101 Keys To Overcome Anxiety

Chapter 1: What is Anxiety?

It is natural for people to feel anxious once in a while. You may feel anxious or nervous before taking an exam, performing in front of an audience, or making an important decision. However, if your anxiousness is interfering with your life, you may have an anxiety disorder. There are different types of anxiety disorders.

Panic Disorder. It involves feelings of terror that strike repeatedly and suddenly without any warning. Some of its symptoms include chest pain, sweating, palpitations, and a choking feeling. People who suffer from this condition tend to think that they are having a stroke or heart attack whenever they experience the symptoms.

Social Anxiety Disorder. Also, known as social phobia, it is characterized by the overwhelming fear, self-consciousness, and worry about daily social situations. People with this condition tend to overthink what others think of them. They also become fearful of acting in a way that may cause ridicule or embarrassment.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It is characterized by unrealistic and excessive tension and worry. Individuals with this condition tend to worry too much, even if there is little or nothing that provokes their anxiety.

Specific Phobias. It involves an intense fear of a particular situation or object, such as flying, snakes, or heights. Those who suffer from this disorder usually have an inappropriate level of fear that causes them to avoid common daily situations.

Common Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

The symptoms that people experience vary depending on what type of anxiety disorder they have. Nevertheless, general symptoms include shortness of breath, sweaty or cold hands and feet, insomnia, feelings of uneasiness, panic, and fear, heart palpitations, dry mouth, restlessness, dizziness, muscle tension, numbness or tingling sensation in the hands and feet, and nausea.

Causes of Anxiety Disorder

According to experts, certain factors can cause anxiety disorders. Some of these factors include:

External and Environmental Factors

· Stress at school

· Stress at work

· Stress from a natural disaster

· Stress about money and finances

· Stress in personal relationships

· Lack of oxygen from staying at a high altitude area

· Traumatizing experiences such as death of a loved one, abuse, or having an accident

Medical Factors

· Asthma, anemia, infections, and heart conditions

· Stress from a medical illness

· Symptoms of a medical illness

· Side effects of medications

· Lack of oxygen from pulmonary embolism or emphysema

Substance Use and/or Abuse

· Withdrawal from illicit or prescription drugs, such as heroin, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and Vicodin

· Intoxication from illicit drugs, including cocaine and amphetamines

Genetics

· Family history of anxiety disorder

Brain Chemistry

· Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters in the brain

Chapter 2: Exercises, Therapies, and Mind and Body Techniques for Anxiety

Now that you have learned about the types, symptoms, and causes of anxiety, you should find out how you can treat it without using drugs. Natural treatments are actually ideal since they do not involve intense side effects that can make you feel worse or even put you at risk of other medical conditions. Here are some ways on how you can overcome your anxiety without having to turn to drugs:

1. Change the way you think or see things. Let us say that you have been invited to a party. You can either feel excited about meeting new people or anxious that you might make a fool of yourself. If you choose the latter, then you will have a hard time overcoming your anxiety. In order to improve your condition, you should change the way you see the world. Instead of being skeptic and expecting doom, you should look at the bright side and anticipate good things about the situation.

2. Identify your negative thought patterns. If you constantly think negatively of something, you will eventually develop a pattern. For instance, if you have always believed that shaking someone else’s hand will put you at risk of germs, you will never be able to shake other people’s hands. Every time there is an event that involves shaking hands, you will feel anxious. Hence, you need to identify such thought patterns and do something about it.

3. Challenge your negative thoughts. Once you have identified your negative thought patterns, you should start to challenge them. Using the same example as above, you can start questioning the evidence for your irrational fear of shaking hands. Would you die or develop a serious illness if you shake another person’s hand? Do you know anyone who has died from shaking hands? Furthermore, you should analyze unhelpful beliefs and test out the reality of negative predictions.

4. Conduct experiments, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of worrying, and determine realistic chances of your fears turning into reality. For all you know, you may be feeling anxious for nothing. Let us say that you are from New York and you have been assigned to go to San Francisco for a convention. You have heard about earthquakes happening in the area, so you begin to feel anxious. Instead of immediately jumping to conclusions and expecting a doomsday scenario, you should do a research so you can find out if your fears actually have a high chance of becoming a reality.

