Anxiety can be debilitating. It can affect a person and their life, altering their lifestyles beyond repair. From social anxiety to generalized anxiety disorder, it is a mental disorder where GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) impacts 40 million American adults, and is regarded the most common mental illness in the US. Although anxiety disorders are complex, with numerous causes such as genetics, personality, environment and brain chemistry, there are, however, many ways to try and counter the symptoms and panic of anxiety. Here are 4 lifestyle changes to help those cope with their anxieties.
Be Prepared
An anxiety attack can appear at any given time. Therefore, you need to be prepared and deal with the attack accordingly. When living your life, you want to reduce the risk of being caught off-guard, so create a list of how to best deal with a panic attack, and test it out when one occurs. You will need to remember that everyone is different, so if one remedy does not work for you, you need to find another. Here are the best ways to combat an anxiety disorder:
- Deep and controlled breathing
- Meditate
- Walk away from the situation
- Listen to soothing music
- Engage in something you love
For example, if you are at work and an anxiety attack appears, excuse yourself from the current situation and go outside, into the fresh air. Find a quiet spot and engage in deep and controlled breathing.
Seek Professional Help
An anxiety disorder will throw your life off track, so make sure you seek the help of a professional. You may find that they recommend counseling, which provides you with a useful output for your emotions. They also recommend medication if it’s your brain chemistry. Depending on where you live, your doctor may also prescribe marijuana, which, in small doses, can help those dealing with depression and anxiety. If you’re worried about carrying your marijuana around, there are many marijuana lifestyle brands which provide bamboo storage boxes and handbags which remain odorless.
Exercise
Exercise is crucial to your health and wellbeing. Although it is a great means of staying physically fit, it is also a great way to reduce anxiety retention. Relaxation exercises such as yoga or Pilates are ideal, as well as high-cardio exercises such as running. The psychological benefits of exercise are an elevation of mood, a release of endorphins and a boost in mental energy.
Quit Your Vices
For some, this may be the hardest lifestyle change to make. If you drink a lot of caffeine such as coffee, tea and soda, then you’ll need to cut them out of your diet. Caffeine can make you more anxious as it affects your sleep and accelerate your heartbeat, mimicking symptoms of a panic attack. Make sure you drink plenty of water instead.
Other vices you should stop are smoking and drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant, and can, therefore, reduce your mood – especially dangerous if you’re also diagnosed with depression. By quitting smoking, you are also reduce your stress-levels and improving your body’s oxygen levels, linked to better concentration. To stop smoking, speak to your doctor and consider all the possible treatment.
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