Did you know that anxiety disorders affect more than 40 million adults in the United States?
Anxiety can sometimes be a good thing, as it helps your body to stay prepared and calculate possible risks. However, when you notice that anxious thoughts are completely taking over your daily thoughts, it's time to take action.
Battling with your anxiety disorder may be something that you struggle with every day, but it doesn't have to control your every waking thought. If you're looking to natural solutions to start controlling your anxiety, you've come to the right place.
Keep reading to learn nine natural solutions to managing your anxiety!
Get More Sleep
Do you stay awake at night, tossing and turning, with your mind racing? One of the most common signs of an anxiety disorder is insomnia.
A few ways that you can try getting more sleep at night are:
- Keeping a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed at the same time every night
- Making sure that your room is cool and dark when going to bed
- Avoiding nicotine, caffeine, and large meals before going to bed
- Turning off your electronics before going to bed
- Avoiding reading books and watching television while you're in bed
- Only sleeping when you're tired
- Not tossing around if you're struggling to go to sleep in your bed
Getting an adequate amount of sleep every night can help you to better manage your anxiety symptoms.
Stop Drinking Caffeine
If you believe that you're struggling with a chronic anxiety disorder, drinking caffeine can worsen your symptoms. Without an anxiety disorder, caffeine can cause you to have feelings of jitteriness and an increased heart rate. These are also common symptoms of an anxiety attack!
According to this study, caffeine can actually worsen the symptoms of your anxiety disorder. Drastically cutting back or completely eliminating caffeine from your diet can help to improve the symptoms of your anxiety.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Dehydration, GMOs, and low blood sugar levels can actually impact your mood! If you've noticed that your anxiety increases after you've finished eating a meal, take a look at the foods that you're consuming.
Eating a lot of processed foods that are high in salt content and not re-hydrating your body after eating a salty meal can worsen your anxiety symptoms.
Try taking care of your body by making sure you're staying hydrated, eliminating foods that are overly processed, and eating lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs!
Try the 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise
Feel an anxiety attack coming on and not sure how to work on stopping it? Using the 4-7-8 breathing technique can actually change your body's flight or fight response and help you to get your anxiety attack back under control.
Here's how to use the 4-7-8 breathing exercise:
- Place the tip of your tongue behind the front of your teeth, on the roof of your mouth
- While counting to four, breathe in through your nose
- Count to seven while holding your breath
- Slowly breathe out through your mouth while counting to eight
It's normal to feel a little lightheaded after completing this exercise. The good news is that feeling lightheaded after the 4-7-8 exercise is actually a sign that this exercise is working!
You can use this exercise as many times as you'd like to while working through an anxiety attack. It's also a great exercise to use if you feel like you're starting to disassociate while experiencing an anxiety attack.
Aromatherapy
The practice of using aromatherapy for anxiety involves using fragrances to promote a sense of well-being. You can directly inhale aromatherapy oils, add them to your shower or bath water, or even use an oil diffuser!
Some studies have shown that aromatherapy can help to:
- Boost your mod
- Reduce blood pressure
- Promote a sense of relaxation
- Encourages a restful sleep
- Reduces heart rate
If you're interested in finding aromatherapy oils to help naturally fight against your anxiety, here are a few scents to look for:
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Grapefruit
- Bergamont
- Ylang Ylang
Drink Herbals Tea
Did you know that according to this study, a cup of chamomile tea can help to promote better sleep and calm anxiety? Maybe it's the process that goes into making a cup of tea or maybe it's actually drinking the herbal tea that helps to soothe people.
Chamomile tea can actually help to decrease your body's levels of cortisol, which is the hormone that your body produces when it's stressed. Even if you aren't feeling like you're on the verge of an anxiety attack, a cup of chamomile tea can help your body naturally unwind!
Eat More Omega-3s
Most of us know that Omega-3s are great for heart health, but did you know that there have been studies that show fish oils are actually great for your mental health?
Eating a balanced diet that contains Omega-3s from fatty, cold-water fish (such as salmon, sardines, muscles, and anchovies) can help naturally manage your anxiety.
How?
Omega-3s affect the function of the serotonin neurotransmitter, which plays a vital role in depression and anxiety disorders. Both of these disorders are often defined by low levels of serotonin in your brain.
The more Omega-3s that you eat, the more effective your serotonin levels are going to be!
Finding the Best Natural Solutions for Your Anxiety
Finding the best natural solutions for your anxiety may take some trial and error to discover what works best for your personal needs. Always remember that you're never alone in the struggle against anxiety!
Are you looking to learn more ways that you can manage your anxiety disorder? Feel free to contact us today!