Anxiety is an emotional problem that everyone can experience from time to time. It's normal to feel tense before giving a show or taking an exam, or even when you're very busy or on your mind. However, anxiety itself is more than just stress. If anxiety persists for a long time, and you are unable to relieve it, further examination may be of benefit to you. Anxiety can take the form of mental health disorders, leading to severe worrying, panic attacks, social anxiety, and even obsessive compulsive disorder. If you suspect you are suffering from excessive anxiety, consulting a psychologist or psychiatrist about this is the right step.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Stop consuming anxiety-inducing foods and/or drinks
It may sound trivial, but changing your daily food intake can have a big impact on your anxiety level. If you feel anxious, panicky, or stressed on a daily basis, try to implement at least one of the following dietary changes. Reconsider your intake of the following anxiety-inducing foods:
- Coffee. The most popular energy drink of all time may also be one of the main triggers for anxiety. If you drink coffee every day, try switching to decaffeinated tea or just water for a few weeks. Stopping coffee intake may be hard, but over time it can reduce your stress levels.
- Sugar and flour. People often eat sugary, starchy snacks (such as ice cream, pastries, or pasta) to reduce stress because these foods can provide a temporary feeling of calm. In fact, the increase and decrease in blood sugar levels that occur after eating foods like this can actually cause emotional stress and stress.
- Alcohol. After a tiring day at the office, many people try to get rid of it with alcoholic drinks. Alcohol may seem to relieve stress in an instant, but the after effects will take away that feeling of relaxation. Avoid alcohol intake, and if you do consume it, be sure to restore fluids to reduce the risk of a severe hangover afterward.
Step 2. Include mood stabilizing foods in your diet
Maintaining health by following a balanced diet does more than stabilize mood. When your body is properly nourished, you will be better able to avoid anxiety during stressful situations. To avoid the negative effects of coffee, alcohol, and sugar on mental health, try to replace these foods with fruits and vegetables.
- Increase your intake of antioxidant-rich foods such as blueberries and acai berries. Foods like these can improve mood and lower the hormones responsible for stress.
- Foods rich in minerals such as magnesium include whole grains (pasta and bread), maca root, and seaweed. Most people do not get the recommended intake of magnesium which can trigger a variety of symptoms, including anxiety.
- Foods and drinks that contain GABA, a neurotransmitter that improves sleep and relaxation, should be consumed regularly. Some of them are kefir (fermented milk product), kimchi, and oolong tea.
Step 3. Try a stress-relieving exercise
Research shows that regular exercise can relieve everyday symptoms of anxiety as well as help with anxiety disorders. Exercising can increase feelings of happiness, both while you are doing it and for several hours afterward. Cardiovascular exercise, such as running or cycling, as well as weightlifting and other muscle-building exercises, can reduce anxiety.
- Consider trying yoga. The comfortable atmosphere of the yoga studio, and the opportunity to calm and focus your mind on yourself for about an hour make this practice very beneficial for calming anxiety.
- If just imagining it makes you anxious, try starting with low-intensity exercise on a regular basis. You don't have to join a team or sign up for a gym to get enough exercise, just taking a walk around the house can go a long way in improving your mood every day.
Step 4. Do deep breathing exercises
Breathing deeply and slowly can immediately relieve your stress levels. Most people breathe shallowly by drawing air into the lungs and then exhaling it quickly. When we feel stressed, our breath flow will tend to speed up which in turn will increase stress. So, try to prioritize abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing. Your stomach should bulge when you breathe.
- Breathing deeply and slowly can bring more air in than lung breathing, and can also help lower blood pressure, relax muscles, and calm you down.
- Try to breathe in for a count of 4, hold it for a count of 3, then exhale for a count of 4. Maintaining a breathing rate of 8 breaths or less per minute will immediately reduce anxiety levels.
Step 5. Do what you love
Often times, anxiety accumulates when you don't have a chance to take a break from life's problems. So take at least 10 minutes a day to indulge in a relaxing hobby or entertainment. These activities may include reading, exercising, playing music, or creating art. Opportunities to channel tension will help remove anxiety from your mind in the short and long term.
- If you have a little time to spare, consider taking an activity course that interests you. If you love jewelry, consider signing up for a ringmaking course. If you want to learn a new language, take a course provided by a language teacher or consider enrolling in a program at a local language institute.
- During an activity that you enjoy, make a conscious choice not to think about things that trigger stress. Eliminating it from your mind allows you to enjoy the activity more and prevents you from recalling it later.
