Feelings of anxiety can strike at almost any time. You can be getting along happily with your tasks for the day when you are suddenly struck with an attack of panic that leaves you in a sudden state of mental turmoil. The origin of these feelings can be difficult to identify, but there is no doubt that they can be extremely distressing and have a debilitating impact on a person’s quality of life if left unchecked.
If the description above seems familiar to you, you may want to consider learning about a few actions that you can take to help. Thankfully, reducing anxiety is not always that difficult to do if you have the right contingency plans in place. It does not have to involve getting a prescription for anti-anxiety drugs; there are also a number of natural ways to help resolve the problem.
In this post, we aim to provide some fail-safe strategies that you can use to reduce your tendency toward anxiety and to help strengthen your resolve when you do fall prey to an attack. Read on to find out more.
1. Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness is the practice of maintaining oneself entirely in the present. It involves relaxing using breathing techniques and letting thoughts pop into your head without judgment. By doing this, a person can achieve a state of extreme relaxation and serenity.
Although it requires regular practice and can take a while to master, mindfulness meditation has the potential to give a person the mental tools with which to pull themselves out of anxiety attacks. A growing number of people are reporting that it is providing them with significant relief. Indeed, so effective has it been found to be that many schools are beginning to incorporate mindfulness lessons in their curriculum.
2. CBD Treatments
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a derivative of the cannabis plant, it’s legal to use in Canada and other countries around the world. Many believe CBD may hold an important key to controlling anxiety. It is known to interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a series of receptors located around the body which are now understood to place a key role in the way that the body reacts to anxiety triggers.
CBD is available in all manner of shapes and forms. You can find it in oils, capsules, vapes and edibles, all of which offer a fast-acting route to reducing anxiety. CBD is completely safe and has zero psychoactive effects, making it perfect for people who want a bit of extra support.
3. Exercise
Engaging in regular aerobic exercise is a powerful tool for controlling anxiety. Not only does it help to take your mind off the things that are causing the anxiety, but it also raises your heart rate, which in turn increases the availability of neurochemicals that have been found to play a role in reducing anxiety. Among these neurochemicals are serotonin and endocannabinoids.
If you are suffering from anxiety, an important strategy for overcoming your symptoms should include a focus on formulating an active lifestyle. People who are not in the habit of taking exercise should note that even a small increase in physical activity can have a large effect on mental state.
4. Massage
A great way of winding down from a stressful, anxiety-inducing day is to dedicate a little time for a massage. Anyone who has ever had a massage will be all too aware of the power it has to relieve tension in both the muscles and mind.
Massages can improve circulation and help you to work on your deep breathing techniques. In doing so, it can reduce the body’s fight-or-flight response as well as the incidence of anxious thoughts, lowering heart rate and promoting a sense of calmness and wellbeing.
5. Writing
When you are in the middle of an anxiety attack, it can seem like your mind is racing so fast that you cannot get your thoughts into any kind of coherent order. A good way of calming yourself down when you are in this state is to pick up a pen and paper and start writing down what is going through your mind.
Not only will what you write help you to identify triggers in your anxiety when you read it back later, but the simple act of writing is often calming and therapeutic.
Conclusion
At any one time, it is estimated that around one in five people is suffering from one form of anxiety-related mental health issue or another. While pharmaceutical treatments can often help, the long-term solution to feeling better should look to build a person’s coping strategies through holistic and natural means. The five tips described above represent a good starting point on the road to an anxiety-free life, but you are free to add to them whatever helps you to relax!
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