How to Manage Your Anxiety
All of us will, at one point or another, likely experience anxiety. The rush of adrenaline and the nervousness that can come with it are not necessarily bad in and of themselves. However, if they start to happen more and more frequently, without a good cause, it can negatively impact your emotional health in the long term. If you are dealing with problematic anxiety, finding healthy methods to deal with it can be vital. Here are a few practices you can try when you feel anxiety rising.
Finding Your Center
One of the most widely practiced methods is meditation. There are all kinds of guided meditation apps that can help you set up a peaceful, distraction-free environment, help you learn how to meditate, and teach you breathing exercises to help enhance the effectiveness of the technique. Meditation is mostly about mindfulness, pulling your mind away from distractions and stresses to focus on the moment, specifically on the sensations of your body and posture. If you are fully present, you cannot simultaneously be worrying about the future or fretting about the past. And meditation can be as simple as a deep cleansing breath.
Wrap Yourself Up
One method of at-home therapy that has been gaining traction lately is the use of a weighted blanket. Proponents say that the pressure these blankets provide on the body, which feels similar to being held, hugged, or swaddled, can help cultivate or maintain a sense of calm. This is known as “pressure therapy.” What’s more, there are no risks to using them, as it does little other than apply a little pressure on the body and certainly not enough to cause any kind of injury.
Put Your Finger On It
You might be aware of the practices of acupuncture, which use needles placed in specific parts of the body in an effort to produce certain bodily effects. While proponents say that it unblocks and redirects chi (or life energy), it has been found to help improve blood flow. You don’t need needles to gain the stress-busting benefits of acupuncture, however. EFT tapping (or emotional freedom technique tapping) combines modern psychology and massage therapies. Some people have found that a little pressure in the right places can help take their minds away from their woes, much like meditation.
Try an Herbal Remedy
A relaxant to help you calm both your body and mind can help you find some relief from a mind that’s racing a mile a minute. Some people have found that certain herbal drinks like kava can help to calm them. Herbal teas help for others.
Redirect Your Mind
Distraction can be a very effective tactic when it comes to keeping your mind in check. If you give your thoughts something else to busy them, then they might be less likely to race from one concern to the next. Few things are as good at getting that mind active and distracted as puzzles, and there are plenty of great puzzle apps to keep your mind busy. Tactile puzzles, such as Rubik’s cubes, have the added benefit of getting you physically engaged. Puzzles on your phone can be great for when you’re on the go.
Get What Your Body Needs
Have you considered that your anxiety might be caused, or at least exacerbated, by a simple mineral deficiency? Magnesium deficiency is extremely common and comes with a plethora of symptoms that could contribute to anxiety, such as feelings of stress, worse sleep, heightened nervousness and more. Magnesium supplements can be bought in any general health store, but there are plenty of ways to get more of it in your diet, too.
The effective means by which we manage our anxiety is going to change from person to person. Just because one method doesn’t work doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try another. Don’t give up. Find what helps you keep things on an even keel. And don’t be afraid to try professional help in your menu of self-care actions.