Note: If you think you are suffering from anxiety you may want to consult a doctor. The following are tips to help you alleviate and identify symptoms of anxiety.
In order to handle anxiety we must learn to recognize it. At the moment we perceive the first symptoms we will try to go for a walk to clear our minds.
Anxiety is an emotional state that manifests itself in people with feelings of restlessness, anguish and fear.
Those individuals affected by anxiety become desperate in situations that they feel are not in their control and that generates a sense of danger.
Managing anxiety is not an easy task for those who suffer constantly.
Although it seems silly or harmless when we see it from the outside, the reality is that it is difficult to control.
It is considered that it stops being normal when it is uncontrolled and continues for more than six months. In this case it should already be treated as a disorder and you should seek the help of a specialist.
Managing anxiety is necessary in order to really enjoy your life. Here are some exercises that can help to handle it properly.
Symptoms of anxiety
Identifying anxiety is quite simple. Most of us do it automatically. Here are the most common symptoms:
- Pain and palpitations in the chest
- Dizziness
- Nausea and upset stomach
- Excessive perspiration, hot flashes or chills
- Feeling of suffocation and tremors
- Tingling or numbness
- Feeling of loss of control
- Fear (in general and especially death)
Breathing
Set aside a time of the day when you do not have any activity or responsibility.
During this period of time make sure that nobody bothers you and commit to not be in a hurry to finish. It is important that you take the time necessary to relax.
Get as comfortable as you can, whether lying down or sitting.
When you find the position that suits you, close your eyes and focus all your attention on the breath.
Notice how the air comes in and out, slowly.
As the minutes pass, it breathes more slowly and carries the air to the lower part of the lungs. Slowly inhale through the nose, hold the air for a few seconds and let the air out little by little.
Keep repeating the exercise for several minutes.
This exercise will help you maintain constant control but it will also allow you to handle the anxiety that appears suddenly. You can read more about breathing exercises and meditation in our articles “Meditative body scan: Connect with your body” and “Meditation | Whole-Brain Thinking And Its Benefits”.
Walk
Walking is the simplest way to handle anxiety. It does not require you to go to the gym, buy special clothes or hire a coach.
It is an exercise so complete that if you do it in the morning, its effects throughout the day.
Try to include a walk in your day and take a little walk just when the anxiety is affecting you. If you need motivation for walking having a dog is great!
Running
Another of the easiest exercises to manage anxiety is to run. This sport helps you lose weight and burn calories while promoting the release of serotonin.
This is good because serotonin helps improve mood and mental health. If you incorporate this sport into your life you will discover that it also improves the quality of your sleep and increases the hours of rest.
Dancing
Dancing helps your body release endorphins. It’s great because these help you manage anxiety and stress while improving your cardiovascular health.
All you need to do is put some music and start moving a bit. You will see that as the seconds advance you start to feel more comfortable and take rhythm.
Although dancing is not something that you practice a lot, do not discard it. Part of learning to deal with anxiety includes daring to do new things, so do not hesitate.
Learn to forget about worries
Although this is not a physical exercise proper, it is key to managing anxiety. It is important that you learn to deal with situations so that they do not take control of your life.
Keep in mind that most problems that stress us (read more on stress in our article “How to help alleviate depression”) are usually less serious than we really believe and can take control when they are not even real.
Your mind is very powerful and can focus a lot of attention on impossible situations just because you give them importance.
Accept that it is useless to enter into anxiety because of an unreal concern.
If you can not push away or divert the thought of anxiety, then try to distract yourself in a bigger way: do some activity or talk to someone.
Basic steps when experiencing an anxiety attack
When suffering an anxiety attack it is very likely that you do not know what to do or how to react. In that case remember:
Identify the reason why you are having an anxiety attack.
Find a way out of the situation, either breathing or doing some physical activity.
Although it may seem very difficult, little by little you will go back to control and learn to do it faster and faster.
Are you dealing with anxiety? What do you do to control it? Let me know in the comments below.
