What Helps Anxiety? 7 Tips To Decrease Anxiety Symptoms

Updated August 27, 2020

Medically Reviewed By: Maria Abada, LPC

Anxiety is a common thing that everyone experiences at some point in their lifetime. It can often be uncomfortable, but there are ways to cope with this feeling positively. Here’s a look at anxiety, including tips on how to decrease the symptoms associated with anxiety.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal feeling characterized by worry or fear. For instance, if you have a big presentation or test, you may be anxious about how you will perform. When you don’t know how an event will turn out, there is a tendency to be anxious about it. You are nervous about the unknown, and this is fine.

Is Anxiety Serious?

In many cases, anxiety is no cause for concern. However, when you are anxious for a long period, or your anxiety is negatively affecting multiple aspects of your life, you may need to seek treatment. If you experience anxiety for an extended period, you may have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety can also coexist in the presence of other mental health issues, including depression. Anxiety and depression can have symptoms that resemble each other, but they are in different conditions. This is why it is important to seek treatment when you feel like you have anxiety and depression, or you suspect you may have either of these conditions.

Symptoms Of Anxiety

Here is a look at some of the symptoms you should look out for.

• Fatigue
• Increased heart rate
• Feelings of panic of fear
• Feeling nervous
• Having trouble breathing
• Focusing only on your fear or worry
• Avoidance of certain situations
• Unable to sleep
• Issues going to the bathroom
• Excessive sweating
• Anxiety attacks

What Is An Anxiety Attack?

Anxiety attacks happen when a person is fearful or is experiencing stress about an event or something that is affecting their life. Anxiety attacks cause a person to worry, and they can become overwhelmed. They are similar to panic attacks but are considered to be two different things. Anxiety and panic affect the body in similar ways, so it can be hard to tell the difference. You may need to visit a professional to know for sure which you are experiencing.

A significant difference between the two is that with an anxiety attack, you may experience one after you have been worrying about something for quite a while. A panic attack usually comes on suddenly. This is quite a distinction between the two.

Another difference is that an anxiety attack can last for hours at a time, and affect you for months, although the symptoms may not be too intense the whole time.

Some symptoms that can be present with anxiety attacks are feeling irritable, feeling fearful, pain in the chest, dry mouth, being easily startled, not being able to breathe, and tingling in the body. Anxiety attacks can feel like a very serious issue and cause you to worry. If this is the case for you, you can consult with a doctor to make sure that you are in good health.

Tips To Decrease Anxiety Symptoms

These are helpful tips meant to decrease your symptoms.

• Get the right amount of sleep. Getting the proper amount of sleep at night is important for several reasons. One is that your mind and body can reset, which helps you make better decisions when you wake up. This can also help stabilize your moods and allow you to be able to get through your daily tasks. Try to go to sleep at the same time each night, even on the weekends. After doing this for a while, your body may start to get tired at the same time each day, which could mean you will have an easier time going to sleep each night.

• Learn how to breathe. Breathing deeply can often help regulate anxious physical symptoms. When you breathe in deeply, not only does oxygen enter your body, but you also have to take a minute to change what you are doing. Sometimes when you take yourself out of a stressful situation for a few minutes, you can gain a completely new perspective on what’s going on. Try to stop and take deep breaths whenever you start to feel anxious or stressed.
• Eat healthy meals. Eating a healthy diet is good for your overall health, and it gives you the vitamins you need to keep going. Try to eat the best foods you can and eat a balanced diet. When you are eating the right foods, this is one less aspect of your life that can cause you strife. Moreover, certain foods are thought to ease anxiety. A 2011 study suggests that the proper amount of Omega-3 in the diet can lessen anxiety in some individuals.
• Pay attention to triggers. You should start to weed out the things that trigger you. In some cases, these things may be obvious, but at other times, you may have trouble pinpointing them. A good rule of thumb is to start writing down what happens to you in a journal so that you can rule out certain foods, events, and habits. This is also something that you should discuss with a therapist who may be able to help you recognize certain things that trigger your anxiety.

• Challenge anxious thoughts. Challenging anxious thoughts can help you address your \ stress. For example, if your brain tells you that you need to feel apprehensive about a situation, you may be able to recall a time when you did something similar, and it turned out okay. Again, this is a technique that will work out better when you have a professional counselor’s help as well. They should be able to explain how this process works and provide furth

Treatments

There are essentially two treatment options to consider when you need to treat anxiety and the symptoms associated with anxiety.

Medications

When you discuss your symptoms and anxiety with a doctor, they may be able to prescribe certain medications that are designed to be effective in the treatment of anxiety. You should discuss all potential medication options

Therapy

Another type of treatment for anxiety is psychotherapy. This option may be able to help you learn how to think differently, manage your anxiety and stress, and a therapist may also be able to provide you with more tools to help you handle certain situations more effectively.

In some instances, treatment for anxiety can be handled through the use of online therapy. A 2019 study published in JMIR Formative Research suggests that online therapy for anxiety may be able to provide lasting results for those suffering from social anxiety.

If you are interested in online therapy, you may want to consider BetterHelp. This company provides each patient they help with many options, and they have licensed therapists who can help around the clock. It’s very convenient to be able to get help when you turn to online therapy.

Working through issues feels much easier when you’re able to get therapy at a pace that is comfortable for you. You can overcome anxiety symptoms and take control of your life once more. Just reach out to an online therapist whenever you’re ready to move forward.

Overview

Anxiety is something that can really change how you live your life, especially if you experience anxiety attacks and other life-altering symptoms associated with anxiety. Some tips can help you lessen these things, and you may also be able to get rid of your anxiety altogether.

