If you or anyone you know is suffering from anxiety, fear or panic attacks, try these tips to beat anxiety and incorporate them into daily life. Soon they will become habit and your anxiety will fade away.
Start to watch your thoughts. If you can be a witness of your thoughts, you can better understand what kind of thoughts are popping up and making you feel anxious. When our minds are so busy and chaotic, it can be difficult to know what’s going on but you have the power to control every thought.
This will take practice and it will be difficult to begin, but you have the strength to overcome your anxiety. When you notice an anxious thought creeping in, catch it and stop it and replace it with a positive thought.
For example, if you start to think “I am feeling very nervous and uneasy”, replace that thought with something more uplifting like “I feel safe and calm and everything is great.” You can even smile to yourself and tell your body that you are feeling calm.
This beautiful and calming breath technique might sound like a grocery shop, but 7-2-11 simply refers to the timing of your breath.
On the inhale, we inhale quietly through the nose for the count of 7, retain or hold the breath for the count of 2 and then release on the exhale to the count of 11 with a “whooooosh” sound out of the mouth.
This exercise is like a natural sleeping tablet, it will completely relax the nervous system. It might take a couple of times to figure out the timing, but the more you practice, the more power you will gain. Practice it everyday for 4-8 rounds.
Eating well is key to your body and mind functioning properly. We need to fuel our systems much like our car needs petrol to move. When we are stressed and under pressure, your body needs nourishment even more.
Eating “grounding” foods like oats and bananas will provide a great, slow energy release. Avoid stimulants like caffeine, sugar or fast foods, they will only create a spike and dip in your energy levels — making you feel more anxious.
Try to replace coffee with water or herbal teas and perhaps drink chamomile tea in the evening for extra calming benefits. Introduce it slowly into your daily routine and you will soon enjoy it more than your coffee crutch! If you feel quite low in energy, perhaps get a blood test to check if you are deficient in any vitamins or minerals that may be vital to help you feel calm.
Yoga classes do wonders to release tension and stress from the body. When you’re feeling anxious, exercise will help to try and release all that adrenal build up. After exercising, you will release endorphins and happy hormones like Serotonin.
The most effective and natural way to boost serotonin is by exercising daily. The stress hormones like Cortisol will reduce and you will begin to feel happy and relaxed. Pick an exercise or two that suits you and your lifestyle.
If you can get outdoors, that’s even better; go for a brisk walk, a run, a cycle or a hike. If you how low motivation, join a group or ask a friend to do it with you a few times a week.
Other options like yoga, Pilates, swimming, boxing, or basically anything that will get you moving, will help you to get outside your head. Creating these new habits will create the new healthy, happy life that you want to live.
This is easier said than done when your mind is noisy and your body is tense. Creating a routine before bed will help, like dimming the lights and lighting candles.
Try to replace nighttime TV, phones and internet with a book or a bubble bath with essential oils — the less light and noise stimulation, the better. If you’re not comfortable with complete silence and need some background noise, go for meditation sounds or relaxation music to help your body relax.
When you do get into bed, lie down and start to tell your body to relax, starting with your forehead and your eyes, all the way down to your toes. Go slowly, and hopefully you will be asleep before the end.