Anxiety is a common experience, and learning how to treat anxiety can improve your life. We tend to feel anxious when we are faced with a threat — anxiety can manifest in different ways, so two people having an anxiety disorder can have different experiences. Anxiety can become chronic and affect home life, work, and relationships, and also reduce productivity.
Discover effective tips to treat anxiety and help you quickly regain well-being and serenity!
Recognize the Causes of Anxiety and Its Symptoms
Anxiety can be normal for example, if you’re getting ready to ask someone out or you’re studying for a test, it’s very normal to have anxiety and even beneficial because it makes sure that you research and be prepared however when the anxiety becomes constant and gets in the way of you doing things it can signal that there is a disorder. Anxiety can become chronic and affect home life, work, and relationships, and also reduce productivity.
What causes anxiety?
Anxiety disorders can be passed down from your parents or shaped by your environment. This implies that you might be at a higher risk of picking up an anxiety disorder if there is a family history, your experiences and condition, and how you think about them can increase your risk as well.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
When anxiety occurs, it manifests in different ways, there are psychological which include feeling nervous, feeling anxious, a sense of apprehension or unease mainly due to adrenaline, which is increased in the body at times of anxiety, and physical signs which include palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, dry mouth and nausea.
Anxiety and depression are two separate conditions: although they have a similar mechanism in the brain. However, there can be an overlap between depression and anxiety. If you feel anxious, you may experience the following signals in your body:
– Tiredness
– Irritable mood
– Difficulty concentrating
– Headaches
– Loss of control
– Heart palpitations
– Muscle tension
– Difficulty breathing
– Sweaty palms
– Tummy aches
– Digestive and/or urinary issues
– Sleep disturbances, trouble falling asleep, insomnia, etc.
These anxiety symptoms can vary in intensity and duration. Some people may also experience constant anticipation or irrational and disproportionate fear in certain situations.
Are you going through a stressful period at work or home? Are you naturally anxious?
Effective Tips to Treat Anxiety
Anxiety can be relieved when it becomes too overwhelming in our lives. The best way you can manage anxiety is through a combination of psychological and self-regulation techniques.
1. The most important thing is to understand yourself and figure out the sources of your anxiety. Accept your feelings without guilt and implement more positive habits. Learn to face your anxiety directly, and have a purpose and values-driven life. Exploring your values is a key to treating anxiety and building confidence. You’ll be more willing to speak up at work because you value contributing, and be willing to connect with friends and family. This will help you overcome anxiety, your life is going to be more full and rich.
2. Embrace your emotions with kindness
We pay dearly for our failure to process our emotions. When we suppress our feelings, our minds become stagnant, burdened by underlying tension. We often avoid facing our feelings because they are contrary to our self-image. But these emotions are a part of us, and they must be fully felt and welcomed to be released. Don’t feel guilty about expressing them—it will help you feel better and move on.
3. Limit your exposure to negative media
Social media has become an important contributor to the pain and struggles. To treat anxiety, taking a break from negative content can help you feel better and focus on the positive. Stay away from bad news and engage in outdoor activities such as sports or meditation, which have numerous benefits.
4. Practice Mindful Breathing
Breating exercises are a great way to focus and be mindful, they can help when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. Settle into a natural and comfortable position, take a a deep breath in and a deep breath out, breath naturally, noticing the sensations of the breath entering and leaving the body as best you can. Take time to notice your thoughts and feelings without judgment and without trying to change them, take more breaths, and try to bring this awareness with you into the next moment of your day.
5. Try expressing your emotions through writing and journaling
Take a pen and write about what you’re thinking and feeling to help track your moods and identify triggering situations. Writing will help you know yourself and improve your relationships. Journaling can help you reduce anxiety, and help you gain a clearer perspective of your challenges. Repeat this process until it becomes part of you.
6. Improving your sleep hygieneÂ
Our body is designed to be synchronized to the daily cycle of sunlight and darkness. If our bodies get out of tune with the peaks and valleys of body temperature, hormone production and digestion occur at the wrong time of the day. Anxiety and insomnia are closely related, and improving your sleep will really reduce anxiety. Often sleep can be improved by simple changes to sleep patterns and practices, light reading and relaxing can set the stage for restful sleep, turn off your screens an hour before bed, and make your sleep environment cool, dark, and quiet.Â
7. Reduce your caffeine intake
Many people do not know that caffeine we’re imbibing impacts anxiety, so you have to be mindful. Caffeine works not just by simulating your body but your brain, once you’ve absorbed it it goes up to your brain, activates the brain and turns on things, although caffeine does not directly cause anxiety, it can unmask underlying anxiety or make the symptoms worse. If you suspect that caffeine may be impacting your anxiety, try a seven-day fast from it to observe if it impacts your anxiety levels.Â
8. If anxiety becomes complicated, you need to see a mental health specialist to recommend any of these strategies. Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have good evidence in treating anxiety disorders by helping individuals reframe negative challenging thoughts. While Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) works well with people’s relationship, both with themself and others.Â
Talking about your mental health and my mental health is very important because we’re all in this together, it’s possible to live a comfort life with the right tips and treatments. For more information on anxiety, you can also visit the National Institute of Mental Health