5. Replace your negative thoughts with more realistic thoughts. Whenever you are faced with a stressful situation, you can repeat calming statements to yourself. For instance, if you are travelling alone, you may feel anxious about fainting in a crowded area. You may also become paranoid that people will laugh or mock you for it. To avoid feeling anxious, you should instead tell yourself that being in a crowded area is not that bad. You may not faint at all, and even if you do people will more likely be concerned instead of judgmental.

6. Create a list of all your fears. While you may not be able to conquer all your fears, you should make it a goal to conquer most of them.

7. Face your fears gradually. It is not possible to achieve change overnight. Hence, you should face your fears one step at a time. Let us say that you are afraid of flying. To conquer your fear, you can look at pictures of airplanes first. Then, move on to watching videos of airplanes taking off and eventually watch real planes take off. As time goes by, you should progress into booking a plane ticket and actually going on a trip.

8. Ask a therapist to help you work through the steps. If you think that you cannot face your fears step by step on your own, you can seek help from a therapist. Together, you two can help you conquer your fear of flying.

9. Ask a friend to help you face your fears. You can ask a friend to go with you on your first airplane trip. This way, you will feel less anxious about the experience. The next time, you will feel more confident about going on a trip alone.

10. Do deep breathing exercises. Proper breathing can do wonders for your mind and body. Fill your lungs with air and count as you inhale and exhale.

11. Practice yoga. Certain yoga poses, such as the Child’s Pose, Tree Pose, Headstand, Warrior III, and Legs Up the Wall Pose can help alleviate your stress and anxiety.

12. Practice Mindfulness Meditation. Go to a place where you can be peaceful and alone with your thoughts. This technique allows you to be more mindful of your surroundings in the present moment. You can use a white noise machine or listen to soft background music if you want.

13. Perform Progressive Muscle Relaxation. It involves relaxing the tense muscles in your body.

14. Practice Body Scan Meditation. This technique is characterized by focusing on the sensations of every part of your body. When you practice it, you should start from your feet and work your way up towards your head.

15. Practice Visualization or Guided Imagery. It involves closing your eyes and imagining yourself to be in a peaceful place, such as in a garden with assorted flowers.

16. Practice Forest Imagery Visualization Exercises. This is a more concrete form of visualization or guided imagery. Here, you imagine yourself in a forest surrounded by nature.

17. Practice Cruise Imagery Visualization Exercises. Likewise, it is a form of visualization or guided imagery. It involves imagining yourself to be in a relaxing cruise. You can listen to audio tapes for instructions.

18. Practice Tai Chi. It is a non-competitive, self-paced series of slow, flowing body movements that emphasize relaxation, concentration, and circulation of energy throughout the body.

19. Take a walk. You can take a long walk at the park or around your neighborhood to calm your restless mind.

20. Jog around the block. Jogging is faster than walking and slower than running, making it perfect to exercise both your mind and body. As you jog, you can get rid of any anxious thoughts. The release of endorphins is also great for your body.

21. Take up running or cycling. Both of these are rhythmic exercises that can help you reduce stress and anxiety. These exercises are most effective if you have relaxation in mind.

22. Take up boxing. If you are feeling anxious, why not release all that energy into a punching bag? Boxing is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety, as well as stay in shape.

23. Choose Biofeedback. This technique involves the use of sensors that measure certain physiological functions, such as breathing, muscle tension, and heart rate. It allows you to recognize the anxiety response of your body so you can control them better.

24. Choose Acupuncture. It involves the use of very fine needles that stimulate specific points along your skin.

25. Undergo Hypnotherapy. During a hypnotherapy session, the hypnotherapist will put you in a trance so you can be more responsive to suggestions, such as eliminating anxious thoughts.

26. Do Self-Hypnosis. You can learn self-hypnosis from self-help books and articles.

27. Go through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This works well with hypnotherapy. When you undergo this treatment, your therapist will help you alter your thought patterns and adapt to social situations better.

