Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder, says the National Institute of Mental Health. Ranging from generalized anxiety disorder to severe phobias and social anxiety, dealing with anxiety on a day to day basis can be draining. While your health care provider can help you control your anxiety through therapy and prescription drugs, you can find anxiety reducing strategies that you can practice daily to help relieve your anxiety symptoms and reclaim your life.
Daily Fitness
The Mayo Clinic recommends daily exercise to help reduce your anxiety symptoms. Research from the University of Missouri-Columbia seems to support this claim, finding that 30, 60 and even 90 minutes of high intensity exercise resulted in a sharp decline of anxiety symptoms. This challenges the belief that moderate exercise is best for anxiety, says Richard Cox, professor of educational and counseling psychology and leader of the study. Try higher intensity workouts such as indoor cycling, running and aerobics class.
Yoga
Yoga, a form of exercise that includes stretching your body into poses while exercising controlled breathing, can be a helpful way to curb your anxiety symptoms, says Harvard health publication the Harvard Mental Health Letter. Yoga can be relaxing, as you perform it slowly, in a quiet environment. The slow breathing and meditation that yoga enthusiasts practice give them reprieve from the stresses of the day. Yoga can help you find more peace and a slower pace of life that is more conducive to less anxiety.
Laughter
Rent a funny movie, spend time with a good friend or tell a joke; no matter how you laugh, just laugh, says Reader's Digest. Laughing can help diffuse the stress that can lead to your anxiety, and help you to feel better faster. HelpGuide.org notes that laughing relaxes your whole body and releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones that promote a sense of well-being. Laughing can also help you see things from a different perspective, especially helpful if your anxiety stems from stressful situations and conflict.
Vocalization
Bottling your anxieties up inside and trying to ignore them can only make them worse over time. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends finding someone to talk to about your anxiety, such as a therapist, counselor or even a trusted friend. Talking about your fears, stress and anxiety can help them become real, so you are no longer ashamed of them. Saying them out loud can also help you find better solutions on how to tame them, or to see that they aren't really as serious as you previously had thought.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health: The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America
- Mayo Clinic: Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Depression Symptoms
- University of Missouri-Columbia: High-Intensity Exercise Reduces Anxiety
- Harvard Health Publications: Yoga for Anxiety and Depression
- ReadersDigest.com: Deal With Anxiety and Get Your Life Back on Track
