Experiencing anxiety occasionally is a normal part of life. Yet it may cause panic and terror in persons who do not know how to cope with it. Let alone, the persons with anxiety disorder frequently face unhealthy feelings, depression and fear. It affects their quality of life and functioning in different areas of life. But there’s no need to worry about it.
There are plenty of effective mechanisms to cope with anxiety. This article enlists 5 ways to cope with anxiety. These coping mechanisms work well for short term anxiety attacks and for mild symptoms. But if the symptoms of anxiety get worse, immediately seek the help of a professional.
1. Keep Yourself Active
Physical activity reduces stress levels and anxiety. Therefore, keep yourself physically active as much as possible. Exercise and social work is a great option in this regard. You can also acquire a job that keeps you active most of the day.
A relaxed and busy mind is also less prone to anxiety. Medication, yoga, visualization and relaxation techniques, and playing games also proves a beneficial way to cope with anxiety.
2. Learn to Control Triggers
First, learn what are the triggering elements of your anxiety. Take the help of your health care provider and learn what might be causing your anxiety. Sometimes these can be obvious like alcohol, caffeine etc. while sometimes less obvious like traffic and traveling. Long term anxiety causing situations such as a person or work-related situations need time to figure out.
Try to develop strategies to deal with such triggering situations or moments. Either avoid such elements or just mentally prepare yourself to deal with such anxious feelings.
3. Keep Yourself Healthy
Sometimes, anxiety may be due to underlying health issues. Keep yourself physically healthy by maintaining a proper diet and exercise. Add vegetables, fruits, grains, fish, milk and meat to your diet. Avoid smoking, caffeinated drugs, alcohol and recreational drugs. Make sure you are getting proper sleep and if not, consult your doctor.
A healthy mind is also necessary to overcome anxiety. Play games, do social work, change your surroundings or environment, go for a hike, play with your pet, make a garden and take care of the plants. Keep yourself away from disturbing things, use less screen time, and such other activities. It lowers your anxiety levels by keeping both your body and mind healthy.
4. Therapy
Certain aromas are thought to activate stress-reducing receptors in the brain. Aromatherapy greatly helps in reducing anxiety. Lavender, sandalwood and chamomile are noteworthy. They are available in the firm essential oils, candle or incense.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works on negative thought patterns by recognizing and reconstructing them. In this therapy, your therapist will ask you about your thought process in the situations that make you anxious. He will recognize negative patterns in your thoughts. Once you are aware of these, you can reframe these to more productive and positive thoughts.
5. Use Medicine
Anxiety medications include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications (also known as anxiolytics), and beta-blockers. The former two work by affecting the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. One such medicine is Gabapentin for anxiety. It is a package of both antidepressants and anxiolytics, used to treat anxiety, depression, social phobia and bipolar.
Beta-blockers are used to treat the physical conditions that accompany anxiety. Get the help of your health care provider for proper prescription.
When to see a doctor
Like any other disease, anxiety is a serious issue that could get worse with time. It is easy to treat it at an early age. As we have already mentioned the ways to cope with it at an early stage. Seek medical assistance immediately if following symptoms appear;
- Anxiety starts interfering with your routine life (both private to social activities).
- It starts causing other mental health issues.
- It is caused by an underlying mental or physical health issue.
- You start feeling on the edge or experience suicidal thoughts.
- You face difficulty in concentrating on different tasks.
- You are unable to sleep
- Symptoms persist for more than 6 months
Final Thoughts
Anxiety doesn’t not easily end on it’s own. Always look for the symptoms of anxiety and seek medical assistance before it gets worse. The coping mechanisms mentioned above help to lower the anxiety levels slowly but effectively.