Step 6. Relax at home with friends and family
When you're at home, you should be completely free of anxiety. Home and the people you care about should be places where you relax. When facing a lot of stress, take some time and relax at home. Make sure you have enough time to spend with those closest to you in a fun and stress-free atmosphere.
- Take a hot bath, listen to relaxing music, and avoid anything that can make your anxiety worse.
- If no one is home with you, call a friend, or ask someone to come over. Spending time with someone you care about can make you feel good.
- Talk about your feelings with a family member or friend. Say something like, "I've been feeling anxious lately, and this feeling makes me unhappy. Have you ever felt it?"
Step 7. Avoid being overly busy
If you've been busy all day, bringing work home from work, and stressed out finishing your school paper, you may be overwhelmed and feel even more anxious. Make a schedule of activities that you must do and reduce a few other activities. Giving yourself time to deal with your anxiety will help you deal with it in the long run.
- While it's fine to spend time with friends on a regular basis, doing this too often can lead to anxiety due to the fear of letting down and losing time to yourself. Make a schedule to meet friends in a certain time span by leaving plenty of time for yourself in between.
- Learn to say "no" to some requests. Whether it's work or help, it's normal to refuse other people's requests from time to time.
Step 8. Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep can make anyone feel tired and exhausted, and this can be even worse for those with anxiety. Lack of sleep can make you anxious, and exacerbate thoughts that cause anxiety. So, make sure to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This is useful for regulating sleep patterns and improving the quality of your sleep at night.
- If you have trouble sleeping or staying awake, try taking a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is a hormone that the body produces to help you sleep well. You can buy this hormone in low-dose pills at most health food stores.
- Avoid using cell phones, laptops, and TV an hour before bedtime. This equipment can interfere with healthy sleep and inhibit the body's production of adequate melatonin due to the sharp light.
Method 2 of 3: Coping With Anxiety With Mental Tactics
Step 1. Deal with a source of anxiety that you can control
There are many different situations that trigger anxiety, and determining what exactly is making you anxious and dealing with it will help. If you haven't prepared your tax returns, for example, you may feel lighter once you've successfully completed them.
- Keep a journal to help find out what really spoils your mood. Writing down your thoughts can often help you identify previously unconscious sources of anxiety, as well as provide inspiration on how to deal with them.
- While a source of anxiety may feel out of control, you may be able to change something within it to reduce the stress. For example, if you're feeling anxious about the holidays and visiting extended family, look for ways to deal with it differently. For example, try inviting a large family over to your house, so you don't have to travel. Or, host an event at a restaurant so you don't have to take them home. Find a side that you can control in any stressful situation.
Step 2. Avoid sources of anxiety that you can't control
If certain situations make you feel anxious, you can avoid them. If you don't like traveling by plane, and feel that this fear will never go away, you can just drive a car. Know your limits, and practice taking care of yourself. However, dealing with anxiety is very important if it starts to interfere with your life. For example, if your job requires you to travel a lot by airplane, driving a car may not be a practical option so you may want to see a psychologist to deal with anxiety about traveling by airplane.
- If your financial, social, work, or home conditions are declining, such as losing your job or getting a poor job evaluation, having problems in your personal relationships or other aspects of avoiding anxiety triggers, it's time to seek help from a psychologist or psychiatrist.
- If certain people in your life trigger anxiety and you don't feel comfortable/unable to deal with them, make changes so you don't have to be around them anymore.
- If work or school is stressful, take some time during the day, turning off your cell phones and laptops to relieve the resulting anxiety. If you notice your anxiety is related to work email, cut emailing out of your life a little.
Step 3. Practice meditation
Relaxation and meditation practices are very effective in reducing anxiety levels. There are many different types of meditation, so try different methods and choose the one that makes you most comfortable and relaxed. You can practice meditation whenever you feel a panic attack is coming, or every other day to lower your overall anxiety level.
Guided meditation is a great option for beginners. Guided meditation can be done right away, but it may be easier to buy a meditation CD or watch the videos on YouTube to get started. You can learn self-soothing techniques when your heart starts to beat fast or when you can't control your thoughts
Step 4. Practice mindfulness meditation
This meditation practice focuses on the particular thought or thought pattern that is making you anxious, by allowing your mind to sink into it until that thought pattern fades and your mind becomes clear again. This exercise can be done by simply finding a quiet place to think for 5 minutes in the morning. The following are examples of techniques you can try:
- Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
- Feel the breath going in and out for 5 minutes.
- Now bring your emotions in: anxiety, depression, painful memories, recent conflicts. Keep these emotions in mind, but don't let them drift away. Just "sit" with the emotion as if you were sitting with a friend.
