Almost everyone experiences anxiety1 at some point in their life. However, some people have more anxiety attacks than others. For instance, some students become anxious when they don’t find a term paper easy to write. People that are more anxious than others tend to have a Panic Attack Disorder2 or simply PAD. This is a condition that a person develops when panic attacks turn out to be more problematic to a level of interfering with their normal lifestyles. Panic attacks and anxiety attacks are the same.
Anxiety is characterized by overwhelming fear, feeling of losing control or going crazy, feeling like you might pass out, feeling like you are in danger and a surge of gloom or doom. You may also feel like you should escape.
Other symptoms of anxiety include dizziness, palpitations3, sweating, trembling, turning pale, chest pain, breath shortness, cold or hot flushes, needless and pins, burning skin, knees weakness, as well as tingling and numbness sensations. When anxious, you may experience one or several of these symptoms. And just because you do not experience all of these symptoms doesn’t mean you are not having anxiety. Anxiety can be associated with a different experience in every individual. Nevertheless, there are tips that can help you avoid anxiety.
Exercise
Regular exercise has been proven effective in preventing anxiety and reducing anxiety symptoms. During anxiety attacks, adrenaline fills the body. When you exercise, you put adrenaline towards the aerobic activity that you engage in. This helps with anxiety prevention.
Exercise helps with anxiety control in the following ways:
- It burns the stress hormones that are responsible for anxiety symptoms
- It tires the muscles thereby reducing tension and excess energy
- It releases endorphins that improves mood
- It enhances healthier breathing
- It is great for healthy distraction
Light jogging, aerobic activity, and fast walking are some of the exercises that can help you avoid anxiety.
Control Your Breathing
Severe symptoms of anxiety are linked to bad breathing habits. Many people that suffer from anxiety have bad breathing habits that lead to anxiety attacks and the associated upsetting symptoms. Controlled breathing can, therefore, help avoid anxiety. Even when you feel like taking a deep breath is impossible, slow down and reduce the rate at which you breathe. Instead of speeding up your breathing, take slower, controlled and shallower breathes. For instance, when anxiety strikes because you have been asked to write an essay, control your breathing and think about simple solutions like engaging a professional essay writing service.
Talk to a Friendly Person
Some of the most effective ways to avoid anxiety are about distraction. That’s because the mind can be the worst enemy during anxiety attacks. An effective way to distract your mind is to talk to a friendly person that you trust. You can do this physically if possible or over the phone. Don’t shy away from talking about anxiety. Share your anxious feeling with them or talk about something that will take your mind off the symptoms. Talking to a friendly person will also boost your confidence especially if the person is supportive.
Do What Feels Relaxing
There are things that you find relaxing. Instead of avoiding them, do them when you feel anxious. In fact, you should do then more when facing anxiety attacks. For instance, if you feel relaxed when you take a warm bath, take it when you feel anxious. It can also be a massage or taking a walk in the park. Whatever it is, do it when you feel anxious. This is way better than letting anxiety overwhelm you.
Trick Anxious Thinking
Anxiety doesn’t just strike from nowhere. It originates from the way your mind spirals into negative thoughts. Usually, this happens without control. However, it is possible to control anxiety by avoiding negative thoughts. Ideally, you should know how to dismiss negative thoughts that cause anxiety. This is usually easier to say for some people than to do. But it is possible.
Listen to Cool Music
Listening to the music that you love will have a tremendous effect when you feel anxious. Ideally, listen to music that makes you feel better. Not all music is relaxing and entertaining. Nevertheless, music affects human emotions. Listen to music that brings that feeling that you desire when you feel anxious and you will avoid or stop anxiety.
Live in the Moment
Learning how to live for the moment can help you avoid anxiety. Many people become anxious when they start to worry about their future. Therefore, learning how to embrace an idea that you should live for the moment is a great way to avoid anxiety. Anxiety dissipates when you accept that you are anxious and live with it anyway.
Let it out
Trying to fight anxiety will worsen it. Therefore, if you feel anxious, go nuts, scream and punch pillows. In short, make fun of the feeling while letting out your emotions.
Currently, anxiety doesn’t have a cure. Nevertheless, you can try these tips to avoid anxiety or manage it.
- Klein, Donald F. “Anxiety reconceptualized.” Anxiety: New research and changing concepts (1981): 235-263. ↩︎
- Meuret, Alicia E., et al. “Panic attack symptom dimensions and their relationship to illness characteristics in panic disorder.” Journal of Psychiatric Research 40.6 (2006): 520-527. ↩︎
- Zimetbaum, Peter, and Mark E. Josephson. “Evaluation of patients with palpitations.” New England Journal of Medicine 338.19 (1998): 1369-1373. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi