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5 Ways To De-Stress and Reduce Anxiety

If you find yourself battling anxiety disorder on a daily basis it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Anxiety disorder affects 40 million adults in the United States alone, and the numbers grow every year. That’s why it’s so important to have effective exercises to reduce anxiety in your arsenal of mental health tools to help you get through the day and to live a life free from anxiety and panic attacks.

If you or someone you love suffers from anxiety, read on for some important information that can help.

Knowing the Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

While following exercises and natural remedies that we are going to share with you can help reduce your symptoms, it’s important to seek help from a mental health professional to find the root cause of your anxiety and get definitive treatment.

Sometimes your symptoms can be due to thyroid or vitamin deficiencies.

It’s also important to appreciate that anxiety (and panic attacks) can present with a wide variety of symptoms. Those include the following:

  •  A numbness or tingling sensation
  •  Nausea
  •  Dizziness
  •  Chest pain
  •  Trembling or palpitations
  •  Difficulty breathing
  •  Night sweats

These are just some of the symptoms to be aware of. If you find that you relate to any of the symptoms above, try the following exercises and be sure to get in touch with a mental health professional that can get you started on a proper treatment.

Natural Treatment 

There are a number of herbs and supplements that can be used to help reduce anxiety. Lavender is one herb that has been found to dramatically decreased stress in some people and help them relax.

How you use lavender is up to you. Many individuals utilize it through aromatherapy, some use it alongside bath salts as part of their self-care routine, and others even enjoy it as a tea at the end of the day.

Since anxiety and panic attacks can happen anytime and anywhere, it’s helpful to have a perfume roller with pure lavender oil that can be applied when you feel the symptoms of an anxiety attack coming on.

You may experience even better results if you combine lavender with a relaxing massage.  

Physical Exercises for Anxiety

While you don’t need to run a marathon to fight anxiety, studies have shown that as little as 15 minutes a day of exercise can decrease anxiety and panic attacks, as well as depression.

In addition to flooding your brain with endorphins (the feel-good brain messengers), exercise also provides you with the opportunity to get some fresh air, connect with others, an anchor yourself in the present.

Meditation 

If the idea of sitting on a pillow for 20 minutes with nothing but your thoughts sounds overwhelming, we get it. For those suffering from anxiety, meditation can feel like a major feat. 

The good news is that no one expects you to know how to meditate off the bat. Try starting off was three to five minutes of deep breathing exercises each morning and then move on to try simple meditation techniques.

The longer you practice the longer you’ll be able to sit and focus on your breathing. This will help create the foundation you need to manage your emotions and reconnect with your breathing throughout the day. You can expect to significantly decrease the number of anxiety attacks with regular daily meditation.

There are a number of apps and countless free YouTube videos that can help you get started on your meditation journey. 

Creative Outlets 

Often anxiety arises when there’s a lack of healthy outlets where an individual can express their worries or stress.

Getting out your emotions without dwelling on the details is a major tool in managing your anxiety. Whether through painting, journaling, or spending time with an adult coloring book, giving yourself permission to get creative is a great strategy when the feelings of anxiety begin creeping in.

If you can’t think of anything to write or create, try starting with a gratitude journal that will help shift your focus on the positive areas of your life and reframe your outlook.

Open Up

Often those around us don’t have a clear understanding of what an anxiety attack actually feels like or what the crushing worry can do to one’s mental health. 

Taking the time to educate your loved ones on what an anxiety attack looks like, feels like, and what can trigger it is a major step in reclaiming your mental health.

Not only will this give those around you a more transparent understanding of what you’re going through, but it can also allow them to help you during the moments where the exercises above simply aren’t enough.

Going Beyond Exercises

While exercises for anxiety can be a tremendous tool, they’re no substitute for professional treatment. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to have extreme cases of anxiety attacks to speak with a mental health professional and to get treatment.

Simply sitting down and discussing your experience, and finding ways to manage your anxiety as a team can bring you closer to a life free of anxiety.

Sometimes taking a low dose of anti-anxiety medications for a short period of time (only as needed) can give you a period of time to gain control over your symptoms.

Sometimes treatment with EEG-based neurofeedback especially when combined with natural remedies, can make you feel less anxious and more in control.

You need to keep in mind that anxiety is a chronic medical condition, just like asthma or diabetes are chronic medical conditions.

You do not choose to have anxiety and so you should not blame yourself for suffering from having anxiety attacks. It’s not your fault; just like having asthma symptoms is not your fault.

You need to educate yourself how to manage (and prevent) the symptoms of chronic anxiety.

If you or someone you love is struggling with anxiety on a daily basis and is ready to get the help needed to take back control of their mental health, contact us today for more information on how we can be of assistance. You may be a good candidate for treatment with neurofeedback.

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