind that wearing tight clothes and wrong size shoes or accessories also makes you feel bad about your body, which further worsens anxiety.

Tips to reduce anxiety

Apart from wearing hoodies, there’s a lot of other things you can do to help with anxiety.

Exercise regularly.

Regular exercise is always good for mental and physical health.

Exercise works together with medication eases anxiety very quickly for most people.

It has also been seen that it’s not a short-term fix; you may continue to experience relief from anxiety for hours after exercising.

You can also try meditation, which has been shown to have great effects on stress and anxiety.

Stop smoking

Smokers often crave cigarettes, particularly during stressful times.

But research indicated that cigarette smoking when you’re stressed is just a quick fix that may lead to an increase in the experience of anxiety eventually.

It has also been proven that the sooner you start smoking in life, the higher risk of suffering from an anxiety disorder later.

Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol acts as a sedative on the body.

Drinking a glass of wine tends to be good for you, and a small glass of whiskey may not seem like a bad idea.

However when it starts to happen when you are stressed out it becomes a habit and it reinforces your habit of drinking every time you get anxious, leading eventually to an anxiety disorder as well as substance dependence.

Better sleep habits

Insomnia is commonly included in the symptoms of anxiety.

Anxiety can also make it hard to sleep, due to panicky thoughts or repetitive worries that won’t leave your mind.

You can try some meditation music to take these thoughts out of your mind or listen to some soothing podcasts that are specifically aimed at putting people to sleep.

Sleep stories are becoming quite famous for putting people to sleep, people with anxiety benefit from these enormously.

Try avoiding caffeine as well. It’s one of the biggest hindrances to sleep and it tends to make you wired in general as well, which may further worsen your anxiety.

This is a handy list of the best sleep music for anxiety.

Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet

Nutrition can cause all sorts of mental health issues, try to reduce them by looking after your diet.

Low blood sugar levels, dehydration, or an abundance of processed foods may bring about mood changes in most people.

Avoid eating a diet that is too high in sugar, as it can also affect your temperament.

If you ever notice that your anxiety is becoming even worse after eating, you need to assess your eating habits.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day, try to reduce or completely remove processed foods from your diet, and eat fruits and vegetables regularly.

You can add mushroom to your diet, check the best Mushrooms supplements for anxiety.

Deep or abdominal breathing

Shallow or fast breathing or palpitations is the most common symptoms of anxiety.

It can easily lead to a rapid heart rate and lightheadedness, which can make the anxiety even worse because now you have actual problems to worry about in your body.

Deep breathing exercises are basically a process where there is a deliberate taking of slow, even, deep breaths.

These remind your body of how it is supposed to breathe and also that the impending danger has passed. Once that happens your breathing can normalize.

Abdominal breathing is a similar process, only in this process, you place a hand on your stomach as you breathe, and feel it inflate and deflate with breaths. This puts you in touch with your body and helps alleviate some of the hectic feelings.

Aromatherapy and other fragrances

Aromatherapy makes use of lovely fragrant essential oils that are meant to promote healthy feelings of well-being and calm

Different aromatherapy oils cause different things but most increase the sense of calm. Aroma candles are also used for aromatherapy. Check the Best Candle for Anxiety.

They may be inhaled directly or added to a warm bath or diffuser. A relaxing bath can be very beneficial, you can add bath salts to your bubble bath, check the Lush Bath Bombs for Anxiety site and our Epsom Salts top.

Studies have shown that aromatherapy and even fragrances, in general, are very good for soothing frayed nerves, much like hoodies do for stressed-out individuals.

Taking a deep breath of a nice smelling substance does two things, it makes you take a deep breath when you are stressed, and the fragrance distracts you and reminds you of a pleasant experience.

This is a list of the best essential oil blends that you can use for aromatherapy treatment for depression and anxiety. Also, check the best blends offered by dōTERRA that help with anxiety, also find them in roll-on.

Aside from herbal essences, a famous product is Fish Oil for Anxiety, rich in omega-3, check out which ones are the best.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we discussed “Do hoodies help with anxiety”. Please reach out with any questions or comments that you have.

FAQ: Do hoodies help with anxiety

Citations:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a3avee/the-connection-between-athleisure-and-anxiety

https://calmwear.net/