Do you ever experience moments of tension or a sense of impending danger? Are there times when you find yourself breathing heavily? If so, you might be dealing with anxiety. This article explores the meaning, types, symptoms, and natural remedies for anxiety.
Anxiety is a state of dread, fear, and unease that leads to sweating, restlessness, tension, and rapid breathing. It’s a normal reaction to stress, but for some, it develops into anxiety disorders where these feelings persist and worsen over time. The exact cause of anxiety is uncertain, with factors like genetics, stress, and environment playing a role. Thankfully, there are natural remedies to help you cope with anxiety and its effects.
Types of Anxiety
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Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
If you worry too much about your health, money, work, and family, then you are suffering from GAD.
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Panic Disorders
If you get frequent panic attacks, then you are suffering from panic disorders. These attacks happen quickly and last for several minutes.
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Phobias
If you have an intense fear of something, then it’s a phobia. The fear may be of spiders, being in a closed space or crowded spaces.
Symptoms of Anxiety
The common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Being nervous, restless, and tense
- Having a sense of panic
- Having an increased heart rate
- Hyperventilation
- Sweating, trembling, and feeling tired
- Having trouble concentrating and sleeping
- Difficulty in controlling your worries
Natural Remedies For Anxiety
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Exercise
Doing exercise alleviates your mood and makes you feel happy and energetic. Regular exercise increases your self-confidence and lowers the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Exercising helps increase the production of the feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins. The neurotransmitters help alleviate the mood and reduce your stress levels.
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Meditation
With regular meditation, you can reprogram your neural pathways, familiarise yourself with the anxiety-inducing thoughts and try to control them. Meditation helps you control your racing thoughts and manage your stress and anxiety.
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Journaling
Penning down your thoughts and feelings gives a sense of relief; it makes you feel light. Writing down your feelings helps you decipher the trigger for your anxiety or panic attacks. It also helps reduce mental stress and makes you feel alive and happy. It makes you aware of your unhealthy thoughts and helps you prioritise and understand your fears.
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Time Management Strategies
In today’s hectic world, you can have a lot of commitments regarding work, family, and friends. These commitments can make you feel overwhelmed, so it is necessary to have a plan and prioritise. Effective time management helps reduce anxiety, as you can break large tasks into smaller manageable tasks.
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Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy means using essential oils from plants for healing. You can massage the oil on the skin, and these oils send signals to your brain to affect your emotions. Lavender is the most popular essential oil that helps reduce anxiety. It interacts with your limbic system and helps promote a calmer mind.
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Herbal Teas
Herbal teas have antioxidants that help protect the body from stress. One of the best-known stress-reducing teas is Chamomile tea. The long-term usage of this tea can reduce moderate to severe symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder. Drinking this tea helps as it contains a compound named apigenin that has the same effects as benzodiazepines, an anti-anxiety medication.
Also Read: Immunity Boosting Teas To Try This Winter
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Spend Time With Animals
Pets offer companionship, love, and support. Some people prefer cats and some dogs, and the one thing both animals have in common is that they help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. They encourage you to exercise and improve the overall health of a person.
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Quit Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can reduce anxiety initially but it can interfere with neurotransmitters responsible for calming your mind. Drinking alcohol also disrupts the natural sleeping ability of the body. Hence, you are stressed when you don’t get proper sleep.
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Quit Smoking
Many people resort to smoking when stressed, but research shows that smoking increases anxiety. Nicotine found in cigarettes helps you relax, but the feeling is temporary, and when it leaves, you crave to smoke again.
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Stop Drinking Too Much Coffee
Coffee helps you stay wide awake and helps you complete your tasks quickly. But, if you have anxiety, it increases your nervousness. Caffeine increases alertness by blocking a chemical called adenosine, which makes you feel tired. Drinking too much can make you more jittery and cause withdrawal symptoms.
Also Read: Benefits of Keeping Your Body Hydrated
In Conclusion
Stress can cause conditions like anxiety, causing unexplained fear and panic attacks. You can effectively manage these symptoms by adopting lifestyle changes such as practising meditation, yoga, and regular exercise, among other strategies.
