In this paper, we sought to understand how lifestyle choices can contribute to the overall reduction of anxiety, so that we could learn how to use this to our benefit. Previous research has found that anxiety can be reduced by music therapy, mindfulness, a dietary change, animal therapy and self-esteem enhancement. In our correlational study, we tested the strength of these relationships by examining naturalistic daily changes in their variables longitudinally over a period of one week. We measured music therapy by the amount of times we had music playing in our heads, mindfulness by time spent in a mindful state, vegan diet by how many vegetables were consumed, animal therapy by time spent exposed to animals, self-esteem enhancement by how many activities were exercised to help increase self-esteem, and anxiety on a subjective scale. Data pooled across participants in our correlational study showed that only mindfulness had a statistically significant correlation with anxiety. We found that although vegan diet and self-esteem enhancement showed a positive correlation with reduced anxiety, the strongest of all variables was increased mindfulness. A possible practical application of these findings could be the use of mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing and self-awareness, to reduce anxiety. A way to ease oneself from anxious moments.
