Anxiety Self Help - How to Reduce Anxiety in Your Life

By Bethany Jordin

We all know that being anxious is bad for your physical and mental health. It can suppress your immune system and cause mental and emotional problems. Although many people are used to feeling anxious, it is possible to take steps to reduce this stress in your life. Consider the following anxiety self help ideas.

1. Concentrate on the present. Don't worry about what happened in the past or what will happen in the future. You can't change the past and you don't know what will happen tomorrow. So whether you are at home or at work, just think about what you are doing at the moment, and don't let anything else bother you.

2. Once a day do something that calms you down and removes the stress from your mind. When you feel the anxiety building up during the day, see if you can do this activity again. You might want to read a book or take a relaxing bath - whatever works for you and gets you to be calm.

3. Eat and drink properly and get enough sleep. In any anxiety self help program you will learn that you need to do this. If you don't sleep enough, or if you don't eat and drink properly, you will feel a lot of anxiety. If your body is in good shape your mind will also feel better. Cut back on sugar and caffeine and drink a lot of water. Make sure you get some exercise too.

4. Think positive. If you are anxious you might be feeling like there is no hope, but in order to improve your life you should keep hoping and thinking in a positive way. People who decide to start thinking positively, often say that their reality actually gets better. For some people this is the best anxiety self help possible.

5. Learn to breathe easily. Breathing from your diaphragm allows greater oxygenation of the blood, relaxing your quickly. Breathing shallowly from the chest can cause tension and a faster heartbeat, making you feel more stressed. To feel better and get the benefit of this anxiety self help method, breath deeply and smoothly, and relax your torso muscles.

6. Smile, but don't clench your teeth. Do this even if you are not feeling happy because smiling will actually make you feel good. Just keep in mind that clenching your teeth while you smile will make you feel more stressed, so pay attention to your facial muscles and make sure they are relaxed.

7. Keep perspective. Rate your anxiety on a scale of one to ten. You'll often discover that what's bothering you isn't a really big deal. Take down lists of what you can and can't change, and do something about the ones you can change. This can help you cut down your worries and know what it's possible to do something about. Figuring this out can make a big difference in how you feel.

The majority of people will experience bouts of mild anxiety throughout their life. For many, the tips in this article will be helpful in relieving some of those anxious feelings. On the other hand persistent and worsening anxiety may be best addressed by a professional anxiety therapist or a more advanced anxiety self help program such as the various courses available online. - 30309

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