Self Help Alternatives for Dealing with Anxiety

One of the most common triggers that lead to anxiety attacks is uncertainty of the future. Thinking, and worrying about the future, and about any bad things that can happen tends to trigger anxiety attacks. To help you overcome your anxiety attacks, here is some anxiety self help tips worth following.

Dealing with Negative thoughts: The way that we think about things has an impact on our anxiety levels. Many of these thoughts occur outside of our control, and can be negative or unhelpful. It is therefore important to remember that they are just thoughts, without any real basis, and are not necessarily facts. Even though we may believe a lot of our unhelpful thoughts when we are anxious, it is good to remember that they should be questioned as they are often based on wrong assumptions.

Look for answers: Anxious people tend to spend much of their time worrying, sometimes they worry to the point that they find it very hard to switch off and relax. Therefore, if we can reduce the amount of time we spend worrying, we can reduce our anxiety levels. In the meantime, you have to learn to how to lower your worry periods. Learn to take some time to relax so that you can get rid of all these worries.

Learn to relax: It is important to make time to relax and do activities that are enjoyable. This can help to reduce your anxiety levels by calming the body and mind. It can also help you to sleep. Without taking the time to unwind, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Stress management techniques and meditation can help people with anxiety disorders calm themselves and may enhance the effects of therapy.

Time for Exercise: Exercise is also particularly effective at helping us to relax. What you do does not really matter. Try to choose something that you will look forward to and that gives you a break. There is preliminary evidence that aerobic exercise may have a calming effect.

Calm Breathing: Calm breathing involves taking slow and gentle breaths. Breathe in through the nose, pause, and then breathe out through the mouth, pausing for several seconds before taking another breath. Many people find this simple exercise very relaxing. It can be particularly helpful for those who feel dizzy or light headed when they feel worried or stressed. This sometimes happens because people's breathing changes and gets quicker when they feel distressed.

Exposure: The most important step in managing your anxiety involves facing your fears; this is called exposure. If you have been avoiding certain situations, places, or objects out of fear, it will be important for you to start exposing yourself to those things so that you can get over your fears in the long run. However, it is usually easier to start with something that is not too scary and then work up to the things that cause a great deal of anxiety.