Managing Anxiety without Medication
There are all sorts of medications designed to help relieve stress and anxiety. While some of these drugs can provide benefits to certain people, they can be ineffective of dangerous for others. If you are looking for alternative, natural strategies to manage your anxiety, these proven strategies are a great place to start.
- Meditate . According to researchers from Johns Hopkins University, mindfulness meditation can be an effective solution for people who suffer from anxiety. Appearing in JAMA Internal Medicine, people are better able to manage psychological stresses, such as pain, depression and anxiety, when they regularly practice mindfulness meditation. Other research has shown that meditation can actually promote beneficial structural changes in the brain, decreasing gray-matter density in the amygdala, which plays an important role in managing stress and anxiety.
- Live in the moment. People who suffer from anxiety commonly deal with distracting thoughts that take over their lives. Unfortunately, it's not always easy for the human brain to distinguish between an important, problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that offers no benefit and may never come to pass. A growing body of research is showing that mindfulness-based therapy is a promising intervention for treating mood problems and anxiety in clinical populations. To benefit in your day-to-day life, try your best to live in the moment without brooding about the past or worrying about the future. If you have trouble with this, try focusing on your senses, whether it's noticing a smell in the air, the sun on your skin, or the way the ground feels beneath your feet.
- Prioritize sleep . Sleep and anxiety have a chicken-and-egg relationship that can perpetuate seemingly endless cycles of suffering. Countless studies have shown that people are much more likely to suffer from anxiety, stress and intrusive, repetitive thoughts, when they get fewer than eight hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, these same thoughts can contribute to the problem by making us toss and turn in bed. If you aren't making your sleep a priority, start now. If you have trouble sleeping, try following these sleep hygiene tips .
- Get moving . Regular aerobic exercise can bring unmistakable changes to our physiques, metabolisms, hearts and spirits. Not only does exercise reduce the risk of physical ailments; it also pumps up the production of endorphins, the brain's feel-good neurotransmitters. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America , research has shown a clear link between regular exercise and relief among people who suffer from anxiety. Although it can be hard to motivate yourself to get out and get going when you're feeling anxious or stressed, it's important to develop an active lifestyle. It's also important to maintain these healthy habits even during periods when you aren't suffering from anxiety.
- Reach out . Sometimes, anxiety can become so overwhelming it can affect your ability to live a happy, functional life. If you feel as if your anxiety has become unmanageable, consider talking to a therapist with experience and expertise in treating people who suffer from anxiety. In time, you can develop effective coping mechanisms and thought patterns that make it easier to relax and let go of your worry.
Our caring therapists can help you live your best life. Contact us today!
