Many people who don’t suffer from some form of anxiety disorder, will tell you to just “stop thinking about it” or to “calm down.” This is much easier said than done. This article though will show you ways that you can calm yourself down, manage your anxiety levels and feel better.
Proper breathing is essential to reducing sudden feelings of anxiety. Using a count to control your breathing can be an effective way to reduce anxious feelings. Pick a count, such as 3 in, and 3 out. Repeat this pattern, until the feelings of anxiety have resolved, and passed.
It is a surprise to many, but laughter is often a great tonic for reducing anxiety and steering your thoughts to a happier mindset. Watch a comedy, read a joke book or talk to that friend with the great sense of humor when you want to lighten your mood.
Keep yourself as busy as possible at all times. When you have down time, it will be easier for your mind to focus on negative things and will, therefore, fuel anxiety. Start your day out by cleaning the house, working in the garden, reading a book or doing some other activity that you enjoy.
When you start feeling anxious in public, find ways to distract yourself. When in line at the store, start looking at the items hanging near you or the products in your basket. Observe the ceiling, count the number of checkstands, and do anything else you can to preoccupy your mind and keep it from dwelling on anxious thoughts.
Avoid watching TV programs that cause you anxiety. For some people, watching the news can bring on an anxiety attack. Simply because there are many negative things the news covers. If it causes you stress, then turn it off, and watch something else that makes you happy, and anxiety free.
Know when to seek professional help. If your anxiety causes you to self-medicate, decreases the quality or length of your sleep, or causes you to consider harming yourself, medical attention is necessary. A therapist, counselor or psychiatrist, can help you to create a treatment plan to alleviate your anxiety and keep you from hurting yourself.
Work your anxiety out with exercise. Sometimes, anxiety is just a bunch of pent-up energy that needs to be worked off. Swim, bike, go to the gym or do some vigorous and energetic cleaning around the house. Channel anxious feelings into a project that you have been putting off, and use the anxious energy to get the work done.
If you suffer from anxiety, make sure you eat a healthy diet and get plenty of sleep and exercise. The better shape your body is in, the more resistant to stress and other forms of anxiety it will be! Sleep deprivation, hunger and ill-health, will leave you much more vulnerable to the affects of anxiety.
Exercise is a great way to eliminate anxiety from your life. This is not only good for your body, but it is good for your mind, as well. Make sure that you do not overexert yourself, but take the time every day to get out and get active, in order to reduce your anxiety.
Seek out someone you can discuss your problems and concerns with. There is nothing more important to an anxiety sufferer than a good support system. It may be a bit scary to divulge your feelings at first, but you will soon feel the benefits of talking out your problems.
Talking to someone you trust can help you with anxiety. Conversing with someone supportive can help your bad thoughts go away. The best thing that you could do is to look for someone you can trust that has already gone though this particular situation in which you can ask for advice.
Whenever you are feeling high anxiety, try to take deep breaths. Take these breaths from your stomach and hold it in for a few seconds before releasing it. It is recommended that you do this 5 to 8 times. This can really help relax you, and make your anxiety disappear.
Learn to feel the anxiety in your body. Focus on where it is located, such as a tight chest feeling, and stay focused on it until the feeling dissolves. This may seem difficult at first, but with just a bit of practice you will be able to release anxious feelings within seconds or a few minutes.
Limit caffeine and other stimulants. Too much caffeine in a healthy person’s diet can induce feelings of anxiety, so in someone who is already struggling with this disorder, it can have disastrous effects. Caffeine and other stimulants enhance alertness by blocking certain chemicals in the brain, and in individuals predisposed to anxiety, can cause increased heart rate, sweating palms, ringing in the ears, and even panic attacks.
If you are afflicted with anxiety issues, stay away from those who agitate you. That may sound obvious, but too many people afflicted with anxiety take pain and discomfort upon themselves for various reasons, like not wanting to make waves or hurt feelings. People that make you feel anxious and uncomfortable might make your stress worse.
Distract yourself from your anxiety. Mental stimulation through puzzles or reading could be what you need for anxiety relief. One of the best ways to reduce anxiety is to distract yourself from all worries, even if for a short while.
Try to stay busy with activities and work, so that you can better manage your negative thoughts and fears. This doesn’t mean working your life away, but by keeping yourself occupied, you can greatly help with your anxious symptoms. Try filling your time with things that you need to do, as well as, things that you enjoy doing.
Knowing what to do in any situation is the key to success. Anxiety for those who really suffer from it, needs to be managed and treated like anything else. Knowing what you can to in the event of anxiety and even how to prevent it in the first place can change your life for the better.
