Anxiety Relief Techniques You Didn't Know You Needed
July 03, 2020Anxiety is a normal healthy emotion that everyone experiences at some time or another. But what happens when anxiety becomes chronic and hard to manage? I have some anxiety relief techniques that can help you get anxiety under control.
Anxiety Relief Techniques
I have struggled with anxiety for majority of my life due to unfortunate life circumstances. As a young child I was sexually abused by a loved family member. Growing up after years of abuse caused me to have extreme anxiety that at times became uncontrollable. With these anxiety relief techniques I believe that you can finally have some peace.
So what exactly is anxiety and how can I find relief?
Anxiety is a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says, "A panic attack is the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes and includes at least four of the following symptoms:
-heart palpitations
-pounding heart
-accelerated heart rate
-sweating, trembling, or shaking
-restless sleep
-muscle tension
-loss of appetite
If you have experienced any of these symptoms then you know how hard it can be to manage anxiety. I used to get an anxiety attack just sitting in my living room for no apparent reason. I realized it was from many years of not even recognizing I had an anxiety disorder and never seeking help.
After some trial and error I have compiled a list of anxiety relief techniques that worked for me!
1. Exercise
2. Get adequate sleep
Getting a good nights rest will significantly improve anxiety. Not getting enough sleep can cause the stress hormone cortisol to increase and become unbalanced. Irregular sleep patterns can also cause negative health effects which can contribute to more anxiety. Try to get to bed a half hour earlier than you typically would.
3. Decrease screen time
This one is my favorite anxiety relief technique that has worked the best for me. I noticed that the more I was in front of a screen the more my anxiety spiked. I decided to take breaks from certain social media apps to see if my anxiety would improve and after just 2 days my anxiety levels were well below what I had been experiencing. Be sure to limit screen time at least a half hour before bed so it does not effect your sleep!
4. Decrease caffeine intake
This is my least favorite anxiety relief technique because like the picture shows, life begins after coffee! But caffeine actually increases heart rate which causes jitters and more anxiety. Having a cup or two of coffee or tea in the morning to jump start your day won't hurt you, it's the late afternoon cups that cause more issues. Try limiting your cups throughout the day and watch your anxiety decrease.
5. Art
Art can come in many form like drawing, painting, crafting, writing, and music. I know there are many more forms of art, just find one that appeals to you and get started. Anxiety makes you feel trapped, using art helps to relieve that pressure while expressing it in a healthy way. Here are a few ideas of things you can try.
Having anxiety can really effect the quality of life, just be patient with yourself and find an anxiety relief technique that is right for you.
15 comments
These are such great tips, I only have one cup of coffee a day it truly does help.
ReplyDeleteOoohhh I don't know how I can do with the whole caffeine intake. I hope that I can apply the other techniques.
ReplyDeleteYeah I need to do a few of these, my anxiety has been through the roof lately. Thanks friend!
ReplyDeleteThese are such great tips to try! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I haven't been feeling specifically anxious, I am dealing with a lot of the symptoms, which makes sense because life is crazy right now. I really need to limit my caffeine and sleep always eludes me! I do exercise and enjoy art when I'm not working.
ReplyDeleteI agree because I have high anxiety disorder. But trust me, it is really hard to do.
ReplyDeleteVery helpful tips! I can't say have anxiety but I think it might help with more common short turn frustrations
ReplyDeleteReally found this blog post very helpful and useful indeed...some very great tips are mentioned here..Thanks for sharing...Will surely keep in my mind...
ReplyDeleteI love using exercise to help with anxiety! Great post.
ReplyDeleteI've been dealing with SO much anxiety lately. This is super helpful.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great tips. Thank you for sharing this
ReplyDeleteThese are really great tips to relief anxiety
ReplyDeleteThese are worth trying! Thanks for some great tips there!
ReplyDeleteThese are such a great tips. decrease screen time is hard for me i need to work on that.Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good time for us to pay attention to our mental health and thanks a lot for the motivation links! They should be helpful to a lot of stressed and depressed souls.
ReplyDelete