How to Ease Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the more common conditions for many Americans. Typical symptoms include a shortness of breath, a fast pulse rate and sweating. Sometimes the anxiety may be so severe a doctor's visit is warranted. Other times there are steps individuals can take themselves to help ease the pressure.

Instructions

1. Add a multivitamin to your daily regimen. This ensures you are getting all of the vitamins you need, but especially Vitamin B. Stress depletes Vitamin B from our system, which is an essential vitamin for calming our nervous system. This in turn makes you feel even more anxious, so be sure to take a multivitamin daily.

2. Control your breathing. Our autonomic nervous system usually controls our breathing. When stress is added to your life, it disrupts the autonomic nervous system and your breathing becomes irregular. You need to correct this breathing by inhaling and exhaling fully and slowly to reprogram your body.

3. Use correct posture when seated. When you sit straight up your chest is able to expand which helps with breathing. Slouching over your desk compresses your lungs contributing to ineffective breathing.

4. Exercise for 30 minutes a day. Shorter spurts of exercise, say during lunch, count as well. Movement helps mood balancing chemicals stay in check and therefore reduces anxiety. Exercising will also lead to deeper breathing.

5. Participate in the art of distraction. By occupying your mind with something other than what is truly causing your anxiety, you will trigger changes in your brain that will ease your fears. You can count backwards, repeat self-affirmations, splash cold water on your face, watch a funny show or movie, dance to your favorite song, anything that gets your mind off of what you are worrying about.

6. Spend time with a cat. A recent study showed that cats have such a calming effect on the body, they lower your chance of having a heart attack by 33 percent.

7. Constrict and release muscles starting with your toes. Curl and scrunch your toes while closing your eyes and inhaling deeply. Hold for three seconds, exhale, and straighten out your toes. Move on to other muscles in the body and feel the tension disappear.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult a physician before taking any supplements.

• Seek a physician’s assistance if you experience three or more of the following symptoms repeatedly: muscle tension, trouble breathing, irregular heartbeat, moodiness, dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, nausea, trembling, fatigue or insomnia