Seek out help for your anxiety as soon as you can, where you can gain knowledge and tools to allow you to become less fearful about situations and circumstances. Anxiety is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to prevent you from living the life you want. There are many ways to change your life and habits, so be sure to take care of yourself and do your best to lessen the overall stress in your life.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What Triggers Anxiety?

Anxiety can be triggered by many different things. Each person might have different anxiety triggers that will impact them in unique ways. For example, some people experience extreme anxiety when they go to school, but they’re fine in other areas of life. Others might experience anxiety triggers, such as arguing with others or being around large crowds. Your anxiety might even be triggered by something seemingly innocuous. The reasons why you’re experiencing mental health issues like this won’t always be clear to you.

You need to be medically reviewed so that you can determine what is going on. Most people need help identifying their anxiety triggers so that they can manage anxiety more effectively. You might understand some of your anxiety triggers while being clueless about others. If you can find a therapist, then you can start working on your issues now. You’ll be able to determine how to improve your mental health using behavioral therapy and other treatments. Therapy for anxiety works very well, and you should look into getting medically reviewed whenever you’re ready.

How Can I Reduce Anxiety Fast?

Reducing anxiety is possible, and you should try to come up with methods to alleviate your anxiety symptoms. Some people with mental health struggles experience extreme anxiety that cannot be quelled quickly. Others will have an easier time calming themselves down and getting back to feeling relatively normal. Your methods for reducing your anxiety should be tailored to your situation, and you’ll need to discover what works for you.

Firstly, it’s ideal to go to your doctor to get diagnosed with anxiety first. Once this has happened, you can work on coming up with solid treatment options for anxiety. There are actually many treatment options for anxiety, and some of them might be perfect for your situation. Anxiety medication is commonly used to help people reduce anxiety in a timely fashion. Some people even take anxiety medication regularly to keep anxiety at bay, but you need to go over things with your doctor to determine what is best for you.

Getting your anxiety medically reviewed is for the best since it makes it easier to treat you. Therapy for anxiety might be just as important as anxiety medication. When you get your anxiety medically reviewed, your doctor will be able to recommend treatment options to you. Anxiety disorder treatment is necessary to get things under control. Therapists are excellent at helping people with common mental health issues like this. They can help you to better understand your anxiety, and you can learn important coping mechanisms. You’ll be much better at maintaining a calm state of mind instead of feeling overwhelmed by anxiety.

There are also home remedies for anxiety that some people turn to. For example, you might simply want to start meditating when you’re feeling anxious. You can shut out those anxious feelings and try to focus on positive thoughts during your meditation times. There have also been people who use home remedies for anxiety, such as exercising, watching comforting TV shows, and talking to trusted family members. These shouldn’t replace getting treatment, but they can help you to manage your condition and reduce feelings of anxiety.

Can Anxiety Be Cured?

Anxiety is something that can be managed most definitely. As for whether it can be cured, that’s a bit of a complicated question. Most people who are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder will manage the condition for the rest of their lives. Some people experience anxiety issues due to certain life events, and they wind up, not dealing with anxiety once things have improved. Whether anxiety is something that will disappear or not depends on your circumstances.

The most important thing to remember is that you need to get your anxiety medically reviewed to be sure of things. You want to determine if you have an anxiety disorder or if you’re going through a tough time in life. If you do have an anxiety disorder, then you can learn to manage the condition and mitigate the impact that anxiety will have on your life. Working with a mental health professional will make a huge difference.

What Food Triggers Anxiety?

There are actually several foods and drinks that can make you feel more anxious than usual. Firstly, you need to cut alcohol out of your diet if you have problems with anxiety. Drinking alcohol is only going to make things worse for you, and it also isn’t something that you’re supposed to drink if you’re taking anxiety medications. Be mindful of this, and avoid alcoholic beverages for the sake of your mental health.

Caffeine can also have a negative impact on your anxiety, and it makes many people feel more anxious. If possible, it’ll be good to switch to drinking coffee with no caffeine as well as caffeine-free sodas. Sugary snacks and drinks can have a negative impact on your anxiety, too. Try to avoid sugary snacks and processed foods if you want to avoid triggering your anxiety. Healthy home-cooked meals will be a better option.

Is Anxiety A Mental Illness?

Yes, anxiety is a mental illness, and millions of people have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders. However, not everyone who experiences anxiety has an anxiety disorder. Some people just have a bout of anxiety occasionally due to life circumstances. You will need to work with your doctor to determine if your anxiety is just normal and related to life stress or if it is something more than that. Your mental health is important, and it’s best, to be honest with your doctor about what you’re experiencing.

How Can I Kill Anxiety Naturally?

Anxiety is something that can be brought under control if you’re willing to get help. Some people wish to avoid taking anxiety medication and are more comfortable with home remedies. Actions such as meditation can help you to control your anxiety. There are various coping mechanisms like this that you can use when you start to feel anxious. Sometimes simply closing your eyes and counting will help you to stay in the present moment instead of letting your anxiety take over. You should try to learn about as many anxiety coping mechanisms as you can to get your mental health issues under control. The national alliance on mental health notes that coping mechanisms are important tools for managing anxiety symptoms effectively.

It’s still helping to get your anxiety medically reviewed because therapy can help a lot. Therapy doesn’t require you to take anxiety medication. Your therapist will be able to work with you to help you learn about your anxiety over time. This medical condition is something that can throw you for a loop if you aren’t careful, but it’s easier to manage with help. You can learn about coping mechanisms while also coming to understand your anxiety triggers. If you can avoid setting off your anxiety while also understanding how to deal with anxiety when it happens, then you’ll be in a much better place. These behavioral therapy methods have helped so many people to feel better about life.