Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. The nervousness and tension are the body’s response to perceived threats. Anxiety may occur when you worry about your job interview, argue with your loved ones, and so on.
Unfortunately, once you suffer from anxiety, it’s nearly impossible to calm down because your emotions may seem out of control. While you can rely on medications prescribed by licensed medical practitioners, there are other ways to calm your anxiety during stressful situations.
If you often deal with anxiety, here are some of the natural options you can try:
Table of Contents
1. Consider Meditation
Most people feel stressed or too busy to focus on breathing or be in the moment. One of the ways to calm your anxiety is to practice meditation and other methods similar to these resources: https://apibhs.com/2022/11/23/meditative-methods-to-melt-away-anxiety.
Meditation may help reduce anxiety by giving you time to be mindful. It decreases negativity, slows your racing thoughts, and calms your body and mind.
When you start meditating, the key isn’t to judge your mind but to observe. Depending on your preferences, you can begin with your meditation sessions for several minutes daily.
Once you develop a regular and more familiar practice, you can increase meditation time. It’s essential to meditate in places where there are no distractions as well. The goal is to find a peaceful and comfortable place.
2. Distract Yourself
Whenever you’re feeling anxious, do something that requires complete focus and fills your mind to distract yourself. Several things, like going outside or leaving your room, can effectively calm your anxiety and reduce stress.
Another technique that other people use is counting backwards. When doing this technique, look for a peaceful place and focus as you count backwards until your anxiety subsides. If you don’t find it helpful, try a more complicated method by counting back from 100. Others may find it beneficial to subtract numbers while counting too.
Distracting yourself is also said to be effective when experiencing anxiety before bedtime. One thing you can do to calm yourself is to sit in bed and read your favorite book.
3. Improve Your Sleep Quality
Humans need to sleep to recharge and function properly. Whether you limit your sleep, deal with insomnia, or are a proud night owl, sleep deprivation may make you susceptible to anxiety. So, do yourself a favor and sleep for at least eight hours every night. The more you get a good night’s sleep, the better your sleep quality will be.
If you’re having a hard time sleeping, these tips may help you improve your quality of sleep:
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Change Your Bedroom Environment
If you want to get a good night’s sleep regularly, change your bedroom environment. You can do this by controlling temperature, sound, and light. The cooler, darker, and quieter your bedroom, the better chance to calm your mind and fall asleep quickly. Taking a bath or shower before bed may help you fall asleep and reduce your body temperature.
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Limit Screen Time
Your television, phone, and tablet emit light that may keep your brain awake. Hence, try limiting them to an hour before your bedtime. Doing work at night or checking email before bedtime may trigger anxious thoughts, making it hard to calm your brain. You might set the alarm to remind yourself to shut off your mobile devices at a particular time.
These are some things you can do to boost your sleep quality. Depending on your preferences, consider reading a book or listening to music to calm your mind.
4. Follow A Well-Balanced Diet
Dietary choices may impact your quality of life. According to studies, consuming too little or too many calories may boost anxiety symptoms and other emotional or psychological disorders.
And poor diet may result in various anxiety symptoms, such as abnormal blood sugar levels, moodiness, and fatigue. A poor diet may result in weight gain that may affect your body image. Once it happens, it may give you a feeling of self-doubt and worthlessness.
Eating anti-inflammatory foods can be an excellent idea to reduce your anxiety without taking meds. It’s because they’re vital for neurotransmitters balancing and synthesizing your stress response and mood.
Moreover, it’s crucial to eat lean protein, unrefined carbohydrates, and healthy fats. To lessen your anxiety symptoms, don’t forget to add foods rich in magnesium, vitamin B, omega-3, and calcium to your diet.
5. Avoid Processed And Sugary Foods
Research indicates that consuming foods with a high glycemic index may contribute to depression and anxiety. Refined carbohydrates and sugar may make your blood sugar fluctuate, increasing fatigue, anxiety, and nervousness.
Such food may alter your energy levels and cause mood swings, making it hard to control your anxiety symptoms. They may also change your neurotransmitter function and brain structure and contribute to inflammation.
To keep your blood sugar level regular and reduce anxiety symptoms, avoid eating refined foods, including sweetened beverages, baked goods, processed meat, fried foods, and fast foods. If possible, stick with healthy foods.
6. Limit Caffeine Intake
How caffeine affects your body may vary significantly between people. If you notice heightened anxiety after consuming caffeine, avoid it next time and observe if it reduces your anxiety. According to a source, coffee may induce more anxiety, mainly when consumed in high doses. So, limit your caffeine intake whenever necessary.
To cut back your caffeine intake, you can follow these recommendations:
- Increase Your Water Intake: Drinking more water may help you eliminate caffeine from your body and keep you hydrated.
- Check The Ingredients Of The Drink Or Food You’re Going To Consume: If you’re in a restaurant or café, ask the server about the amount of caffeine in your food or read the ingredients label. This way, you’ll be aware of how much caffeine you consume.
- Opt For Decaffeinated Options: If you can’t survive a morning without sipping a cup of coffee, the best thing you can do to limit your caffeine intake is to choose decaffeinated options. You may even opt for herbal tea that doesn’t contain caffeine.
