The fears, phobias and worry that you experience with anxiety disorders often seem irrational and difficult to overcome. Not knowing how to get rid of anxiety is a dilemma in itself. However, there are many tools and techniques you can use to manage anxiety effectively. You can train yourself to handle anxiety symptoms with these powerful techniques that bring anxiety disorders to an end.
Here are 6 tips on how to get rid of anxiety
Tip #1- Controlled Breathing
Breathing exercises and techniques can be very helpful when you feel anxious and practicing them every day can lower your anxiety symptoms. Deep breathing is a great technique that helps reduce anxiety, as it helps to activate your body’s relaxation response. Deep breathing takes your body from the fight-or-flight mode to a relaxed mode.
Try slowly inhaling to a count of 4, filling your belly first and then your chest, gently holding your breath to a count of 4, and slowly exhaling to a count of 4. You can repeat this several times.
Tip #2- Diet
A healthy diet is an excellent tip on how to get rid of anxiety attacks. A healthy diet means reduced sugar, fat, meat, caffeine, some dairy products, and eating more fruits and vegetables. By choosing the right foods, you can drastically cut down on the amount of anxiety you experience and improve your mood.
- Asparagus: This vegetable boosts folic acid level, the mood-enhancing nutrient.
- Avocados: Vitamin B is essential for a healthy nervous system and healthy brain cells. Avocados are a good source of B vitamins.
- Blueberries: When you are stressed, your body needs vitamin C and also antioxidants that help repair and protect cells. Blueberries are packed with these mighty stress-busters.
- Chamomile: The sedative effect of chamomile tea can be of great help if your anxiety is ruining your sleep.
- Milk: Milk is full of antioxidants, B2 and B12 vitamins, protein, potassium and calcium. All these are essential to lower anxiety.
- Omega 3: Omega 3 – fatty – acids keep your cortisol and adrenaline levels low and prevents them from spiking when you are feeling tense.
- Spinach: This green has magnesium, which regulates your cortisol level and promotes feelings of well being.
Tip #3- Exercise
Regular exercise is an excellent anxiety treatment, because exercise reduces stress hormones and elevates the feel ‘good’ hormones. Besides clearing the mind, firing up the endorphins, and helping you sleep soundly at night, researchers have found that vigorous exercise decreases the development of anxiety disorder. Studies show that exercise can work quickly to elevate depressed mood in many people. A brisk walk or any other simple activity can deliver several hours of relief. It has also been proven that physically active people have lower rates of anxiety and depression than sedentary people. Exercise helps ease anxiety in a number of ways by.
- Releasing endorphins and neurotransmitters – the feel-good brain chemicals.
- Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression.
- Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects.
- Gaining confidence.
- Taking your mind off worries.
- Coping in a healthy – way.
Tip #4 – Distraction
Distraction is the process of diverting your attention from one activity to another and this can be an effective way to treat anxiety. Distraction uses a very important principle: shifting your attention to something neutral or positive is easier than shifting it away from something that is negative. Different types of distractions you can use on how to get rid of anxiety are:
- Simple externalization
- Simple tasks that require concentration
- Conversation
- Work
- Play.
Tip #5 – Eliminating Anxious Thoughts
Unwanted thoughts are an extremely common symptom of anxiety disorders. It is natural to have moments wherein you unintentionally increase or maintain your worries by thinking unhelpful thoughts. These thoughts are often unrealistic, inaccurate, and unreasonable to some extent. However, you can change or eliminate these anxious thoughts. Stop and ask yourself whether the train of anxious thoughts you are having is useful. This can be quite helpful to put a stop to the negative thoughts. Once you realize that these anxious thoughts are not that useful then it becomes easier to let them go.
Tip #6 – Mindfulness
Anxiety is usually focused on the future, on what might happen and what you will do about it. Practicing mindfulness can help you break free of worries by bringing your attention back to the present. This strategy is based on observing and then letting go your anxieties. Using mindfulness meditation to stay focused on the present is simple, but it takes practice to reap the benefits. At first, your mind may keep wandering back to your worries, but by drawing your focus back to the present, you can reinforce a new mental habit, which will help you break free of the negative worry cycle.
- Acknowledge and observe: Do not try to ignore, fight or control your worries, instead observe them from an outsider’s perspective.
- Let them go: When you do not control the anxious thoughts, they soon pass like clouds that move across the sky. It is only when you engage your worries that you get stuck.
- Stay focused on the present: If you find yourself getting stuck on a particular thought, bring your attention back to the present moment. Pay attention to the way your body feels, the rhythm of your breathing, the thoughts that drift across your mind and your ever-changing emotions.
- You may also like to try meditation with sound
You can read all the anxiety advice in the world, but none of this matters unless you take action. Practicing these 6 tips on how to get rid of anxiety, will help you feel more relaxed, sleep soundly at night and put energy into what matters.
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