Temporary feelings of anxiousness when making a public speech or when meeting new people may not cause concern, but anxiety can become a problem when it interferes with daily living. Feeling anxious and tense without reason, having symptoms that cause distress or interfere with day-to-day activities, and taking extreme steps to avoid situations that cause feelings of anxiousness may indicate an anxiety disorder. Taking the proper steps to relieve anxiety, however, can result in normal daily functioning.
Accept the Unpredictable
The root of anxiety often lies in not knowing what will happen next. The unpredictable future causes worry and in a misguided attempt to somehow calm that worry, thoughts of the things that could go wrong take center stage. However, thinking about all the things that could go wrong will not stop bad things from happening or make life more predictable. Instead, incessant worries interfere with the ability to enjoy the positive things in life. In order to avoid this problem, you must recognize that the future is unpredictable and you must learn to accept that.
Worry Period
Worrying does not always indicate an anxiety disorder. Small amounts of worrying is normal behavior experienced by everyone. However, if worrying and anxiety dominate your life, enjoying the good things in life becomes difficult. To help reduce the amount of worry experienced, implementing a worry period may be beneficial. A worry period is a time set aside specifically for worrying. This time should be the same every day and early enough so that it will not interfere with your sleep. During this time you may worry about anything and everything, but you may only worry during this time. If you begin to worry outside of your worry period, make a mental note of the worry and put it at the back of your mind. You must postpone worrying until your worry period. Be sure to address the worries you postponed during the day at the next worry period. The worry period effectively reduces anxiety by breaking the habit of worrying in the present and creating a sense of control.
Be Positive
Anxiety disorders often cast the world in a negative light. The belief that things will always turn out badly or that the worst-case scenario is the norm rather than the exception results in doubting your ability to cope with life's problems. You must retrain your brain to think positively, rather than negatively. With a positive attitude, it will be easier to realize that you are not alone and that others have had to deal with the same fears and anxiety.
Relax
Anxiety causes physical responses such as an increased heart rate, faster breathing and tense muscles as part of the body's fight-or-flight response. Relaxation turns off the body's fight-or-flight reaction and causes the heart rate to decrease, breathing to slow and muscles to relax. Relaxing becomes easier and easier with practice and should be incorporated into your daily schedule to make it easier to produce when faced with a stressful situation. Relaxation techniques include meditation, guided imagery and breathing techniques.
Eat Healthy
Eating healthy can relieve anxiety and increase overall health. Eat small healthy meals frequently, rather than large meals three times per day. Smaller, more frequent eating prevents fluctuating blood sugar, which can cause irritability and anxiousness. Eating complex carbohydrates will also help relieve anxiety, as complex carbs boost serotonin, which produces a calming effect.
Get Help
If symptoms are getting worse, rather than better, it may be necessary to seek professional help. Do not feel embarrassed or ashamed about asking for help. You may be surprised how many others can relate to your disorder and respect your decision to seek help.