Cutting caffeine isn’t easy. Removing it entirely from your diet may result in withdrawal symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, and nausea. So, reduce it slowly and follow the tips above.
7. Do Regular Exercise
People who don’t exercise or stay active are more prone to developing anxiety. Exercise may help manage your anxiety by releasing neurotransmitters throughout your body, improving your mood. It burns stress hormones that may trigger anxiety and tire your muscles to reduce anxiety symptoms.
While exercise depends on your current condition, it positively impacts your mental and physical condition. Unfortunately, when you’re anxious, it might be difficult to do a technique like deep breathing because your adrenaline might make it hard for you to focus. In this case, do the following:
- Aerobic exercise;
- Dance around your house;
- High-intensity exercise;
- Take a stroll;
- Chores that require more energy to complete, and so on.
It’s essential to try the activities above to release your anxiety. They may calm your body and mind, allowing you to think and focus rationally.
8. Practice Deep Breathing
Shallow breathing is one of the primary symptoms of anxiety. When you’re under stress, you may notice that you don’t breathe often. It seems like you’re holding your breath without even trying. To calm your anxiety without meds, practicing deep breathing exercises may benefit you.
Deep breathing may help you cope with anxiety by guiding you to a state of relaxation. The good thing about it is that you can do it anywhere. You can include deep breathing exercises in your daily routine whenever you have free time.
To practice deep breathing, follow these tips:
- Lie or sit on your back;
- Breathe in through your nose; and
- Exhale through your closed lips as if you’re whistling.
While deep breathing is tricky, it may provide several benefits, such as reduced stress, increased energy level, and improved sleep. If you want to make the most out of deep breathing exercises, you can try other types, like box breathing.
9. Take Natural Supplements
Natural supplements may contain various vitamins and herbs to alleviate common anxiety symptoms. Such supplements may help you fall asleep quickly, stay calm, and focus on daily activities. Nonetheless, before considering any natural supplements, you should read the labels. Make sure your preferred supplements include the following ingredients:
- Ginseng: It’s rich in minerals and vitamins that may help alleviate anxiety and acute stress.
- Probiotics: They may strengthen one’s immune system, keep your physical and mental health in great shape, and support digestion.
- Magnesium: Most people with anxiety may suffer from magnesium deficiency. A natural supplement with magnesium may activate neurotransmitters like serotonin.
- B-Complex Vitamins: Supplements with B-complex vitamins may help combat anxiety as they play a vital role in one’s mood.
These are some ingredients you should check for any natural supplements you want to consider. Yet before consuming such supplements, consult your healthcare provider to know whether they suit you. This way, you can avoid money and save yourself from consuming supplements that may not benefit your health.
10. Do Journaling
Writing down your feelings and thoughts can effectively support mental health, lessen stress, and calm your anxiety without taking medications. Journaling or journal writing typically involves writing anything you want on paper. You may spend a few minutes or an hour writing whatever is on your mind.
Journaling, it forces your mind to slow down, focus on one thing at a time, and organize your thoughts. It may also clarify issues, help recognize emotions, and identify anxiety-related behavioural patterns.
Journaling can include a description of your current situation and potential scenarios or outcomes that may happen. Medical practitioners may recommend it alongside other treatment techniques for anxiety, such as counseling.
To start journaling, here are the tips you may consider:
- Do What Feels Right
There’s no accurate way of journaling. The key is to express your emotions and thoughts. Some people may start journaling using paper and pen since it allows more thoughtful processing. Nevertheless, you can choose anything comfortable and convenient for you. For example, you can write on a scrap of paper, custom journal, or record a memo on your mobile device.
- Write Everything
When journaling, consider writing about anything that pops into your mind. Do this without restricting or censoring yourself. Set a time limit for best results and keep writing until the time’s up. After you finish writing, you can reread your entry to gain insights from your thoughts.
- Track Your Thought Patterns
People may make it a habit to challenge, change, and reflect on their thought patterns. Having a thought diary or record is helpful. It often contains worries, situations, feelings, and other reality-related thoughts.
Anyone may benefit from journaling. But to reap its benefits and deal with anxiety effectively, you might want to work with your medical practitioner to guide and help you determine the best treatment method suitable for your needs.
11. Reach Out To Others
Telling your thoughts to family members or trusted friends may help you handle anxiety effectively. Talking to somebody in various communication channels can give a new perspective on your current situation.
Never hesitate to ask for help or support from your loved ones. For instance, tell your closest friend or family about it if you want to go for a walk or watch a movie. Don’t keep your feelings or emotions. If you’re going to experience freedom from anxiety, you should reach out to others.
If you’re uncomfortable opening up with your family and friends, you can look for a support group in your area. Most regions have a community or support group willing to help people with anxiety in any way possible.
Conclusion
Calming anxiety without medications can be beneficial for people searching for holistic options. However, it’s essential to note that it may not work for everyone. While others may find the above options effective, some may not see them helpful. In this case, always consult your healthcare professional before you try various treatment options, regardless of your situation
