The world in 2020 is remarkable for the vast amount of suffers from anxiety for two main reasons. Society is not only a lot more sympathetic, but we have a much better understanding of this condition, so we have more potential methods on how to treat and manage anxiety. And yet, the peculiarities of our time seem to cause and increase stress for many of us, making it very difficult to escape.
Anxiety is more than just worrying about a specific problem, although various stressful events and upsetting news can certainly increase it. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America defines anxiety as being characterised by 'persistent and excessive worry about a big number of different things.' Worry is many things to different people, it is difficult to control, and sufferers experience more days where they can't control anxiety than when they can.
However, you experience anxiety; this condition shouldn't stop you from living your life. There are loads of helpful ways to help you manage your anxiety from day-to-day life. Read on to learn more about how you can be able to manage your anxiety on your own terms. These tips are listed in no particular order of importance.
Identify Your Main Triggers
Our anxieties are often set off by certain stressors, so you can't prevent what you don't monitor. Before you can successfully manage your anxiety, you need to be able to understand what triggers it.
Examples of stressors and triggers might be anything in your surroundings, from routine to incidental. For some individuals, it might be getting out of the house to go to a party or an event where there will be lots of strangers. For others, it might be your family members, work, school or even dark days without any sunlight.
Whatever your triggers might be, know that they are valid. These things happen to you, and that's okay. Monitoring and accepting your stressors is an essential part of managing your anxiety.
Try Out CBD Oil
CBD, also known as Cannabidiol, is nowadays increasing in popularity as many people understand better how CBD products might be useful in treating anxiety. CBD is a safe, non-addictive and non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, which means it won't get you 'high' (that's the work of THC). It is one of more than 100 phytocannabinoids that give cannabis its therapeutic effects and has shown progress in treating anxiety and depression.
CBD is thought to interact with the body's endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for regulating a series of physiological processes such as stress mood, energy, immune response, appetite, how we experience pain and many more. To help reduce anxiety, CBD might interfere with the brain's receptors for serotonin, which regulate how you feel, your mood and behaviour.
Therapeutic properties of CBD oil are gaining increased recognition as a legitimate treatment for a wide range of physical and mental ailments, including anxiety. There are also various ways to consume it, including CBD gummies, tinctures, balms, vapes and many more. Make sure to do your research to work out what is best for you, and consider talking to your doctor or a healthcare provider beforehand.
Proritise Physical Activity
In recent years, many doctors and therapists have increasingly prescribed physical activity to manage anxiety, in some cases referring individuals to personal trainers. Exercise helps to suppress the stress hormones of the body in the long run and stimulates endorphins, chemicals that work as natural painkillers and positively affect your mood.
Working out on a regular basis also helps to promote better quality sleep. While poor sleep can worsen anxiety, a good night's sleep reduces anxiety levels and gives you more confidence. As you exercise, you diminish the negative elements causing and exacerbating anxiety as well as feel great about the achievements you are making, which contribute to better physical and mental wellbeing.
Don't worry; you don't need to lift heavy weights or run a marathon. If you are going to start working out, choose an activity you enjoy doing. Just walking at a good pace for about 30 minutes, five days a week, is enough to receive your weekly dose of feel-good endorphins and get a good exercise.
Maintain Well-Balanced Diet
Remember when you have eaten well, you feel good, but you can feel low when you haven't. Lack of food can make the body feel sluggish and lethargic and stop us from thinking clearly.
Maintain regular, well-balanced meals and cut out simple carbohydrates as they release their sugar quickly and don't last for very long, causing your energy to jump rapidly and then suddenly fall. Also, try not to skip meals, and eat healthy, energy-boosting snacks or take them with you when you commute.
Additionally, sugary food and beverages can also worsen feelings of anxiety. You don't have to refrain from your urges, just try to replace them with healthier alternatives like banana or water.
Reconsider Intake Of Caffeine & Alcohol
Alcohol and caffeine also negatively affect your anxiety but in very different ways. Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that can activate anxiety by increasing brain activity. While coffee and tea are healthy in moderation, high doses of caffeine can lead to irritability, headache and nervousness.
On the other hand, Alcohol is a depressant that is known to suppress hormones that boost your mood. Moderate alcohol intake for healthy adults generally means one drink for women and up to two drinks for men during a day.
Talk To Someone
Whether you decide to talk to a family member, your friend or a professional therapist, it is crucial to let your anxieties out. Talking about your worries and saying them out loud can help you understand better what bothers you and why.
While talking to your loved ones might be helpful; visiting a therapist can help you manage your anxiety better in the long term. Various therapies help to alter your patterns of thinking and responses to different events or traumas. For instance, cognitive behavioural therapy and exposure therapy both allow you to change the stereotypes of thought that trigger your anxiety.
Write It Down
In recent years, journaling has become a popular tool to enhance your productivity and receive therapeutic benefits. Before journaling, your anxieties are an infinite jumble of thoughts that you can't organise or hold on to. But writing out your concerns can help you process and make them seem more manageable.
Another tactic that journalists find effective is writing down things you are grateful for. This helps you appreciate and focus on the positives in your life.