28. Undergo Exposure Therapy. With the help of a therapist, you will gradually be exposed to your fears. If you have social anxiety disorder, your therapist can help you overcome your condition by exposing you to triggers.

29. Undergo Craniosacral Therapy. It is a treatment for anxiety that focuses attention to the base of the spine and the skull.

30. Undergo Polarity Therapy. It involves the assessment of energy balance as well as soft touch to help relieve anxiety.

31. Undergo Color Therapy. It involves the use of light and color to balance energy. It is beneficial in restoring calm and balance.

32. Undergo Crystal Therapy. It involves the use of specific crystals or stones. Rose quartz, lithium in quartz, and lepidolite are ideal for anxiety. They have soothing and calming properties. They can help ease your fears and tension and allow you to face anxiety-inducing situations.

33. Undergo Bioelectromagnetic Therapy. It involves the manipulation of electromagnetic and magnetic fields as a source of natural healing. It can help reduce muscle tension and anxiety.

34. Undergo Hydrotherapy. You can do this by adding essential oils to your bathwater. You can even add some rose petals and herbs to make your bath more sensual. Taking a hot bath can help you relax and rejuvenate your body.

35. Try Reiki. It is a treatment involves the transfer of energy to help heal and restore your mind and spirit.

36. Consider aromatherapy. Essential oils can have a calming effect on your body. You can inhale or massage them on your body.

37. Light scented candles. Just like essential oils, the aroma of scented candles can help boost your mood. You can light some scented candles when you take a bath.

38. Light some incense. If you do not have asthma, you can light some incense as you meditate or relax. You can choose from a variety of aromas, such as rose, lavender, and chamomile.

39. Join a support group. There are numerous support groups offline and online. People with anxiety disorders are encouraged to seek support from people suffering from a similar condition. This way, they will feel that they belong and are understood. Support groups are helpful because many people with anxiety disorders tend to feel that other people do not understand what they are going through.

40. Try Shiatsu. It is a treatment similar to acupuncture, except that it does not involve the use of very fine needles. Instead, it involves the use of fingers and hands on the acupressure points to bring about relaxation and healing effects.

41. Choose Reflexology. It is a system that involves a degree of pressure or massage in certain areas of the body. It is effective in relieving stress, tension, and anxiety among other ailments.

42. Undergo Healing Touch Therapy. It involves the use of hands in an intentional and heart-centered way to facilitate and support physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health.

43. Undergo Therapeutic Touch. It is commonly used by nurses to reduce the anxiety of cancer patients and burn victims.

44. Undergo Myofascial Trigger Therapy. It is similar to acupuncture in the sense that it involves deep tissue pressure on certain points of the body.

45. Undergo Alexander Therapy. It involves learning correct posture and proper movement in order to prevent and correct problems that have been caused by unhelpful habits. It can also help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.

46. Try Watsu. It is the manipulation of the body in warm water to bring about a good sense of well-being and relaxation.

47. Choose Trager Work. It is a body work that works on the premise that through emotional and physical stress, your body becomes stiff. So by unlearning stressful habits and loosening your body, you are able to feel better emotionally and physically.

48. Choose Qi Gong. It is an ancient Chinese practice that can help reduce your anxiety.

49. Float in an Isolation Tank. An isolation tank is a soundproof and lightless tank that contains salt water. It is used for relaxation, alternative medicine, and meditation.

Chapter 3: How to Deal with Everyday Situations

People suffering from anxiety are always afraid of getting out and facing the world. How can you go through everyday situations without feeling anxious? Here are some ways you can do:

50. Create a worry period. You should set a specific time and place for your worrying. Make sure that your schedule is consistent. This way, your work, studies, and other obligations will not be interfered by your worrying.

51. Postpone your worrying. If an anxious thought comes up, you should write it down and save it for later. Go about your day until your worry period comes. Again, you should only worry during your worry period.

52. Go over your list during your worry period. Look at your list and reflect on what you wrote. Some of them may no longer be urgent or important, so you may just scratch them off the list.

53. Keep a worry diary. If you want to identify any thought patterns or compare the things that made you worry in the past with the things that make you worry in the present, having a diary can be helpful.

