7 Answers to the Question “How to Calm Anxiety”

Anxiety can be a nuisance or it may be an all-encompassing fact of life that holds people back in their careers and interferes with their personal relationships. Those who suffer from anxiety disorders need to find effective ways to bring their anxiety under control. There are lots of medications on the market today that promise anxiety relief but often come with myriad cautions, contra-indications, and flat out risks. As such – with the possible exception of ketamine – medications should be a last resort. What the person suffering anxiety needs are common sense, real-world relaxation methods. Below we’ll provide some tips on how to calm anxiety. 7 Answers to the Question “How to Calm Anxiety” Backing away from anxiety isn’t always as difficult as it may seem. You just need the right tools in your arsenal. Here are 7 that have proven their effectiveness time and again. 1. Be where your feet are – Anxiety is almost always a forward-looking disorder. You’re stressing about something you fear is going to happen for whatever reason. The first order of business then should be to pull yourself back into the here and now. Or as they say “Be where your feet are”. If you feel yourself being pulled into an anxious vortex look down at your feet. Wherever they are and whatever time they are currently in is where you need to be. Not off in the future somewhere. 2. Undermine your fears with facts – If you find yourself entertaining fear of some potential calamity stop for a minute and do a fact check. How many times have you worried recently about this or that potential catastrophe? How many of those catastrophes actually came to be? Chances are the answer will be ‘none’. Armed with this information you can then pull back from the edge confident that your fears are likely misplaced. 3. Breathe – Most people who suffer from anxiety disorders also experience breathing disorders. Their breaths get short and shallow and this is part of an overall tensing up. If you feel yourself becoming over-anxious, slow down and take a long deep breath. Then another, then another and another. In short order, you should find yourself more relaxed and the anxiety an increasingly distant threat. 4. Toss what’s left of your coffee – Or cappuccino, or latte or other caffeinated drink. Better yet, get up and go to the other room and toss that coffee. Then wash the cup, put it away, stretch and take a few deep breaths. Caffeine and anxiety don’t mix. There’s no anxious feeling you can have that caffeine won’t make worse. So if you’re drinking coffee and you feel anxiety overtaking you, toss the rest of your coffee. Also, getting up to do so is important because anything you can physically do to break the monopoly anxiety has on your attention is a good thing. 5. Take a comedy break – If you feel things taking a turn down Anxiety Lane, stop what you’re doing and check out some funny videos. There are literally millions of them posted to the et today. They’re freely available for viewing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So if you feel your emotions taking a turn into the darkness take a break and laugh it up for a few minutes. Chances are you’ll forget about what was bothering you. 6. Exercise – When people are anxious they tend to have lots of excess energy. It’s the nature of anxiety. If you want to alleviate some of that anxiety work off some of that energy. If it’s possible, take a trip to the gym. Or go for a run. Or hit the weights or the treadmill. Rather than letting all that excess energy influence you in a negative way, put it to productive use. You’ll wind up in better physical as well as better mental and emotional shape. 7. Avoid sugar – Sometimes people think a good response to anxiety is to make themselves feel better by eating sweets. It’s the comfort food equation. But while the act of eating those sweets may indeed provide a (very) short-lived positive effect, the sugar itself is going to backfire on you. Sugar is a powerful stimulant and also possesses the ability to significantly affect mood. And rarely for the better. If you were anxious before eating your sweets, you’re likely to be doubly anxious a few minutes after finishing your sweet delights. Seek Treatment If an anxiety disorder is wreaking havoc with your life consider ketamine. Ketamine is one of the most promising breakthroughs in the treatment of anxiety and depression to come along in decades. It’s been proven through numerous clinical trials to work where most better-known medications have failed. Ketamine For Anxiety Treatment Although Ketamine rose to fame for its use as an anesthetic and powerful pain reliever, it is also an innovative new mental health treatment. Some research even indicates that up to 80% of patients may find relief when undergoing a series of IV Ketamine infusions.