Natural remedies to manage anxiety

Anxiety disorders are among the most commonly experienced mental health conditions in the world. Typically, mental health experts prescribe a variety of prescription anti-anxiety medication to people who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders. However, prescription drugs can cause a wide range of unpleasant side effects and there’s also the risk of abuse involved, which may go on to cause severe health complications.

Instead of consuming prescription drugs to manage your anxiety, it’s much safer to explore the following natural remedies. While these remedies won’t deliver results overnight, you can count on them to cope with your anxiety issues over the long-term without doing any damage to your health.

1. Deep breathing and meditation

If you’ve ever focused on your breathing during an episode of anxiety, you might have noticed that your breathing was shallow. Rapid breathing involves breathing from the chest, which isn’t the way we were designed to breathe. Ideally, we should breathe in such a way that our diaphragm expands when we inhale air.

Back in 2017, I discovered meditation for the first time through technology. There was an app called "Headspace" that landed in my hands. Little did I know this app would lead me on an extraordinary journey within myself. A journey to find my inner being, lower stress, and bring out the best version of myself. The more I meditated, the more I was able to focus. The more I focused on the internal, the more the external problems dissolved.

By combining meditation and deep breathing techniques, you can rewire your brain to breathe in from your diaphragm, which can help you keep your mind calm and nerves soothed. Do it long enough, and you’ll gain the ability to control your breathing whenever you feel anxiety kicking in.

2. Avoid consumption of stimulants and depressants

Stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine can get your mind racing so if you’re a frequent coffee drinker and/or cigarette smoker, cut down on your smoking and coffee-drinking habits. Smoking especially can exacerbate anxiety symptoms as it significantly raises blood pressure in the short-term and can restrict your ability to breathe deep in the long run.

Using depressants isn’t a good idea either. Alcohol is the most commonly used depressant for managing anxiety and while it can reduce symptoms temporarily, excessive alcohol consumption can have the opposite effect and also put your personal and professional lives in jeopardy.

3. Exercise regularly

Just as the state of your mental health can affect how you feel physically, the opposite is true as well. Exercising daily can help you channelize your anxiety and stress towards something productive and the resulting sweat from your workout sessions can get rid of toxic substances from the body.

You don’t need to enroll at a gym for your daily dose of exercise. Practicing freehand exercises at home, taking brisk walks, and/or jogging/running can be just as effective.

4. Consume herbal extracts and supplements

Herbal extracts and supplements are completely natural and they don’t cause the harmful side effects that are associated with prescription anti-anxiety drugs. Valerian is a popular anti-anxiety supplement that’s used around the world to promote sleep. It is recommended for those who can’t sleep due to heightened levels of anxiety and stress during bedtime.

Lemon balm is another herbal extract that you can use to lower your anxiety. It has been a natural cure for anxiety and stress since the Middle Ages. It’s recommended to consume it in small doses initially, as too much of it may have the opposite effect and end up increasing your anxiety.

Chamomile, available as both a tea and a supplement, is yet another option that you might explore. According to a study conducted by Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, chamomile can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety in those diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Chronic anxiety and stress can put dents in both your personal and professional life and in the worst-case scenario may lead to psychosis. So if you’ve been experiencing anxiety symptoms and/or diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by a mental health professional, you should try these natural remedies.

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