Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Make healthy lifestyle changes
• Method 2 of 4: Deep breathing exercises
• Method 3 of 4: Change your way of thinking
• Method 4 of 4: Get professional treatment

If you are constantly worried, feeling tense, thinking negatively, or always expecting disastrous things to happen, you may be dealing with an anxiety disorder. While the exact causes of anxiety disorders are uncertain, often the same risk factors are present as a family member who has an anxiety disorder, has experienced trauma, or has a mental illness. Fortunately, the right combination of medication, cognitive treatment, and lifestyle changes can help reduce symptoms and overcome anxiety.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Make healthy lifestyle changes

1. Seek social support even if you don't want to try. People with strong social connections tend to deal with different life circumstances in a healthier way than people without these connections. Get to know new people to support yourself as you learn to control your anxiety. Join a local anxiety support group, join a religious or spiritual organization, or have you and a group of close friends meet often.
   • A sense of connection and reassurance from other people can have drastic positive effects on your overall health. In fact, research shows that older people with little social support are at higher risk of death.
   • Loneliness can be more dangerous to your health than obesity and can shorten your lifespan in the same way as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For that reason, it is important to spend time with others.
2. Make sleep a priority. Sleep and anxiety have a complex chicken-or-egg relationship. A lack of sleep can lead to anxiety and anxiety can lead to a bad night's sleep. To control your anxiety, focus on getting at least seven hours of sleep every night. Use the following tips to get enough sleep:
   • Have a regular sleep schedule.
   • Turn off electronics 30 minutes before going to bed.
   • Go to sleep at the same time every day.
   • Make your bedroom a comfortable environment and strictly for sleeping.
   • Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark.
   • Exercise no less than 2 hours before going to sleep.
   • Develop a relaxation ritual for the evening.
   • Use aromatherapy such as lavender scents to help you relax.
   • Do not drink any more coffee in the afternoon.
   • Don't eat too much before going to sleep.
   • Go outside every day when the sun is shining.
   • Stop smoking (nicotine can negatively affect your sleep).
   • Do not drink alcohol 2 hours before going to sleep.
3. Get daily exercise. In addition to maintaining overall physical health, exercising can have a profound impact on your mental well-being. Physical activity generates endorphins, which supply the body with chemicals that make you feel good. As a result, regular exercise can relieve stress and distract you from worries.
   • Doctors suggest exercising for about 30 minutes every day. Walking, jogging, rowing or cycling - the choice is yours. Just choose an activity to commit to.
4. Eat a balanced diet. You may not fully understand the relationship between what you eat and how you feel, but it certainly is there. Certain foods and drinks, such as refined sugar or caffeine, can make anxiety worse. Instead, drink plenty of water and eat healthy meals that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein.
   • Base your diet around fresh produce, fish, beans, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and healthy oils, which support mental health. However, cut out processed foods and treats, which can negatively affect your mental health.
   • Prebiotics and probiotics are both essential to your gut health. While you can take supplements, you can also find food sources. Eat fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber to increase your consumption of prebiotics. For instance, eat asparagus, tomatoes, mango, onions, apples, and bananas. For probiotics, eat yogurt with live or active cultures, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso soup, kefir, tempeh, and kombucha.
   • Much research has been done on the link between caffeine and increased anxiety. Caffeine has been found to increase anxiety, depression and hostility. Avoid caffeine in soda, coffee (choose decaf), tea, and even chocolate.
5. Reduce your consumption of alcohol and other depressants. You may drink alcohol to ease your anxiety, but find that it subconsciously worsens your condition. Finds a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety, such as listening to music or calling a friend, instead of relying on drugs or alcohol.
6. Take care of yourself. While battling a mental illness such as anxiety disorder, you can become so focused on getting better and your responsibilities that you forget about the usual care for yourself. Do something for yourself every day to relieve stress. Makes it extra special so that you have something to look forward to every day.
   • Clean your living space weekly so it doesn't get too cluttered. Pay your bills on a fixed day every month.
   • Give yourself something to look forward to every day, whether it's a chat with a friend, a dip in a warm bath, your favorite cup of tea or coffee (decaf) or your favorite sitcom. Use this as "my time".
   • Do whatever it takes to release the stress. There is not a right answer for everyone.

Method 2 of 4: Deep breathing exercises

1. Find a quiet space where you can be alone without distraction. Close the door, if possible. If you are more accustomed to this exercise, you may be better off blocking out distractions and doing the exercise in front of others.
2. Sit up straight with your back straight. You can sit in a chair or on the floor with your legs crossed, which is comfortable.
   • You can also lie down if you wish. However, keep in mind that sitting upright allows your lungs to fill to its maximum capacity, which is best with deep breathing exercises.
3. Support your arms. Place your arms on the back of a chair or rest them on your thighs. This relieves the shoulders and allows you to relax better.
4. Inhale slowly through your nose. Take a deep breath through your nose for 4 counts. Your abdomen should expand.
5. Hold your breath. Simply hold the breath in your lungs for 1 to 2 seconds.
6. Release the air. Now release all the air from your lungs through your mouth. You should hear a "sighing" sound as the breath leaves your mouth. Notice how your belly deflates as your breath is escaping.
7. Wait a few seconds. To avoid hyperventilation, wait a few seconds before breathing again.
8. Repeat. Repeat this entire sequence for five minutes. About six to eight breathing cycles per minute are considered effective in relieving anxiety. Still, you need to find your own natural breathing rhythm that you like.
9. Do this exercise twice a day. Practice the deep breaths at least twice a day for five minutes per session.
   • Note that deep breathing exercises should not be saved for those times when you actually experience anxiety. Do this exercise daily to get the anxiety and stress under control.
10. Use deep breathing along with other relaxation techniques. Deep breathing can be practiced alone or in combination with other relaxation techniques, such as meditation and yoga, as an additional treatment for anxiety.

