Anxiety symptoms such as unease, dread, terror, or irrational worrying can be quite unpleasant. The discomfort and anguish that come with anxiety are sometimes very difficult, whether it manifests as an unsettled stomach, heart palpitations, tremors, sweating, constant tension, or even full blown panic attacks.

I’ve dealt with anxiety for most of my life and below are some of my favorite ways to help ease my anxiety symptoms. I hope these help you too!

Take a few long breaths

Our breathing becomes quick and shallow when we are nervous. Deep belly breathing helps ease anxiety by inducing the body’s relaxation response and bringing down our pulse rate and blood pressure.

Try this straightforward exercise: Take a deep breath and count to four. For four counts, hold your breath. Count to four as you exhale. Repeat as many times as you need.

Get some exercise

One of the finest anxiety treatments, both short-term and long-term, is exercise. Muscle tension is relieved and worries are diverted by taking a walk.

Long-term, consistent exercise causes the brain to create feel-good neurochemicals, strengthening mental fortitude in the face of turbulent emotions. It improves our happiness and confidence, and we don’t need to run a marathon to reap its rewards.

Anything that gets us moving is acceptable, including washing a car, hiking, gardening, and pick-up games. Even 10 minutes can make a difference! Try to shoot for 30 minutes, three to five days a week because this is the threshold that can dramatically relieve anxiety symptoms.

Change your focus

Try any neutral or positive activity to divert your focus from upsetting thoughts or feelings, such as putting your hands under cool running water, listening to music, or drawing. The brain can’t be in two places at once, therefore non-harmful distractions are effective because doing anything else will stop a train of rapidly racing thoughts.

Another method that can help ease anxiety is to spend time meditating. By centering yourself and focusing on the present moment (listen to your breath, the sound of the birds outside of your window, the hum of your refrigerator, etc. Let any thoughts that come into your mind just pass by once you notice them and don’t dwell on any of them – whether good or bad) it helps you let go of any worries you have. Your focus will no longer be on your to do list for the week or what you did last night that was embarrassing, you can now divert your focus to the present moment and set a positive tone for this new day.

Spend time outside 

The majority of us intuitively feel calmer and less worried when we are outside, and evidence supports that. Any amount of time spent in a natural environment lowers our heart rate, blood pressure, and level of the stress hormone, cortisol, in our bodies. People who live close to more green spaces express less mental distress.

With their practice of shinrin-yoku, often known as “forest bathing” or “taking in the forest environment,” Japan is unquestionably at the vanguard of those who believe in the therapeutic benefits of nature. It involves being mindful and present while taking in the beauty, sounds, smells, and light of your surroundings. It also involves experiencing nature through all five of your senses through local forests or on vacation.

Use Supplements To Help

There are other things you can use to help ease anxiety like medication from your doctor, or for a more natural method you can use supplements like CBD or Ashwaghanda. Ashwaghanda is an herb that has many positive effects such as decreasing your body’s stress response, anxiety relief, lowering blood sugar and fat, increased muscle and strength, sharpening focus and memory, supporting heart health and more. I use it every day and it has changed my life for the better!

I also use CBD to help manage my symptoms. It can help treat chronic pain, inflammation, migraines, depression and anxiety. You can get things like CBD oil, tea and even a vape like Delta 8 THC Vape Carts.

Face your anxiety head-on

Your thoughts and feelings are connected. When you’re feeling anxious, it’s possible to exaggerate how dangerous something is while also underestimating your own capacity to handle it. Instead of assuming the worst when faced with an uncertain circumstance, try to consider alternative interpretations. Consider the evidence for and against the veracity of your hypothesis.

In the short run, avoiding your nervous triggers can ease your anxiety for the moment, but over time, it can actually make your anxiety worse. Try taking even a modest step toward something that makes you anxious. The key to overcoming anxiety is realizing that even if what you fear does occur, you will be able to handle it!

Consider the Things You Can Change

Many times, anxiety is caused by worrying about events that may never happen or haven’t happened yet. For instance, even if everything is okay, you could still be concerned about prospective problems like losing your job, being sick, or ensuring the safety of your loved ones.

No matter how hard you try, life can be unpredictable and you can’t always control what happens. You can, however, choose how you will approach the unknowable. By letting go of fear and focusing your attention on gratitude, you can use your emotions as a source of power. Change your perspective on your fears to replace them. For instance, instead of worrying about your job security, consider how appreciative you are that you still have one.

I hope these suggestions help you manage your own experiences with anxiety! Let me know if you have any other tips that help you in the comments!

xoxo, Arielle