5 Tips To Battle Anxiety

According to the NHS, anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. It affects everyone at some point in their lives. However nobody experiences anxiety in the same way.

The cause can also differ from person to person. Some may have anxiety, that's related to school, some may have it from work, or family and friends. Regardless of the cause, it is a major problem in our society, as it affects both young and old, males and females and it can compromise the quality of our lives.

What anxiety does to our bodies

Since I am a nurse, I must also talk about the potential health hazards associated with anxiety, and there are a lot! First of all, anxiety is like a constant state of fear, so it puts our bodies in a "fight or flight" state, where the heart rate goes up alongside the blood pressure, thus increasing the risk of High Blood Pressure or even Heart Disease. If you already have heart disease, anxiety may worsen the symptoms and the overall condition of your body. Since anxiety is often related to everyday-life problems, it can also cause headaches, dizziness and even depression. Looking at our digestive system, anxiety can cause stomach aches, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and loss of appetite. The immune system can become weaker, due to prolonged exposure to stress, leaving the body more vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. In this state they may be more frequent and it takes longer for the body to get rid of them.

Hearing all of this may sound frightening, but thankfully anxiety can be treated. So here are my five tips on battling anxiety.

1. "Breathe"

By breathing, I mean you should concentrate on slowing down your breathing rate, since anxiety can cause rapid and shallow breathing. By taking long, deep breaths you can bring your breathing rate back to normal whenever you find yourself in a stressful situation. Here's a helpful technique: Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds, breathe out for 5 seconds and hold it again for 5 seconds. Now repeat this three to four times, and you should feel more calm and relaxed. In battling anxiety in the long term, meditation can help, even yoga, or anything that can calm you down, but is not a health hazard in any way (such as smoking, drinking etc.).

2. Live healthy

By living healthy I mean first of all, exercising. This is probably the most important one, since by exercising, you're not only getting fit, but are also strengthening your immune system, your muscles, your bones, and ultimately reducing anxiety symptoms. Besides exercising, eating healthy is also a must! Not just in battling anxiety, because you should eat healthy anyway. A study done by Harvard Medical School shows that, foods naturally rich in magnesium may help a person feel calmer. Such foods include leafy greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard, nuts, seeds, whole grains etc. And also foods rich in zinc have been linked to lowered anxiety. These foods include oysters, cashews, liver, beef, egg yolk etc. Drinking enough water is also equally as important as eating healthy, since because of the increased heart rate, more blood flows through the kidneys, thus leading to potentially increased urination, which can cause dehydration.

3. "Do not worry about what hasn't yet come"

This is a quote from an amazing book that I read. The book is called "How to stop worrying and start living" by Dale Carnegie. I highly recommend you read the book yourself. It has helped me immensely in battling anxiety. And this quote in particular stuck with me from the moment I read it, and it's something I tell everybody who asks me how to battle anxiety. So, focus on what you can control which is the present, the today, and don't worry so much about tomorrow, because it's not your problem just yet.

4. Sleep

I can't stress enough how important sleep is. Not just in reducing anxiety symptoms, but in general. You just can't function normally without getting enough quality sleep. I usually recommend you get 7–8 hours of sleep every night, as anxiety can be associated with insomnia, and can potentially make it worse. On the other side insomnia also puts the body in a fight or flight state when it should be resting/sleeping, thus contributing to worse anxiety symptoms, meaning it's a never ending loop. So if you can't do any of these things in this list, just SLEEP.

5. Talk to someone

By sharing your experience and your problems with others, you'll generally feel better, since holding it all inside won't make the condition just go away. So talking to someone such as a friend, a family member, a co-worker or anyone who you trust has been shown to be beneficial. There's also the possibility of counselling healthcare workers or mental health providers which is also very helpful. 

Final Note

Anxiety can affect us in many different ways, and can affect our physical, emotional as well as mental health all together. That's why it shouldn't be ignored or neglected in any way. 

I highly encourage everyone who's battling anxiety to take some steps in moving forward with this condition and seeking help if needed. 

Thank you for reading. Hope you found this interesting and educational.