Smart Ways to Cope with Anxiety
Reading Time: 5 minutes
May is Mental Health Awareness month.
As people become increasingly concerned about their mental health, education surrounding the topic becomes more and more crucial.
With this in mind, each blog this month will contain educational information and offer up ideas, tips, suggestions, or foods designed to support one’s mental health.
So let’s kick-start the month by diving deeper into anxiety and considering various smart ways to deal with it.
What is anxiety?
Why have rates skyrocketed? In recent times, the main reasons are due to issues surrounding politics, civil unrest, and an ongoing pandemic. Any one of these issues would make it difficult to cope without assistance, let alone all of them at once!
In the summer of 2020, 40% of adults in the US reported struggling with issues related to substance abuse and overall mental health. The problems causing these issues aren’t going to evaporate, so it’s up to you to find solutions that work for you.
The following list provides natural steps you can take at home to bolster yourself against the world’s many troubles naturally and manage your depression or anxiety.
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Most of us have dealt with some form of anxiety or another from time to time. Experiencing the occasional bout of anxiety is normal. It is one of our body’s natural responses to stress and inflammation.
However, what happens when feelings of anxiety or panic become unmanageable? What happens when these feelings become difficult or seemingly impossible to control? What happens when they become out of proportion compared to the actual danger?
If feelings of anxiety or panic start to interfere with your daily life and activities, you may have developed an anxiety disorder. There are several different kinds of anxiety disorders. Common ones include generalized anxiety disorder [1], phobias, social anxiety/phobia, and separation anxiety.
Anxiety can also be substance-induced, resulting from drug misuse, taking certain medications, toxin exposure, or withdrawal from certain drugs.
People who deal with an anxiety disorder or multiple anxiety disorders “have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.” [2]
They may experience one or several of the following common signs and symptoms: [3]
Feelings of nervousness, restlessness, or tension
Feelings of impending danger, panic, or doom
Weakness
Fatigue
Insomnia
Uncontrollable sweating
A rapidly beating heart or hyperventilation
Body tremors or shaking
Dry mouth
Feelings of choking
Difficulty thinking about anything else (other than the current worry)
Gastrointestinal (GI) upset
“In general, we can consider anxiety to be fear of the future and depression to be regrets of the past.”
Dealing with anxiety is common. It affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
There can be mild cases of anxiety or more severe cases that affect day-to-day life. Whatever your severity is, there are ways to deal with it.
It can often feel like anxiety can control you, which is a horrible feeling. But, just know there are smart ways to cope with anxiety and manage it more efficiently. Here’s more.
Talk to an expert
Whether you are going through anxiety or depression, there is always someone you can talk to for advice and guidance. For instance, the experts at Bluesky Psychology will guide you through a healing journey. There, you can discuss your concerns and work together on restoring mental clarity and balance to combat the issues.
Voice it to those closest to you
Many people find it challenging to deal with anxious emotions and feelings alone. They may also find themselves trying to hide these emotions from the people around them. If this sounds like you, it is often best to let it out.
Try to open up and talk about it. Find someone to confide in. Whether it be your parent, best friend, teacher, or partner, talk to them about the feelings and issues you are dealing with. They will understand and know not to put too much pressure on you. You will then always have someone to fall back on and seek comfort in. If you hide your feelings and allow everything to build up within yourself, nobody will ever know. And more importantly, no one will step forward to offer support or help.
Practice mindfulness
Anxiety can be frequent or sporadic. To better control your anxiety and understand your triggers, it can be helpful to practice mindfulness. Please see my two-part series. Meditation, creativity, breathing, yoga, and walking are all great ways to focus on your inner self and tune in to your breath and your mind. [4] Another great strategy is to practice Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). Check out our free guide on how to practice EFT and get it to work for you.
These techniques can help restore calm and balance within the mind, keeping anxiety at bay. Finding the one (or ones) that work best for you can help your control your symptoms when they occur or even prevent a panic attack before it happens.
Discover your triggers
It can be hard to pinpoint the key triggers of your anxiety, especially if the symptoms seem to occur randomly. Working on discovering what your triggers are can be useful to help you avoid those triggers or work out a way to better deal with them when they arise.
You may realize that public transport triggers worry and fear. Thus, you can find alternative routes or work on coping mechanisms that work for you when you have to use public transport. Recognizing your triggers is a great step forward in coping with your anxiety and understanding how to reduce it or keep it at bay.
Quit bad diet habits
As a health coach that specializes neuronutritionist, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that we cannot talk about anxiety without mentioning food. Why? Anxiety is a good indication of cerebral inflammation. And the most common reason for inflammation stems from what you put on your fork!
A balanced diet, void of inflammatory agents, can also promote wellness and wellbeing. When nutrient-dense quality foods fuel your body, it can help reduce anxiety or help you deal with it more manageably. [5]
If you find yourself consuming too much alcohol or inflammatory foods, then swapping them for more nutritious options can help restore balance within the mind and the body. Focusing on your diet and ensuring you are getting the proper nutrition is also beneficial for your overall health, which can balance your mind and combat any emotional triggers that could be caused by poor health.
If you need some inspiration, check out our recipe e-books. The anti-inflammatory recipe e-book, brain-healthy recipe e-book, or any of our other recipe e-books will provide you with over 30 whole food recipes each to help you get started today.
Summary
Anxiety does not need to run your life. If you experience anxiety or fears that affect your daily life, know that there are smarter ways to cope.
Ask yourself how much suffering you are willing to endure and what efforts are you willing to put forth to limit it.
Why? Because, for the most part, you have control over your mental wellbeing. Unless you have PTSD, your fear is a choice. You can choose to retain a victim mentality, or you can choose to take action. The choice is yours. And I can help.
I know how overwhelming it can be to make specific changes in your life, especially if your brain feels “stuck” and you don’t know where to begin. So, let me tell you to start right here and right now. Contact me today to get started using the principles of neuronutrition and my unique four-prong approach. When introduced at a rate you can tolerate, the right incremental changes introduced the right way can make a huge difference in your long-term health. Discover how by reaching out today!
As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below.
If you haven’t already done so, please sign up to receive my newsletters for more information about brain health, neuronutrition, lifestyle tips, and nutritional advice. Of course, if I can help you or a loved one with your nutritional needs, make an appointment to see me today!
References:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/your-mental-health/looking-after-your-mental-health/eat-well
[Medical Disclaimer]
All information contained in this document is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent health problems. For all serious health issues, please contact a medical or nutrition practitioner. The information provided is based on the best knowledge of the author at the time of writing, and we do not assume liability for the information, be it direct or indirect, consequential, special exemplary, or other damages. In all circumstances, it is always wise to consult your physician before changing your diet, taking supplements, or starting any exercise or health program.