Whenever someone utters the words anxiety or depression, we immediately think of the worst-case scenario. Yet if the person seeks help from us, or seeks comfort from us, most of us fail. Anxiety, panic attacks, stress, PTSD, OCD, depression and suicidal tendencies are much talked about in the world of social media. A lot of discussions are already going around about the need to foresee the symptoms of these mental disorders, of being able to help our near and dear ones. Unfortunately, while it is easy to suggest these things, it is indeed very difficult to do the same. Most of the times we fail to realize when our near and dear ones are struggling with anxiety and stress. It is a common saying that the prettiest smiles hide the deepest secrets. When we fail to see a person beyond their smiles, we fail to understand their struggles and eventually fail to help them.
Considering our shortcomings, it is important that we educate ourselves about anxiety. It is equally important to know about anxiety relief and things that can be done at home. Being prepared beforehand is a better alternative than seeking help at a critical stage. In this article we shall be talking about solutions on how to get anxiety relief. We shall also be discussing easy remedies among other things to curb anxiety attacks.
What is Anxiety Relief?
Before we go into the details of what is anxiety relief, it is prudent that we first understand anxiety. The medical definition of anxiety says that it is a multisystem response to a perceived, probably unknown threat. It is usually reflected in the body by a series of biochemical changes and is often accompanied by social situations, personal history and memory.
The human brain is complex and distinct from other animals. The brain can move back to recall past experiences and memories and also anticipate future events. It is due to the complex nature of the brain that anxiety can create havoc. However, it is important to understand the difference between anxiety as an emotion and as a psychological disorder. Anxiety as an emotion is very common. Every person experience is often during their lifetime. It cannot be termed as a disorder unless other symptoms overlap.
Anxiety disorder is thus termed as a continuous state of uneasiness, being in a sense of threat or fearing impending doom. This feeling lasts over a period of time and is accompanied by other symptoms such as loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, insomnia, etc.
It can be a daunting challenge to live with these symptoms and keep fearing the unknown, unseen future. This is where anxiety relief comes into the picture. In most cases, anxiety relief isn’t medical intervention, though medical supervision can be sought. Anxiety relief is more aligned to behavioral and lifestyle changes. This means that a person affected by anxiety consciously makes the effort to stay away from anxiety triggers.
Anxiety Relief Measures That Can Be Practiced at Home
How to relieve anxiety fast? This is one of the most common questions asked about anxiety relief. The key to it is to start early. It is important to identify the symptoms early, take precautions from the beginning so that you can steer clear of irreversible anxiety disorder.
Among the many things that you can do, the first step towards a healthy mind is taking mood relieving pills. The best ones are the herbal supplements made using natural ingredients derived from plants. They are 100% vegetarian and are made using ingredients that are known to stabilize serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin hormones regulates mood, anxiety and happiness. The lower the levels, the chances of depression are more. The best herbal, over the counter medicines are those which have ingredients such as Ashwagandha, B-Vitamins, Magnesium, St. John’s Wort, Chamomile extract etc. Such medications offer anxiety relief without side effects.
Among the lifestyle changes that can help reduce anxiety are –
- Exercising – Make sure to flex your muscles, to not sit in the same position for long. A healthy, relaxed body keep anxiety at bay.
- Eating Healthy –To keep the mind healthy, it is important to watch what you eat. Maintaining a healthy diet, ditching caffeine, cola, junk and oily food helps.
- Meditating –It has been seen that meditation helps to calm and relax the mind. It helps to start the day chanting, concentrating and sitting still for a certain period of time.
- Sharing – One of the most common reasons why people suffer from anxiety is because they do not share their woes with their close family members or friends. However, sharing about your worries and anxieties helps to subdue that unreasonable fear of the unknown.
- Picking Up a Hobby – A healthy mind can do wonders. In order to keep the mind agile, you should keep it active. It is often recommended that spending one’s idle time doing something constructive is beneficial for the mind. It can be anything –cooking, gardening, stitching, learning an instrument, singing, reading, or writing– anything. Do whatever makes you happy.
Alternatively, you can also start therapy. This means you visit a counsellor who will assess you condition and start a course of treatment. The most common path used by counsellors is CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In CBT, behavioral triggers that most likely lead to anxiety and panic attacks are identified. The counsellor than seeks to change these habits and your reaction to tense situations so that you can control your anxiety.
Anxiety is a common human reaction to tense, worrying situations. But when it becomes a part of your life and starts dictating your behavior, it is seen as a cause of worry. It is important to identify the triggers that causes anxiety and to curb them so that you can lead a healthy life. Taking control of your feelings is important if you want to lead a life without anxiety. Anxiety relief is easy, if sought at the right time. Make early behavioral changes so that you can lead a normal, stress-free life.