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We often times feel `anxious’ in our lives. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”
Knowing the difference between normal feelings of anxiety and an anxiety disorder requiring medical attention can help a person identify and treat the condition.
The causes of worry and anxiety vary and can be beyond the control of the individual experiencing it. Anxiety can be caused by trauma, stress buildup, stress from sickness, alcohol, and many more.
As per Medical News Today anxiety disorders form a category of mental health diagnoses that lead to excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry
These disorders alter how a person processes emotions and behave, also causing physical symptoms. Mild anxiety might be vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety may seriously affect day-to-day living.
We at Yogfit promote a Holistic way of looking at anxiety. A stitch in time saves nine.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is designed to manage stress and other elements within your mind that may be contributing factors to anxiety. For example, a common type of meditation is the “mindfulness” form, which requires you to focus on breathing while watching out for all other thoughts.
Yoga and Exercise
Some people find it hard to meditate as the inner chatter just doesn’t stop. You can practice yoga-based meditative state, which brings peace of mind and reduces stress. Stillness and silence are great tools that can help you manage your anxiety.
Any other type of exercise like dance Aerobics, Walking, or Pilates can help you release stress from your body and joints. The release of feel good hormones, eight breathing and sweating it out can help you divert your mind from the negative thoughts and stressful situations.
Exercise doesn’t just have a physical effect on the body, there are psychological benefits as well. Exercise routine at work can reduce stress and improve productivity. Know and use these strategies to greatly improve your chances of managing anxiety when going through the ups and downs of stressful situations
Nutrition and Anxiety
Stress can lead to emotional and junk eating. It can also lead to substance abuse like smoking, drinking or binge eating. The right balance of fats and carbs can help you manage food anxiety. Studies have shown that an imbalance in serotonin levels is directly linked to anxiety.
Do not skip your meals and eating nutritional food helps manage anxiety better. Personally, when I start feeling anxious about a project, I take a step back and take a few deep breaths. It helps me refocus.
Work life balance
Lack of sleep, consumption of negative news, binge watching, being constantly on social media can add up to your stress. Focus on one thing at a time. So not compare yourself with others.
Sleep has been proven to have great benefits on our health and productivity, including reducing symptoms of depression and insomnia. Focus on improving your attention span. Turn those phone notifications off and be mindful to give yourself enough sleep.
Stress Management
Handling your anxiety is managing stress. Stressful situations can easily become overwhelming and lead to mental breakdowns and feelings of anxiety. It is important to seek professional help if your condition demands it.
Find your passion
Find out what you love to do. Is it singing, dancing, catching up with friends or going for a drive. Do you like to paint, sculpt, bake a cake teach or just travel and trek. Do what you like. If you are experiencing job stress, have a toxic boss then understand that life is beyond that.
Seeing a counsellor, or hiring a life is nothing to be ashamed of. We all face anxiety and difficult life situations. Children’s education, admissions, divorce, nuclear families, job losses, climate change and the list is endless. Modern life is very difficult and the war in Ukraine is testimony of the fact that you can rendered homeless overnight and nobody can help you.
Journaling
Recognizing the signs of an anxiety attack and seeking assistance is extremely important. Talking things out with friend or family member will help. Engage in that one passionate activity regularly. Change may not happen overnight but knowledge is the first step to managing your level of anxiety. You can try to write down your thought s and try to see where the trigger is coming from. Once you have identified the stressors you can work on a plan to resolve the problem.
IF not taken care of, the anxiety can turn into an anxiety disorder and then later depression. This can then be handled with medications.