- Observe the emotion. Keep the emotion in your mind and say "I'm here for you. I'll sit with you for as long as it takes."
- Let those emotions express themselves and observe the changes. If you "sit" with your emotions as friends, they will begin to change and heal.
Step 5. Try visualization
Visualization is the process of clearing your mind of things and images that trigger anxiety, then replacing them with something calming. Try guided visualizations to describe a place that makes you feel relaxed and safe. As you describe the place, focus on the details so that your mind is completely immersed in the imagination.
Removing anxiety will calm your body and mind, and prepare you for what is causing it
Step 6. Get help
For many people, talking about their anxiety is a great relief. If you need someone to talk to, ask your partner or friend for advice, and tell them how you feel. Sometimes, just putting your feelings into words can greatly reduce stress.
- Try saying something like, "I want to talk about how I feel. I've been feeling trapped in anxiety lately. I can't seem to get out of it."
- If you share your problems with the same person too often, it may become a burden. Make sure not to overburden the person you're talking to.
- If you are dealing with a lot of anxiety, consider seeing a psychologist. You are free to discuss issues as needed because there are trained professionals ready to assist you.
Method 3 of 3: Medically Coping With Anxiety
Step 1. Visit a psychologist or psychiatrist
Know when you should call your doctor. If you have chronic anxiety and suspect you have an anxiety disorder, make an appointment with a psychologist or psychiatrist. Anxiety disorders are very difficult to treat without the help of a doctor. The sooner you visit the doctor, the sooner you will feel better.
- While the "diagnosis" may sound scary, a diagnosis of a mental health disorder, such as an anxiety disorder, will help a psychologist or psychiatrist deal with it specifically.
- To find a psychologist, start by consulting a general practitioner. Your GP may recommend a good mental health practitioner for you. In the US, you can also find a nearby psychologist or psychiatrist on the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) website.
- You need to be able to trust a psychologist or psychiatrist and feel comfortable and at ease talking to them. Before looking for a psychologist or psychiatrist, you may also need to determine whether the cost of the treatment is covered by health insurance.
Step 2. Explain your anxiety to your doctor
Share your anxiety symptoms in as much detail as possible with a psychologist or psychiatrist. They are there to help you, and are well versed in the symptoms of psychiatric and anxiety disorders. If something in particular is triggering your anxiety, be sure to share it too. Anxiety disorders respond well to treatment, provided that a psychologist or psychiatrist gets enough information from you. Try to convey things like:
- "Normally I'm fine, but every time I'm in a crowd, my breathing and heart rate speed up and I suddenly feel really anxious."
- “There are so many thoughts that make me anxious to the point where it is difficult for me to go about my daily activities.”
Step 3. Consider taking antianxiety medication
If you experience long-term anxiety that affects your sleep patterns and daily activities for a long time, ask a psychiatrist about anxiety-reducing medications. However, many antianxiety drugs have negative side effects or are addictive, so be sure to try treatments such as therapy, exercise, and mental strategies before using them.
Panic attacks, extreme social anxiety, and other symptoms can be effectively managed with prescription medications that suit your needs
Step 4. Try natural remedies
Certain herbs, teas, and supplements are said to reduce symptoms of anxiety. Although homeopathic methods are not medically proven, teas and herbs can be used to calm you down. Try some of these options:
- Chamomile flowers are traditionally used to treat anxiety, stress, and stomach aches. This flower has properties similar to antidepressant drugs. You can brew it as a tea or take it as a supplement.
- Ginseng is said to help reduce stress. Try taking a daily ginseng supplement to take advantage of its antianxiety effects.
- Kava kava is a Polynesian plant that is said to have a sedative effect that reduces anxiety. Visit a local health food store to buy one, or order online.
- Valerian root is widely used in Europe for its sedative properties. If your anxiety doesn't go away, try using valerian root.
Tips
- Realize that anxiety doesn't go away overnight. Training your body and mind to deal with feelings of anxiety takes time.
- Be patient with yourself. Anxiety is a very common emotion, and you don't have to deal with it alone.
- Don't hide your anxiety from other people. Tell those you trust, and deal with these feelings together, rather than alone.
- Blow bubbles. Blowing bubbles can help you focus your mind on the flow of your breath, so you can calm yourself down when you're having an anxiety attack.
Warning
- Severe anxiety and depression should be treated by a healthcare professional. If you are concerned about your condition, see a doctor.
- Do not use herbal supplements without consulting your doctor first.
