Anxiety is a difficult thing to treat as it can manifest itself in many ways. What works for one person might not work for others. It all depends on your triggers and what makes you feel the most anxious. Nevertheless, we can use a few common ideas to help calm your anxiety. The suggestions below aren’t all guaranteed to work, but one is bound to help you see a decrease in anxiety:
Get a pet
Pets are excellent at calming anxiety because they have a special effect on us. This is why a lot of dental practices or medical settings have therapy dogs. I know what you’re thinking, what are therapy dogs? Basically, it’s a dog that sits with you when you get treatment. In dental offices, many people get anxious and can have panic attacks. So, the dog is there to distract and create a sense of calm. The same happens if you have a pet with you at home; they will help you relax and ease your anxiety. Cats work just as well as dogs – it’s up to you.
Read a book
It sounds like such basic advice, but reading a book will help with anxiety. Reading is very therapeutic as it focuses your mind and gets you to think about different things. Fiction books are probably the best as you can truly immerse yourself in a different world. For many, it acts as a release from a world that causes so much anxiety. I also find that reading is helpful when you can’t sleep. Sit up reading a book in bed, and you will soon find yourself dozing off. It’s got nothing to do with the entertainment value of the book, it’s simply a case of your eyes getting naturally tired and wanting to close. So, if your anxiety keeps you up at night, this can be a great idea for you.
Practice deep breathing
Getting control of your breathing can help you calm some anxiety symptoms. It’s especially useful if you have panic attacks, causing rapid breathing. If you work on taking long, deep breaths, you soon calm yourself right down. Effectively, you’re telling your central nervous system that everything is okay. This sends signals to your brain, telling it to release chemicals that help you relax. Your heartbeat slows down, and your entire body feels a lot more chilled out. It’s a straightforward thing to do – and something you can do pretty much anywhere. If you’re ever out and feel an anxiety attack coming along, practice deep breathing exercises to calm down.
As I said in the beginning, you might not benefit from all three of these ideas. However, I’m confident that at least one of these tips will help you. It’s all about finding different ways to calm down and stop worrying. It won’t be easy, but it also won’t be impossible. The big stumbling block for people with anxiety is feeling like there’s no relief. You can definitely calm your symptoms, regardless of how severe they are.
Great tips here! Thank you!