“Good Habits Are As Addictive As Bad Habits, And A Lot More Rewarding.”
Preventing Anxiety-Anxiety can be a very bothersome and discomforting condition. Below are the strategies you need for preventing anxiety:
1. Talk to friends and/or family
Anxiety is typically an abnormal condition of the mind and hence it can best be subdued by distracting the mind. Thus, in case of intense anxiety symptoms, people may talk to friends, family, or someone trustworthy over the phone and discuss with them about your anxious feelings, etc. Make sure to come from a place of understanding yourself rather than asking for reassurance though.
Talking to someone friendly and supportive will not only help take the mind off disruptive thoughts thereby preventing anxiety, but will also help boost self-esteem and confidence levels.
2. Control the breathing
Poor breathing methods are often the trigger for anxiety. Thus, using varied breathing techniques to control your breathing can help in preventing anxiety. Good breathing does not mean only deep breaths or fast breathing. It can also include reducing and slowing down breathing.
People may try the following technique for shallower, controlled, and slower breaths: Inhale gently and slowly via the nose for 5-7 seconds; hold for 3-4 seconds; Exhale via pursed lips gently and slowly for 7-8 seconds. Repeat 10 to 20 times. This process will help overcome hyperventilating and help regain the balance of carbon dioxide in the body.
It may be noted that CO2 imbalance can trigger the worst of symptoms and hyperventilation is a common issue in anxiety sufferers.
3. Do aerobic exercises or activities
Excess adrenaline gets released by the body during anxiety. Such increased adrenaline can be used for purposes of aerobic activities, like fast walking or jogging, and thus prevent it from getting used for anxiety. You can also try yoga for preventing anxiety.
Some benefits of aerobic exercise and yoga are burning of anxiety symptoms causing stress hormones; release of mood enhancing endorphins; tiring of muscles, which help decrease tension and excess energy; and forced occurrence of healthy breathing practices.
4. Tricking the mind
This is another great way for preventing anxiety. Since anxiety attacks are triggered by uncontrollable negative thoughts, tricking the mind away from the negative thoughts and learning to dismiss them can work wonders on alleviation of anxiety.
You can keep a list of questions and ask them whenever you feel the oncoming of anxiety. These questions can be where is proof of something being wrong? Why do I think something is wrong? Am I blowing the current (unpleasant) situation out of proportion?
You can begin ‘exposure therapy’ and get used to the physical symptoms of anxiety. Thus, if your heart is beating faster then run to make the heart beat even more rapidly (Here’s A Great Technique Called Mapping For This). If you are feeling dizzy, then whirl around in a chair and increase the intensity of dizziness. This therapy will help people get habituated to the physical symptoms and thus minimize their adverse effects.