54. Learn how to distinguish between solvable and unsolvable problems. If your problem is solvable, then you should find a way to solve it. Otherwise, you should just leave it. There would be no point in worrying or getting anxious about it anyway.

55. Learn to distinguish between an imaginary and a realistic problem. If you think that other people are gossiping about you behind your back yet you do not have any proof that this is actually happening, then your worries are imaginary. On the other hand, if you have a physical illness that can possibly life-threatening, then you have a realistic problem that you have to face.

56. Do not overthink things. You may feel anxious when someone gives you a negative criticism. You may spend all day thinking about it and waste a lot of your time. Well, you should not overthink things because whatever has happened is already done and you should not let the opinions of other people affect you in a negative manner.

57. Do not try too hard to please other people. You may feel anxious because you do not have the trendiest clothes, accessories, or gadgets. You may feel that you do not fit in a particular crowd because of this. If you do not want to feel bad, you should stop trying too hard to please others. So what if they do not like you? You should like you for who you are, and that is all that should matter.

58. Avoid or spend less time with people who make you feel anxious. If some of your family members, friends, or co-workers stress you out, you should spend less time with them if you cannot avoid them completely. Perhaps their teasing is making you self-conscious or anxious. If confronting these people about their behavior does not work, you should just stay away from them as much as possible so you can have peace of mind.

59. Be careful who you trust. Keep in mind that people can either be genuinely concerned or just curious about what your problems are. Some of them may actually help you out while others may only make you more anxious by mocking you or gossiping about you.

60. Accept uncertainty. No one has the capability to accurately predict the future. Hence, you should open yourself to uncertainty. Do not spend all your time and energy worrying about what the future will bring. If you want good things to happen in your future, you should do your best to achieve what you want. If things do not go your way, you should accept it.

61. Avoid having an All or Nothing Mindset. You should avoid looking at things in black and white, with no middle ground. For instance, you should not think that you are a complete and utter failure just because you are not perfect.

62. Avoid overgeneralizing things. When you generalize from a single negative experience, you expect it to happen every time. This will make you anxious and prevent you from achieving your goals. So if you do not get hired this time, you should not think that you will never get another job.

63. Get rid of your mental filter. You should not focus on the negatives and filter out the positives. Instead of noticing something that went wrong, you should appreciate all the other things that went right.

64. Do not diminish the positive. You should stop coming up with reasons that counteract positivity. Let us say that you did well on your thesis defense. You should feel happy because you did a good job instead of anxious that it might just be a result of luck.

65. Avoid jumping to conclusions. If you want to overcome your anxiety, you should stop interpreting things negatively without concrete evidence. Do not act psychic. No one can read minds. You should stop thinking that someone hates you secretly or that something terrible is going to occur.

66. Avoid catastrophizing. It is not healthy to expect worst-case scenarios all the time. This would prevent you from having experiences and enjoying life. For instance, if you are in an airplane and turbulence occurs, you should keep calm and not think that the airplane is going to crash.

67. Avoid emotional reasoning. You should not believe that how you feel actually reflects reality. For instance, if you feel frightened at the moment, it does not necessarily mean that you are really in physical danger.

68. Do not beat yourself up for breaking a rule. You should not hold yourself to a strict list of rules.

69. Avoid labeling yourself. Do not call yourself a loser, a failure, or an idiot just because you made a mistake or had some shortcomings.

70. Avoid personalization. You should stop assuming responsibility for everything. You have to realize that some things are outside of your control. For instance, if your best friend got involved in a car accident, you should not blame yourself for not being able to prevent him from driving in the rain.

Chapter 4: Take Care of Yourself

Due to your anxiety disorder, you may neglect yourself and forget about your needs. You may confine yourself inside your room to avoid any social interaction that might lead to an awkward or embarrassing situation. You may also start eating junk food as a means to comfort yourself. Well, you should not let your anxious thoughts take over your life. You should start to take good care of yourself.

71. Take a honey milk bath. Taking a long bath can help ease your mind and calm your senses. To make your bath more relaxing, you can add ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup essential oil, ¼ cup milk, and 1 egg white to your bathwater.