Method 3 of 4: Change your way of thinking

1. Recognize wrong thought patterns. Cognitive distortions or irrational thoughts that exacerbate feelings of anxiety or depression are unhealthy. Below, consider the most common cognitive distortions and see if you can recognize these patterns in your own inner dialogue.
   • All or nothing (black and white) thinking: viewing situations in absolute categories - something is good or bad, right or wrong, without subtleties, complexities or gray areas.
   • A mental filter: exaggerating the negative aspects while minimizing the positive aspects.
   • Prejudice: assuming that someone else's negative reaction is about you; a negative prediction of the future.
   • Magnification or Minimization: Maximizing or minimizing the importance of a situation.
   • Overgeneralization: Seeing a negative event as part of an incessant pattern.
   • "Should" statements: Judging yourself or others for what they should or should not do or should not do.
   • Emotional reasoning: reasoning based solely on emotions - "I feel stupid, so I have to be".
   • Neglecting the positives: Underestimating your achievements or positive characteristics.
2. Question the validity of cognitive distortions. To eliminate negative inner dialogue, you will have to notice that you are participating in these cognitive distortions and then make a conscious effort to challenge these self-explanations.
   • First you notice a negative inner dialogue: "I notice that everyone is looking at me and know they think I'm weird".
   • Then challenge this mindset by asking one of the following questions:
     • What would I say to a friend who says such things about himself?
     • What evidence do you have that this thought is correct?
     • What evidence do I have that this thought is wrong?
     • Am I confusing "possibility" with "truth"?
     • Is this thought based on how I feel rather than facts?
3. Try to reframe your negative thought. The primary focus of cognitive restructuring is to notice when you are experiencing destructive thoughts, to challenge the reality of these thoughts, and to transform the thoughts into constructive and positive thoughts. Reframing negative thoughts is one way to think more realistically and reduce anxious feelings.
   • For example, the above comment, "I notice everyone looking at me and knowing they think I'm weird," can be transformed to improve your mood instead of worsen it. Try to phrase it differently, such as: "I have no idea how others see me; it can be bad or good. But I know who I am and I'm proud of it. "
4. Schedule half an hour every day as a "worry moment". Do this exercise daily at the designated time. Choose a time that is a little further from your usual bedtime so that worry and anxiety don't interfere with your sleep.
5. Recognize and procrastinate concerns. Become aware of your concerns by noticing how they make you feel. If there are thoughts that make you tense, cause palpitations, squeeze your hands, or continue to show other signs that you are anxious, you can label them as worries. Then, during the day, consider what you are thinking about when you feel anxious and feel distressed.
   • If necessary, write the concern on a list of concerns and remind yourself to think about it later. Try to keep your mind clear and continue with your daily activities.
6. Go through your concerns at the appropriate time. During the worry moment, you don't just think about what's bothering you on that day. Grab a pen and your concern list, and strive to find a solution for each concern.
   • Stimulation control therapy research shows that the four-step process of identifying concerns, determining a time to remember, noticing and delaying concerns until later in the day, and brainstorming solutions best method is to reduce anxiety.
7. Recognize that you have the power to manage your anxiety and negative thinking. In principle, delaying concerns may seem impossible. However, after a lot of practice, you will find that you can actually decide when and where to worry. Therefore, worries don't have to take up your entire day.

Method 4 of 4: Get professional treatment

1. Arrange a visit to your doctor. If anxiety becomes a nuisance in your life to the point where you are no longer able to function at school, work, within relationships, or while doing other activities, then it is time to make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor may order laboratory tests and a physical examination to determine the source of your anxiety.
   • In some cases, anxiety is not just an indication of a mental illness, but is actually a precursor to another health problem. Anxiety can be the first warning (or side effect) of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, and even drug abuse or denial.
   • In other cases, the anxiety can be a side effect of medications. Talk to your doctor to determine if this might be the case in your situation.
2. Consult a psychotherapist. If your doctor cannot identify a common medical cause for your concern, you may need to be referred to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or psychotherapist experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medication to relieve your symptoms, but many people find that a combination of therapy and medication works best for controlling anxiety.
3. Have your therapist explain what your diagnosis involves. Simply labeling what you are experiencing as fear does not provide all the answers you need to recover. Even within the domain of mental disorders, there is a class of disorders in which anxiety is a key feature. A psychologist can review your personal history, conduct evaluations, and ask questions to determine what type of anxiety you are experiencing.
   • You may have an anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, or social anxiety disorder.
4. Talk to your therapist about which treatment option is best for you. While there are self-help techniques you can use to manage the anxiety symptoms, these conditions should be treated by a professional. Depending on the type and severity of the condition, mental health professionals use one of three methods of treating anxiety:
   • Medication. The diagnosis of anxiety is often confused with depression because psychiatrists often prescribe antidepressants to relieve anxiety. A class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can be effective in the treatment of anxiety. Other possible include serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), benzodiazepine and tricyclic antidepressants.
   • Therapy. An empirically proven, effective treatment for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on raising awareness and modifying unrealistic thinking patterns that contribute to anxiety. Other potential therapeutic approaches include Exposure Therapy (Exposure), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
   • A combination of these two.
5. Be patient. People often assume that they do not respond well to a treatment or that it does not work because they did not give the interventions enough time to work. Remember, too, that many anxiety patients try a variety of different treatment options before finding something that is most effective in treating their symptoms.
   • It may take several weeks to get an appointment with a therapist, so don't give up.
   • Keep in mind that some medications can take up to 8 weeks to work.