We all deal with everyday worries and stresses. It's when these worries and stresses take over our every day lives, making it difficult to function, that we call it an anxiety disorder. According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety disorders take many forms, including panic attacks, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder. In today's modern society, drugs are all too often the answer to everyday problems. Anxiety is not immune to this "pop a pill and let the problems go away" mentality. But there are ways to deal with anxiety that don't require a trip to the pharmacy.
Step 1
Identify, rate and question your feelings. Start by looking at the actual emotions that you are dealing with. Anxiety can be caused by a number of emotions. Often times it's more than one. Sadness, fear and anger are all lingering feelings that can be suppressed and lead to attacks of anxiety. Once you've identified exactly what the feelings are, put them on a scale from one to ten. Then sit with your stronger feelings and question them. The mind is an incredible instrument. Often times getting a better understanding of what we feel and why can lead to some serious self-discovery, and better ways of coping in the future.
Step 2
Do some deep breathing and meditation. Often times during an anxiety attack, our breathing will become shallow. Occasionally, we may even hold our breath. By breathing deeply we oxygenate our brain, which allows us to think clearer. Deep breathing is something that can be done during the height of an anxiety attack when you are most prone to states of panic. Meditation requires that you find a place of solitude. It should be free of noise and distraction. Soothing music without lyrics can be helpful, but is not necessary. Close your eyes and do some more deep breathing, expelling the bad feelings and bringing in clean oxygen.
Step 3
Adjust your diet. Eating healthy is one thing to consider. More important to the purposes of limiting anxiety, is to eat often in small amounts throughout the day. By doing so, you are leveling off your blood sugar, which in turn, stabilizes your mood.
Step 4
Break the cycle. For people that suffer from anxiety, it doesn't take much to push them back to the brink of panic. You need to break the nasty cycle. Go for a walk; do a puzzle; anything that will help to take your mind off your current anxious feeling and refocus it on something healthy.
Step 5
Join a support group. You're not the only one that suffers with anxiety. There are groups in every major population center where people go to talk about their problems with anxiety and confront them. These are great for finding new ways to cope with anxiety based on what has worked for others. If there are no groups in your area, and you feel your attacks are more than just once in a blue moon bothers, consult a therapist.
