Being anxious is not a big flaw! It is an unexplainable emotion one has to deal with. Anxiety is of many types. Some may feel anxious about public speaking while others may become anxious when traveling alone. Strange as it may seem, I felt anxious when the subway doors didn’t open up and I got trapped inside the train for 5 minutes on my way home from work. Fortunately, the doors opened when I was just about to have a panic attack. I felt glad that I didn’t experience one but the thoughts kept lingering in my mind for about a week. I had a fear of being trapped in an inescapable situation, something like a small room with no door to escape, an elevator that might just stop all of a sudden or a public restroom, the door of which might not open for some reason and this made me jot down some points to deal with the situation! Well, if you are someone suffering from anxiety issues, here are the 6 best things you can do. Focus All Your Energies to The Present Moment! Anxiety can be controlled by controlling thoughts. All it needs is a small realization that you are totally in a safe place and that there is no real danger. All the worry and haste caused in your mind is just restricted to the thoughts that just belong to your mind. Take a deep breath and let yourself sink in the present moment. Focus on what you need to do at the moment rather than paying attention to your emotions. You will gradually feel less anxious and more stable. Being mindful makes things better and easy. So, the next time you feel that you are about to have an anxiety attack, try mindfulness by shifting all your energies and emotions to the present moment. Do Something That Recharges You We all have our ways of recharging ourselves. For some, it is to go on a shopping spree and to finish buying what’s on the wish list and for some, it is all about reaching the final page of that book on our shelves we have been longing to read. Get to know what is it that triggers a burst of happiness in your cells and what is it that causes the release of dopamine. Take some time off your busy schedule to do what makes your cells dance out of joy. There’s nothing wrong in taking a long break from your work life if you have been feeling stressed out. Always remember to recharge when it’s needed the most. Stress and anxiety cause a type of headache called a tension headache. Get to know some other types of headaches & their causes here. Cut Down on Caffeinated Beverages Caffeine intake in limited amounts does not harm but more than the recommended intake which is 400 mg per day can trigger the chaos inside you. For someone suffering from anxiety, coffee can activate the flight and fight response which occurs as a reaction to any harmful event or activity and this worsens the condition. Consuming just 200 mg per day can trigger some adverse symptoms in those suffering from anxiety and surprisingly, anxiety due to caffeine gives out other symptoms like feeling restlessness, nervousness and inability to sleep. Having not more than a cup of morning joe is safe and recommended for those suffering from anxiety. Keep A Bottle of Lavender Oil Handy! Essential oils have some amazing healing properties. They impart a sensation of calmness and relief like none other. Using essential oil for anxiety relief is not a placebo effect but it has scientific evidence to back the impact. Research and studies prove that lavender oil specifically influences those parts of the brain that are associated with emotions, learning, and memory. The process, known as aromatherapy works wonders and gives quick relief from anxiety as it specifically works upon the limbic system of the brain. Ensure that you carry a bottle of the essential oil to use it for the emergency purpose. Maintain A Rigid Sleep Schedule Sleep deprivation is one of the causes of anxiety. No matter how busy your schedule gets, your sleep cycle should remain intact. Maintaining a schedule will get you habituated to it and it eventually becomes your routine. Getting 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep is one of the best self-care tips for good and balanced mental health. Turn off the gadgets one-hour before hitting the bed to prevent restlessness and anxiety issues. If you have been particularly suffering from sleep problems, try to reduce the intake of caffeinated drinks and focus much on eating dates early in the morning to gratify your sweet tooth. Not just this, the other benefits of eating dates early in the morning are just mind-blowing! Keep Your Mind Cheerful & Happy! Who wouldn’t want to be happy? We all love to. But we all have our ways of keeping ourselves sane and joyful. You can plan a weekend trip to a place close to nature or get yourself a new make-over like never before. Get that haircut you have always wanted to get. Visit a spa nearby, get a soothing massage done, or relax with your favorite cup of coffee at your quiet place. Surround yourself with people who love you. Have someone to share all your fears and troubles, someone whom you trust blindly and someone with whom you can share your deepest secrets. Love yourself and be confident. Practice gratitude every day. Have positive self-talk. Start your day with great enthusiasm and know that fear is just an illusion. Conclusion Anxiety creates a great chaos within and this can only be understood by people who have gone through it. However, one can get rid of it with a proper self-care regime. Interestingly, it is all the mind work and about feeling comfortable in your skin. When others are being super-comfortable in the same situation and you are feeling anxious, you need to realize that it’s just because of your thoughts that have turned against you. So, all you need to do is to live in reality by focussing on the present and practice self-love by recharging yourself, maintaining a perfect sleep schedule, keeping lavender essentials handy, staying away from caffeinated beverages and working on yourself to finally become fearless.
