5 Tips for Saying Goodbye to Anxiety

Excessive anxiety is an increasingly common condition in adults, young people and even children. It is estimated that, in recent decades, throughout the American continent, anxiety levels have increased by 1,200%.

Despite being an alarming figure and the fact that we are increasingly getting used to living under great stress, we at awesome.club We know that there are ways to combat anxiety and take charge of our psychological health. Put these 5 tips into practice and improve your quality of life starting today.

Anxiety is a product of excessive fear of the future🇧🇷 Human beings have developed the ability to anticipate and predict as an evolutionary tool that brings advantages over other species, allowing us to find solutions to problems even before they appear.

However, this ability can backfire on us. We feel anxious when our mind is always on the future, trying to predict and control variables of what might happen. That’s why we suffer anxiety attacks at night, before going to sleep, as this is the time when our brain projects itself until the next day. It is very common that, just when we should rest, intrusive thoughts appear like: “what will happen tomorrow?”, “what will I do to solve this situation?”. We feel that if we focus on problems, we can find some solution in advance, but in reality we are only increasing their dimension, without reaching any conclusions.

1. Intercept and combat anxious thoughts. Anxiety feeds on anxiety. If you give way to anxious thoughts, you will end up going crazy. The anguish caused by anxiety works like a snowball, and the only one who can stop it is you. First, you must intercept evil thoughts. This means identifying them as they occur. When you find yourself harboring intrusive and anxious thoughts, stop. Try to focus your thinking on the present, think about the past, not the future; guide your mind to relive some happy and peaceful memory. If that doesn’t work, make a list. Take a pencil and paper and write down the things that worry you and a possible solution (concrete and practical) for each of them. The writing exercise will help you to rationalize the problems and give them a real dimension. In other words, you won’t allow them to keep growing and going around in your head.

2. Meditate and breathe. This is the most common advice for fighting anxiety, and one of the most effective. If you experience frequent anxious episodes, try signing up for a meditation course. Acquiring this habit will greatly improve your quality of life. If meditating is definitely not for you, or if anxiety episodes are not so frequent, when excessive worry about the future pops into your mind, breathe. But it’s not about breathing anyway; an inadequate breathing technique could get in the way. Focus on the air entering your body and allow it to reach the lowest part of your lungs. If you feel that your belly is inflating as you inhale, then you are doing it right. If you are very stressed, it is possible that the air you breathe is entering your body superficially, without guaranteeing the necessary oxygenation. That’s why it’s important that you take a break to fill your lungs to the bottom with fresh air. By doing so, you will be releasing trapped, stress-laden carbon dioxide, and oxygenating your organs and blood. Your body will thank you.

3. Release endorphins and relax your body. You’ve probably heard of a friend who practices street running who, after exercising, feels much more relaxed and who, during training, finds solutions to various problems. By exercising, you release endorphins and serotonin, two enzymes that your brain associates with the feeling of pleasure and well-being, but in addition you will be warming up your body, allowing your muscles to relax. The sensation of heat can alter the neural circuits that control mood. Exercising is a great way to focus on the ‘here’ and ‘now’. In other words, it helps you fight the excess worry about the future that generates anxiety.

4. Try these natural recipes.

In addition to the above, you can prepare a chamomile or valerian tea, or calmly enjoy a green tea. These three natural ingredients contain relaxing properties that will help your body release tension and warm up.

When you are anxious, you may feel like drinking coffee to gain energy and solve the problems you anticipate. No! Caffeine will make your body faster, it will be the fuel that anxious thoughts need to grow. Try never to speed up when you’re anxious. Instead, calm down and take it one step at a time.