Life is stressful and many people find themselves worrying or feeling tense from time to time. When worry turns into anxiety, it can become a serious problem. Symptoms of being anxious include feeling jittery, nervous, nauseous or shaky. Getting a good night’s sleep may become difficult to do. Headaches and muscle tension occur. In its more severe forms it can cause panic attacks where feelings of impending doom, death or unreality can make a person feel as if they are experiencing a heart attack.
If they are moderate or mild, the following forms of help should prove effective. Try to be patient. Working to get rid of anxiety will take time and practice. There may be experiences in life that intensify or bring on more anxiety. Keep using the techniques below and these events will be less likely to bring on full-fledged anxiety attacks.
Enjoy a healthy diet. Avoid too much sugar, caffeine or alcohol. These make uncomfortable symptoms like a racing heartbeat more intense. It is very common for anyone with anxiety to seek relief from alcohol. In small quantities, it can promote a degree of relaxation. In larger amounts it robs the body of B vitamins that help the nervous system function properly and can bring on extreme anxiety symptoms.
Make use of supplements. Magnesium supplements or B-complex vitamins help promote calmness. Tryptophan is also effective. This is found in foods like turkey and milk. This is why a glass of warm milk has become the quintessential nighttime sleep aid and people famously fall asleep after a big turkey dinner. The tryptophan causes the body to relax.
Make exercise a part of each day. Choose yoga, running, biking, swimming or anything that allows the body to move. Exercise promotes a release of brain chemicals like the endorphins and dopamine. These evoke happiness and reduce stress.
Exercise also goes hand in hand with cognitive therapy techniques. The human mind can only focus on one thing at a time. It cannot be in an anxious worried state if it is focused on something pleasant, or it is involved in a rigorous exercise routine.
Visualization, meditation and breathing exercises are particularly helpful to keep the mind focused away from anxious thoughts. When focusing on breathing or a pleasant scene, that is all one can experience for the moment.
Get regular massages. There are many forms of it, but all of them help get rid of muscle tension, promote a good night’s sleep and get the mind away from feeling anything worrisome.
Use these techniques for effective anxiety self help. Feel better faster and get back to enjoying life again.
