When you're plagued by anxiety, even the simplest of tasks can be difficult to accomplish. It can hurt your life in a number of ways, and make it hard for you to be the person you want to be. In the following paragraphs, you'll learn how to fight back against anxiety, as well as, how to live the life you want to lead.
To help you reduce your anxiety symptoms, keep a journal of all of the events or issues that make you anxious throughout the day. Refer back to these events and see how they actually transpired. You will realize that you are often imagining a worst case scenario which does not transpire.
A useful technique to manage anxiety about an event, or condition is to deliberately exaggerate, the outcome beyond all reason. Relate your concerns out loud to a friend, but describe the outcome you fear with as much emotion, and dramatic detail as you possibly can. When you are done, do it again. While it seems odd, research has shown that deliberately exaggerating the consequences that you fear, will often desensitize you to the trigger, helping you experience the absurdity of it all. This can allow you to place your concerns in a more realistic light.
If you are experiencing a serious anxiety, or panic attack, you should remember to breathe properly in order to calm down. We need to remember that our bodies are like machines, and taking proper breaths is what fuels them properly. Remember, to lengthen your exhalation, in order to relieve your anxiety a bit more.
If you are someone who is dealing with anxiety, go to the doctor. There are numerous modern treatments and medications available to help you cope with this condition. Make an appointment with your doctor, and find the best treatment for you.
If you do not put some type of positive interaction in between you and your anxiety, it will continue to grow. No matter what you decide to do, when an anxiety attack occurs, try remaining positive about everything that goes through your mind. When something negative occurs, turn it into something positive.
Make a diary a priority. There are people who have pent up stress in their minds and cannot release it. When you can unload all of the "stuff" in your mind into a diary or journal, it frees your brain up to think about the present, rather than dwelling on past of future events that trigger anxiety.
If your anxiety is so bad that you have a hard time sleeping you should adjust your nightly ritual accordingly. Avoid watching things like horror films and action movies that creates negative feelings that persist once you go to bed. Try watching more relaxing programming or listening to music before you head to bed.
Do not spend your days sitting around. If your job requires a great deal of sitting, try to use your breaks to exercise or at least walk around a bit. Even just standing up can help get your blood moving. When at home, keep yourself active with walks or jogging and reduce the amount of TV watching or inactive sitting. You do need to relax, but too much might cause your anxiety to be worse.
Work on having good posture. Having bad posture compresses organs, cuts off circulation and shortens breathing. Many times, it is easy, even under a normal amount of anxiety, to sit in positions that cause harm to our body. Try not to do this, as this will better your health and help decrease the amount of anxiety you endure.
Make sure to get a full night's sleep to help fight anxiety. Besides subjecting the body to undue physical strain, a lack of sleep can cause mental problems which exacerbate anxiety difficulties. Adults should sleep for an average of at least 7 to 8 hours per night.
Don't sit still when anxiety is coming on. When you sit and brood about issues, your anxiety can spike quickly and leave you unable to function. At the onset of any anxious feelings, get up and get moving. Walk, run or exercise in some way. You will take your mind off the negative issues and allow your mind to reset.
Try to develop healthier eating habits. Begin your day the right way by eating some breakfast, then keep going with small, frequent meals throughout your day. Going without eating for too long during the day can cause your blood sugar to lower, which can make you feel much more anxious.
If you are having anxiety about one particular thing, ask a friend to exaggerate the issue to epic proportions. Although this may seem counter productive, after a few times of making up crazy stories about what may happen, it starts to sound really silly to anyone who is listening to it.
Take time to get a massage. Yes, that's right, a massage. Massages are perfect for coping with anxiety and removing negative thoughts from your mind. Anxiety can also cramp up muscles so a massage will help you physically as well.
Avoid alcohol. While it is true that alcohol's depressive effects can reduce anxiety levels temporarily, in the long run it does more harm than good. The body quickly adjusts to alcohol, meaning that each time a person relies on it to calm him or herself, it will require more alcohol to achieve the same effects. This can quickly lead to dependence and alcoholism.
Yoga can help you to deal with repeated anxiety attacks. Yoga incorporates both exercise and relaxation, making it a great activity to participate in daily. Just 30 minutes a day can make a big difference in helping to prevent anxiety attacks. Join a gym or buy a video to start your yoga routine.
You may feel like you're a prisoner to your own anxiety, but it doesn't need to be that way. If you utilize the advice in this article, you'll be able to live your life the way you want to, without anxiety getting in the way. Don't let your anxiety hold you back any longer.