Every day it seems that anxiety is becoming an inevitable symptom of modern living. So many of us walk around with a feeling of insurmountable stress and pressure on our shoulders. There seems to be an endless list of things contributing to it.
Advancing careers, maintaining relationships, supporting your family or your lifestyle of choice. And then there’s the world around us, with pollution and noise and traffic.
We think about international crises and world issues like global warming, and it’s easy to see why anxiety is so rampant today. Below we’ve compiled a few ways you can help to relieve some of that pressure through natural, non-medical processes.
A Balanced, Healthy Diet
One of the most important steps to take in anxiety management is ensuring that you maintain a balanced diet. What we take into our bodies can have a significant effect both physically and mentally. Studies have suggested strong links between certain foods and anxiety levels.
Some things, such as caffeine, can even trigger anxiety disorders. Some people even believe there are specific anti-anxiety diets. They are based around the ketogenic diet and an avoidance of inflammatory foods (gluten, corn, soy, sugar, and dairy).
Exercise
Exercise is an essential factor in relieving anxiety effectively. It’s been proven in various cases that there are strong links between the reduction of anxiety disorders and physical exercise. People who engage in regular physical activity experience considerably fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
This is possible because of the increased production of dopamine in certain areas of the brain. If you aren’t a person who exercises regularly, it may seem daunting, but there are thousands of websites that can help you find what works for you like askmuscle.com.
Meditation
Over the years, meditation has become immensely popular in the west and for good reason! Part of meditations goal is in quieting the overactive part of your mind, which is responsible for where anxious thoughts come from. Studies have found mindfulness to be a very effective tool in anxiety management.
On another note, spending more time in nature can help you slip more easily into a meditative state. This is particularly true if you live in an urban area or have issues clearing your mind of intrusive thoughts.
Ditch Your Self-Prescribed Short-Term Remedies
People often pick up destructive habits such as drinking alcohol and smoking as a means of relieving stress or anxiety. Maybe you have a glass of wine or two to relieve your nerves in social situations. Or perhaps you pop out for a sneaky smoke when you’re feeling overworked.
However, recent studies have found that there are strong links between nicotine and the neural pathways which affect anxiety disorder. Using alcohol as a crutch can culminate in alcohol dependence. This can have devastating effects on mental health and is likely to exacerbate anxiety considerably.
Therapy
Sometimes it can be incredibly useful to talk about your problems with a trained professional. Therapy has proven to be very helpful in aiding people to overcome their anxiety. Please note, however, that it does not necessarily work for everyone.
But therapy can be costly and sometimes intrusive in nature. Therefore, this is the last item on the list and something we recommend when the previous suggestions have failed.
Final Thoughts
These are some things that can contribute to the lessening of anxiety symptoms. Please keep in mind that they may not all work for you, so further research is recommended. If you find your anxiety is debilitating your life and no natural remedies or therapy will help, it may be a good idea to seek help from a medical professional. A healthy mind and body are important, so make sure to take care of your health.
