Today's world is complex and stressful, which causes feelings of anxiety to arise in many. Learning how to calm down and relax will help you to effectively deal with your anxiety. This article has a number of effective ways to help you live a life that is much more relaxed.
To soothe anxiety, keep everyday stress under control. When stress is going on, that means anxiety can be happening too. Try delegating tasks and relieving your responsibilities and pressures at home or work. Take some time to relax and do things you enjoy everyday.
Music can really help with anxiety. When you find yourself feeling stressed or anxious, listen to a favorite album. Try to focus on every note. Soon, you will be able to forget the things that are making you anxious. Keeping your mind occupied can help you with your anxiety.
Laughter really is the best medicine for anxiety. Watch a funny show on TV, or take in a good book which makes you laugh, or call someone funny on the phone to give you some good positive vibes.
Seek out someone that you can trust. Talk about your anxiety issues with this person. Having some that you can speak with can really help you out, so you're not keeping your feelings inside. When you bottle your feelings up, you are only temporarily delaying your feelings. It is much better to deal with them as they arise.
Establish daily goals for yourself. If you give yourself a goal to accomplish for the day, your mind will stay focused on achieving that goal. Doing this keeps your mind active, and can help prevent the occurrence of negative ideas or thoughts which lead to anxiety attacks.
To compensate for a tendency to breathe too fast during an anxious period, practice deep breathing exercises routinely so they are second nature when you need them. People will often hyperventilate during anxiety, so breathing from the diaphragm is best. With each deep breath and your stomach going in and out, your anxiety will become less severe.
Notice how your breathing changes when you are under stress. You'll notice that your breathing is more erratic and you're taking shorter breaths than usual. When anxious it is often difficult to exercise regular breathing. Keep in mind the body does need the right things, like water, air, and food. When you're suffering from an anxiety attack, try your best to focus all your attention on your breathing.
Being idle around the house as you dwell on your anxieties won't make them leave. Instead, learn of ways to occupy yourself, so you are not focusing on your issues. Taking up a particular hobby or other creative outlets will keep your mind away from your problems.
A great medication-free way to alter your brain chemistry is through exercise. Low serotonin can trigger anxiety, but exercise can fix it. Going for a jog, taking a dance class, or pumping iron at your gym all stimulate your brain, increasing its production of the natural relaxants serotonin and dopamine. This helps with both anxiety and depression, making it a double positive.
Give yourself daily goals and focus on always achieving them. If you accomplish this, you will remain focused during the day. This will help you avoid negative thoughts and your anxiety will decrease. This way you not only avoid anxiety, but also accomplish more.
Whether it is a close confidant, family member, or medical professional, find someone to talk through your problems with. If you are suffering from anxiety, you should put a support system in place. It can be very good for you to confide in someone about the anxiety you are experiencing, this can lower your anxiety levels.
Write a list of everyday anxiety triggers. Put the changeable things in one category and the unchangeable ones in another. Focus your energy on attempting to change things you have control over, and try to quit fretting over things you cannot change.
This may sound a little silly, but try doing funny things when you're having a panic attack like dancing around. This is a great way to distract yourself from your thoughts. Keeping your mind occupied is important when you are working to combat anxiety attacks. Do anything necessary to remove yourself from the negative surroundings.
Don't put yourself in stressful situations or around people who make you stressed. Ask yourself why you are friends with such people. Being around people like this will increase your stress and anxiety levels.
Limit your consumption of nicotine and alcohol. Many people think that these types of substances will relax you, but this is a mistake. They can cause increased anxiety than before using them. Think about alternate methods of relaxation, a good diet and plenty of exercise,
After reading this article, you are prepared to deal with life's stress. An overabundance of stress can lead to a battle with anxiety. With this in mind, you should use the advice given here to build a less stressful life.
By Gordon E. Dawe
