Anxiety

Anxiety is the name we give to our feelings of worry, fear, apprehension, and nervousness. It is not a mental illness. It is the appropriate nervous reaction that human beings developed when we first evolved to tell us when we were in a dangerous situation. Many of our fears and worries a justified. We may be worried about taking an exam or that a person we love is suffering. Anxiety may, however, occur without cause or it may be that we are more worried about a difficult situation that it warrants. People who suffer from severe anxiety find it can have a serious impact on their daily lives.

The physical sensations and symptoms that appear when we become anxious can be as frightening as the cause of the anxiety. This can increase our levels of anxiety and cause other problems such as phobias, panic attacks, and obsessive compulsive disorder. The physical sensations are the body’s way of preparing us to face the danger it thinks we are in. It does this by producing the hormone adrenaline in preparation for us to either fight the danger or run away from it, the “flight or fight” response. There are quite a number of physical sensations but the most common ones include dizziness, breathlessness, heart rate speeding up and shaking. These symptoms can be very frightening, even though they are harmless, but they can be very scary. It is a self-perpetuating problem, once you are frightened of the symptoms, your level of anxiety increases and you become more afraid, causing anxiety levels to rise and the higher level of anxiety becomes the “normal” reaction.

Coping with Anxiety

If you think you are suffering from anxiety, it is probably a good idea to speak to your doctor and get it diagnosed properly. They may suggest medication but if you don’t want to take medication, there are a number of things that you can do to decrease your levels of anxiety.

1. Talk to a Therapist

Your doctor may be able to recommend a licensed therapist who is specialises in anxiety to help you overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed by your anxieties. They can help you come to terms with the problems you are experiencing that are causing you stress and teach you some techniques to deal with the anxiety. Cognitive therapy can teach you how to change the way you think about your problems and help you fight the obsessive thinking patterns that increase your anxiety.

2. Join a Support Group

It can be very helpful to join a support group for anxiety sufferers. A support group will help you meet people who are experiencing the same thing and they can give you tips on how to cope. People who share their problems with supportive family members or friends handle difficult situations much better than those who keep it bottled up and so reduce the effects of anxiety. Encouragement from good friends and information from professionals are great ways of getting support. For example, if it is debt that is keeping you awake, try taking a financial planning course. Tackling a problem in a positive way will make you feel much less anxious about it.

3. Deep Breathing

Deep breathing techniques can help lower your anxiety and stress levels. Try to find half an hour a day to practice deep breathing, not just before bed as you may fall asleep. Find yourself somewhere comfortable to sit with your back straight. Close your eyes and you breathe through your nose and mouth feel the rise and fall of your stomach with one hand. Slowly count five for each exhale and inhale. Think about how the air is entering your body and filling your stomach then it leaving your stomach. If this is a difficult exercise, try doing it lying down.

4. Exercise

Exercise is a great way of relieving stress. It releases endorphins which combats stress and anxiety by giving you a sense of well-being. Find an exercise you enjoy and try to do it at least five times a week for about 30 minutes. Good exercises for health, weight control and reducing the risk of heart disease are aerobic exercises such as playing sports, dancing, cycling, running, swimming and walking.

5. Positive Thinking

Try changing how you think about any new situations. If you recognise and fight negative thought may be able to reduce your anxiety level. Try to visualise a positive outcome for situations. Try and “see” yourself passing the exam, being on time for that important appointment or give the greatest presentation ever and ignore any thoughts that show unsuccessful or embarrassing results.

6. Relaxation Techniques

You could reduce your anxiety but getting rid of all tension out of your body. Find a quiet place for 10 to 20 minutes each day and try meditation. Concentrate on a single word or item and block out negative thoughts. Imagine yourself in a calm place or relax your muscles by tightening and releasing each muscle in your body to get rid of the tension.

7. Healthy Habits

Healthy eating, enough sleep and physical activity can all help to improve your emotional and physical stamina. A good diet and 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day will make you feel more energetic, help you sleep and improve your mental state. A good night sleep of seven to nine hours will make you less irritable, improve your concentration and make you less moody, all of which help to decrease your anxiety. An unhealthy diet can increase your feelings of anxiety. Low levels of vitamin B12 may actually cause anxiety. A healthy balanced diet rather than binging on food or skipping meals can make you feel a lot better and more able to face your problems.

8. Ditch Bad Habits

Anything that affects your health or mental state in a negative way can make your anxiety worse. For example, quitting smoking can make you feel better as the nicotine in cigarettes can make you more agitated. Cut down on alcohol, sedatives and anything with caffeine in as these can increase anxiety.

9. Hobbies

Taking time out of your life to pursue a hoppy or interest can help you effectively manage your stress and anxiety. A hobby, especially one that needs a lot of concentration such as painting and drawing, will limit the time you spend thinking about what is causing your anxiety. Choose something that you enjoy and you can do for a long period of time.

10. Laugh

There’s nothing like laughing to make you feel better. Walking round with a long face will make you feel more miserable, so put a smile on your face. Laughter makes life seem better so when you feel down watch something funny on television or go out with a friend who will cheer you up. Laughter may also produce endorphins which increase your sense of well-being and can ease pain. If nothing else, talking your problem over with a sympathetic friend will probably help you put it into perspective and help you feel that you can overcome it.

11. Get a Massage

A massage is great way of helping you relax and relieving you of some of that tension and anxiety.

12. Know your own Limits

A major cause of anxiety is when you take on more than you can handle. If you know the limit of what you can do and how much you can do and learn to say no it will go a long way to reducing your anxiety levels.

13. Make Plans

Worrying about something can’t change a situation or the outcome. It solves nothing. Action is the only way to change things. So empower yourself. Act. Even trying to solve a problem will make you feel more positive about it.

14. Give yourself Goals

Break your problem down into small pieces and create small attainable goals for yourself. Once you reach this goal, reward yourself. Don’t say, “I need to loose two stone”, say “If I lose a pound this week, I’ll get myself a new lipstick."

Conclusions

Small amounts of stress and anxiety can be good for us as they motivate us and improve our productivity. It keeps us alert and out of danger and helps us to live a long and busy life. Too much stress and anxiety can cause us to become physically ill and greatly reduce our life expectancy. It can limit our functions and stop us living a normal life. It isn’t hard to reduce anxiety in our daily lives once we know how. Practice a few simple techniques and change your lifestyle and you can enjoy the benefits of a little anxiety without letting it ruin your life. If your anxiety levels are so high that you can’t tackle it yourself, please seek expert, medical advice.

Works Cited

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/anxiety/

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2425.aspx?CategoryID=139&SubCategoryID=1393

http://www.andreaschultz.com/anxiety.pdf

http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/rbook/stress.html