Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time--it is a normal reaction to stress. However, it is not normal to experience anxiety to the point that it has an impact on your everyday life. Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH. Symptoms include chest pain, panic attacks, heart palpitations, shaking or trembling, and obsessive thoughts or worrying. Anxiety can be overwhelming, scary and invoke a sense of losing control. Fortunately, there are self-help strategies that can help you take control of your anxiety.
Relaxation Techniques
Use such relaxation techniques as meditation, deep breathing, guided visualization or yoga to stop your anxiety. Practice these techniques on a regular basis or use them when your symptoms first start. This can help you control your fear and stress response.
Meditation can help you calm down and relax, according to NIMH. It also can help you reduce your negative emotions and focus on the present, according to the Mayo Clinic. One of the main responses to anxiety is shallow breathing, so focus on taking deep, slow breathes to help ease hyperventilation. Use guided visualization and deep breathing to slow down your central nervous system while easing your stress and tension.
Developing a yoga practice may have mental as well as physical benefits. Yoga can be an effective way to take control of anxiety by reducing levels of stress and promote a more positive mood, according to the Mayo Clinic. Yoga concentrates on the connection between your mind, body and spirit through breathwork and a flow of various poses. Practice yoga to stretch your body and relieve tense or tight muscles.
Aromatherapy
Use aromatherapy to help ease your worries. Certain essential oils can have a relaxing effect on your central nervous system, alleviating symptoms of anxiety and stress. Aromatherapy also can be a helpful supplement to psychotherapy or psychopharmacology.
While the word aromatherapy implies the scents are inhaled, you also can use essential oils in your bath water. Massage essential oils mixed with a carrier oil--such as grapeseed oil--into your skin. Such essential oils as lavender may stimulate a portion of the brain in the same way as certain sedative medications, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. Orange blossom oil may have a calming effect because of the compound linalool, which can invoke a relaxation response and ease your feelings of anxiety or panic.
While some essential oils may be taken orally, they should never ingested without the advice of a qualified specialist, according to the UMMC.
Support Groups
People who suffer from anxiety disorders may benefit from joining a support group. Support groups provide a forum for shared experiences, as well as a place where you can get advice from others who may be experiencing similar symptoms. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America maintains a searchable listing of support groups by state on its website.
