Anxiety-management techniques may provide temporary relief from symptoms, but therapists understand that just relieving symptoms doesn’t solve underlying psychological triggers.
If you suffer from anxiety, it’s essential that you seek assistance early. While psychotherapy or medications may help, lifestyle changes may also make a difference.
Talking to a Mental Health Professional
Anxiety is an extremely common mental health condition. If you experience severe anxiety, your primary care provider may suggest therapy or counseling for assistance. First appointments can often cause anxiety; you can help ease those nerves by being as prepared for it as possible – fill out paperwork, take care of payment details and write down medical history as soon as possible.
Psychiatrists offer multiple approaches for treating anxiety, such as psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy is a form of talk therapy designed to alter negative thinking patterns and behaviors that lead to symptoms of anxiety, as well as address any underlying issues or traumas that could be contributing.
There are various forms of psychotherapy available, depending on an individual’s needs and personality; someone anxious about social interactions might benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), while someone experiencing low self-esteem could opt for more compassionate solutions like humanistic psychotherapy (HSPT).
When meeting with your psychiatrist, be candid about the severity of your anxiety and its impact on daily life. He or she may ask about past experiences, family medical histories and your current physical and mental health as well as frequency/duration/effect of anxiety symptoms; their causes or solutions; how they impact work relationships as well as relationships with others.
At your appointment, your psychiatrist will carefully observe your behavior and facial expressions to gain an idea of your feelings. They also may ask that you describe your feelings or rate them on a scale.
Meditation
Anxiety can be debilitating. It is characterized by feelings of unease, worry and fear that can leave one feeling overwhelmed and helpless. Studies suggest that meditation may provide relief from anxiety symptoms. You can learn more about meditation by clicking the link.
Studies have recently shown that meditation can lower levels of cortisol in your body. High cortisol levels can cause feelings of anxiety and depression as well as physical problems like heart palpitations; fortunately, various types of meditation exist that can help decrease cortisol levels.
Meditation’s most prevalent practice is mindfulness, or being present without judgment to your current experience. Anxious thoughts will often arise while practicing mindfulness; its practice trains you to observe these as they pass without responding directly. Meditation also serves as a great tool to ease worry by helping you be aware of them before letting them slip away as naturally as breathing in and out.
Loving-kindness meditation (metta), also known as Loving Kindness Practice, seeks to build up compassion and empathy between yourself and others. For this form of mindfulness practice, find a quiet space where you can sit for five minutes with eyes closed while focusing on breathing; then repeat up to three kind phrases either silently to yourself or others and observe their effects on how they make you feel.
Aromatherapy
Essential oils have long been utilized as part of holistic treatments for anxiety disorders. Studies show how certain aromas can reduce stress and anxiety and promote relaxation, providing essential relief.
Essential oils are aromatic liquids derived from plants’ bark, flowers, leaves, or roots and must be properly diluted before being applied directly to skin or inhaled.
Aromatherapy scents have been scientifically proven to alleviate stress and anxiety, elevate mood, ease headache or migraine pain relief, alleviate nausea and promote sleep.
Chemicals found in aromatherapy oils bind with receptors on the olfactory bulb which then connect to areas of our brain responsible for emotion and memory regulation – for instance lavender will trigger cells which induce feelings of calm.
Exercise
Studies indicate that working up a sweat and moving your body can help alleviate anxiety. Exercise not only relieves tension and boosts your mood, but it can also regulate brain chemistry.
When neurons don’t transmit properly due to anxiety, this leads to a chemical imbalance. Exercise helps restore equilibrium by activating production of mood-boosting neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that contribute to an overall better state of being.
While body movement alone may help ease anxiety, adding mindfulness techniques may give even greater results. Try focusing on your breath or the sensation of your feet hitting the ground when walking; doing this will prevent you from zoning out or becoming distracted with negative thoughts while exercising.
Writing
Journaling can be an effective way of venting your worries and anxieties in a safe, private space. By revisiting fears and seeing their irrationality, journaling can help lessen anxiety in your life and help reframe negative thoughts into more constructive ones.
Writing can be therapeutic in several ways: using an online journaling app, pen and paper journals or audio recording devices can all provide catharsis. Writing allows your emotions and thoughts to flow without judgment while helping to identify patterns in your thinking that lead to anxiety. Writing also aids trauma processing by exploring its origin.
Just taking the first step can be daunting, but writing out your fears on paper can be therapeutic and can be particularly helpful when communicating them to friends or loved ones is impossible. Writing it all down may provide relief when no other means exist for processing these emotions.
