Anxiety is a persistent feeling of fear and unease, usually focused around something specific such as socialising, public speaking, driving or going to doctors. Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their life, but for some people it can become severe and debilitating, sometimes leading to frequent panic attacks. Chronic stress from anxiety can even affect your health physically by causing achy muscles and by raising your blood pressure. Fortunately, anxiety is something that you can overcome. Here are five ways in which you can help to overcome anxiety and prevent anxiety attacks.
Exercise
Exercise is a great stressbuster. It releases feelgood endorphins that can help many people to feel less anxious. If you live a fairly physically inactive lifestyle, consider finding ways to fit more exercise into your day. If you wake up feeling intense anxiety, a morning workout could be a great way to beat it and make you feel more confident and positive about the day ahead
Meditate
Meditation can also help to prevent anxiety attacks by getting you to refocus your thoughts and see the bigger picture. For instance, if you’re getting anxiety over the prospect of delivering a public speech, meditating could help you to calm down by realising that it’s not as big and scary as you’ve built it up to be. In order to meditate, find somewhere quiet, close your eyes and control your breathing. Some people find that meditating to music helps (music is also an effective anxiety-reliever).
Try herbal medicines
Some people find that herbal medicines can calm their feelings of anxiety. Chamomile, lavender and valerian are three commonly used herbal remedies. These are commonly consumed in herbal teas or turned into scents. Marijuana can also be used for anxiety, although for some people it can make it worse – it’s worth researching into the best weed strains for anxiety. Herbal pharmacies may be able to offer other suggestions when it comes to herbal remedies.
Cut down on the caffeine
Caffeine can make anxiety worse. It stimulates your ‘fight or flight’ response, which can cause you to feel stress more intensely. Coffee is the most common source of caffeine in our day to day lives – give coffee a miss or switch to decaf. Energy drinks should similarly be avoided.
Consider counselling
Anxiety affects everyone differently and can have many different root causes. Counselling can be worthwhile if anxiety is having a severe effect on your life. A counsellor will be able to help you find coping strategies best suited to your lifestyle as well as helping to reduce triggers. Many people use counsellors to help overcome phobias or overcome social anxiety.
