Four Ways to Overcome Anxiety

Anxiety is a serious mental health issue that all of us experience. However, it impacts the life of a few people in a stronger way than it does to most people. In other words, one could say that few personality types are more prone to anxiety issues than the others.

In the simplest terms, one could say that anxiety is the mind’s response to stress. It could be for an event as simple as the first day at a job, or something as serious as the death of a loved one.

What is anxiety?

All of us have experienced instances where our heart beats faster, we sweat profusely, and exhausted. This is one of how your body tells you that it is under stress and having an anxiety attack. However, this does not become a cause of worry unless it hinders your everyday life and functioning. If you notice that happening, do talk to a friend or a family member, seek professional assistance, and soon your life will be back to normal. Until then, here are four tips for managing anxiety.

Healthy diet

Well, this might seem a bit unrelated as a tip to fighting anxiety. But experts suggest that your diet has a key role to play in your mental health and can help deal with your anxiety. While there’s no magical food that can cure your anxiety overnight, a few food groups can reduce your anxiety levels considerably by calming your brain. Try to include carbs in your diet, and make sure you have an ample amount of fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

While a few foods do help calm your anxiety, there are a few that might trigger, aggravate, or worsen the situation. Be cautious and make sure you avoid these food groups. Coffee or any caffeinated drink, processed foods, alcohol, dairy, fried food, soda, lower the levels of antioxidants in your body. As anxiety is said to be linked to lowered total antioxidants, you should avoid foods that will further worsen the situation.

Watch your breathing

Inhale slowly, hold your breath for a few seconds, and then exhale. Doing this for around ten times will slower your heart rate, increase your concentration, and help you deal with the stress better. Breathing exercises and counting to ten have a calming effect on your mind and is said to improve mental health. Many mental health experts and meditation practitioners vouch for the success of this approach in calming the brain cells. So, every time you feel that stress building up, close your eyes, start breathing slowly, and watch how you breathe. Notice every muscle that moves when you inhale and exhale. The best part about this exercise is you could do it anywhere.

Exercise regularly

Research suggests that aerobics relieves tension and stress. Besides that, exercise also promotes self-esteem, help you sleep better, and stabilizes your mood.

It calms you down and helps alleviate the stress. And thus, you’re less likely to have an anxiety attack. The fact that exercise releases oxytocin adds to improving your mood and making you feel happy and relaxed!

Identify your triggers

Not every situation triggers anxiety in everyone. This is what makes it difficult for most people to empathize with others. However, that’s a problem for another day. So, when you understand what triggers your anxiety, you will be in a better position to prepare yourself.  It will also help you prevent an anxiety attack in the future. Uncertainty is what causes anxiety in most cases, and one way to overcome that is to write down every detail of what could happen and how to deal with it if things don’t go as planned. When you have a plan B and have it written down, it eases your anxiety.

There is nothing wrong with experiencing anxiety. Follow these tips, and you’re sure to observe a change in your life and behavior. However, if they do not work, you might have to consult a professional psychologist and seek help. Remember, there’s no stigma attached to it because your emotional, physical, and mental well-being is all that matters! If you know someone who is having a tough time adjusting to social stressors, make sure you’re there to offer them the much-needed support!