72. Get a massage. Treat yourself to a spa. You can choose from a variety of massage therapies. For instance, you can have a deep tissue massage. It reaches deep into the sublayers of your fascia and musculature. You can also have a Swedish massage if you prefer a vigorous treatment that stimulates circulation.

73. Go to a sauna. Saunas or sweat baths have healing, cleansing, and preventative properties. When you go to a sauna, your pulse rate and metabolism increase. Your extremities have an increased circulation, and your blood vessels become more flexible. When your body feels energized and soothed, your emotions and mind will follow suit.

74. Get a good night’s sleep. If you lack sleep, you will be at risk of a variety of illnesses. You will also be cranky and prone to anxiety and depression. In general, you should have seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

75. Pamper yourself. When you look good, you will feel good. So stop sulking around and treat yourself to a nice manicure or pedicure. You can also get a haircut or a makeover. You can also shop for some new clothes to revamp your look.

76. Drink green tea. Green tea contains high amounts of L-theanine, which is an amino acid that has calming properties. It also contains antioxidants that can help reduce your anxiety.

77. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages. Caffeine can make your anxiety symptoms worse. So if you want to remain cool and composed, you should avoid sodas and coffee.

78. Avoid drinking too much alcohol. A glass of wine is fine, but too much of it can make you more anxious than before.

79. Take fish oil. It is beneficial for your brain and body. It is also efficient in eliminating anxiety and depression.

80. Eat mushrooms. They contain pantothenic acid that is efficient in treating anxiety.

81. Avoid refined sugars. Refined sugar can affect your blood sugar levels in a negative way. It can cause you to be jittery or anxious.

82. Consume protein. You can be anxious and jittery when your blood sugar levels fluctuate. Fortunately, you can keep your blood sugar levels stable by eating lean meats and other sources of protein.

83. Eat foods rich in B vitamins. Eggs, citrus fruits, pork, and beef are some of the foods that are rich in B vitamins. If you lack B vitamins in your system, you will be prone to confusion, anxiety, and irritability.

84. Eat avocados. They are high in magnesium and B vitamins. They are also effective in fighting against anxiety.

85. Eat turkey. It is rich in tryptophan, which increases the serotonin levels in your brain. It can help reduce your anxiety and improve your mood.

86. Take multivitamins and mineral supplements. Make sure that your body has all the vitamins and minerals it needs to function at its best.

87. Eat whole grains. They are rich in magnesium and tryptophan. They also help keep you full and energized.

88. Eat seaweeds. They have similar benefits as whole grains. They are also rich in magnesium and tryptophan. If you have gluten sensitivity, you can eat seaweeds in place of whole grains.

89. Snack on blueberries. These superfoods are rich in phytonutrients and vitamins. They also contain antioxidants.

90. Take acai berries. They are also superfoods that are rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants.

91. Snack on almonds. They contain healthy fats, zinc, and iron, which make them ideal for maintaining a balanced mood and preventing brain fatigue.

92. Eat dark chocolates. These chocolates do not contain milks and sugars. They can help reduce the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that causes symptoms of anxiety.

93. Take maca root. You can buy this in powder form at your local grocery store. You can add it to your food and drinks. It is rich in phytonutrients, such as iron and magnesium.

Chapter 5: Bach Flowers for Anxiety

Another way to reduce your anxiety is by using the essences of certain flowers. According to Dr. Edward Bach, the following flowers can provide mental and physical relief:

94. Red Chestnut. It is an ideal remedy for enablers and co-dependents.

95. Cherry Plum. It is useful in reducing the fear of losing control or doing something dreadful, such as harming oneself or injuring others.

96. Mustard Flower. It is a remedy for depression and deep gloom.

97. Gorse. It is a remedy for people who feel hopeless.

98. Cerato. It is a remedy for people who do not feel confident about their judgment.

99. Rock Water. It is a remedy for people who are in deep self-denial and self-repression.

100. Star of Bethlehem. It is given to people who have been in a state of shock caused by receiving negative news or going through an unexpected situation.

101. Impatients. It is a remedy for people who feel irritable, frustrated, and impatient as a cause of their anxiety disorder.