What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is the name for feelings of worry, fear or just general unease. It is completely natural to experience anxiety in certain situations throughout your life but for some people, the feeling of anxiety is more common and becomes a part of everyday living. I have suffered from anxiety for years and a lot of that time was spent not really knowing what it was or why I was feeling it. Anxiety can be triggered by many things some completely rational and some entirely unknown.
Here are ten ways that might help reduce anxiety:
Stop and Take Five:
Simple yet effective. Everyday life can be overwhelming and stressful at times. There is no shame in taking a break. By doing this when you feel an anxious situation arising it gives you time to assess, evaluate and take action before it escalates into a full-blown attack.
Breathe:
It might sound obvious but if you start to feel overcome with anxiety taking long deep breaths can help. By doing this you slow everything down which in turn can make things seem much more manageable.
Incorporate Exercise:
Whether it’s running, aerobics classes or just a gentle walk, incorporating exercise into your daily routine can help prevent anxiety by reducing stress and just making your overall mood feel much better. Exercise can also help with sleep patterns which can be a huge help for anxiety sufferers.
Cut Out Caffeine:
Caffeine is a stimulant and has an impact on our nervous system. Sometimes after too much coffee, you can feel jittery which can trigger an anxiety attack. caffeine also disturbs the sleep so cutting back is definitely beneficial. Remember caffeine is in more than just tea and coffee so try to find a good middle ground based on what works for you individually and then switch to decaf.
Try Meditation, Acupressure, Reflexology or Yoga:
There are so many complementary therapies which boast benefits for anxiety sufferers. These aren’t for everyone but I suggest giving them a try to assess whether they work for you. Anything that helps is worth a try, right?
Give Your Diet a Shake:
It’s true that what you put in is what you’ll get out and although diet alone isn’t going to stop all anxiety, if you have a better diet you will feel better overall which can make things seem easier to cope with.
Talk:
There is sometimes a stigma attached to anxiety because people don’t really understand it. There aren’t many physical symptoms so explaining how you feel can be hard. Sometimes though just talking about what is going on can make you feel like a weight has been lifted. Find someone you can trust and feel comfortable with whether it’s a family member, friend or professional who understands.
Write it Down:
If you feel like you can’t talk about it writing down how you feel can help. By getting everything down it helps analyse potential triggers and can feel as though you are ‘offloading’ your anxiety.
Take Your Mind off it:
Listen to music, read a book, dance anything to take the spotlight off the feelings of anxiousness. This can be the difference between feeling anxious and it escalating into a full-blown attack. Everyone is different – find what works for you.
Sleep:
Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep makes anything harder to deal with and it’s important to rest your body and mind to be at your best. People with anxiety can find sleep difficult but getting a good night’s rest can really help. Try not consuming caffeine after lunch, cutting back on alcohol and cigarettes, taking a warm bath before bed, no technology e.g phones, tablets & TV at least an hour before you plan to go to sleep to help induce a better night’s rest.
More Help
If you feel like you are suffering from anxiety and it is beginning to affect your life then it’s always best to speak to a medical professional about help and options available to you. If you want to know more about anxiety then visit the Mind website.
**Please note this article is based purely on my own experiences with anxiety and is not intended to replace or contradict advice provided by medically trained professionals. In the first instance regarding medical help please refer to your GP.
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Great post
Anxiety isn’t fun :-/ these are all helpful though! My favorite things to do for anxiety are bubble baths, and making lists. Helps so much!
Author
Two of my fave things too really relaxes me and organises my thoughts xx
I didn’t know caffeine could trigger anxiety attacks – thank you for writing this! When I know I have one coming, I usually keep saying out loud to myself that everything is going to be okay, and that usually works for me!
Author
Yes!! If you can convince yourself you are ok and safe it really helps xxx
This is super helpful! I can get anxious at times but my husband has it a lot of time. These will be great to implement.
Liz
http://Www.lizzieinlace.com
Great post! I don’t suffer from anxiety too much but occasionally I do. I’ll definitely take these tips into consideration.
xoxo. Christina
So many helpful tips. Anxiety is the worst! Any way to reduce it is wonderful!
Author
Completely agree thanks for stopping by xxx
Great tips. Living with anxiety can be so difficult.
Rachel
Author
Thank you! I know I’ve really struggled in the past glad I’ve got it more under control now xx
These are great tips, and so true. Sleep always does wonders for me.
Author
Yes sleep is a great help for many things! Xx
Great tips! I love to exercise when I feel stress or anxiety. Recently, I have been using a hypnosis app, which feels like a meditative state. It makes me feel better every single time!
Author
I will have to check that out anything that helps I am always game for trying thank you xx
When i was having major anxiety issues a couple of years ago I was using a great youtube video for meditation/self hypnosis in the mornings. It was a really good one.
Author
That’s great advice thank you I didn’t think of that I will be checking out YouTube for sure xx
These are great. Anxiety is becoming more and more prevalent, and it starts so much younger. I use many of these tips with my students. 🙂
Author
I know and it can be completely unbearable especially for young people that are already dealing with hormones! Glad these tips are working for your students hope they can help other people too xx
Great post. I’m trying much of this myself and hoping it works.
Author
Hope it helps 🙂
I have some bad anxiety, and it’s no fun. I’m going to have to try more of your tips… I definitely need to get more sleep and exercise in my life.
Author
Really hope they help! Anxiety has hindered me for so long it feels good to finally be in a better place but I feel your struggle! xx