Dealing with Anxiety Attacks

 Very often, stress is renamed as anxiety when spoken. Hence, understanding first what you are going through is important- is it stress or anxiety? According to the DSM-5 (2013), “Fear is the emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat, whereas anxiety is the anticipation of a future threat.” Thus, anxiety can be defined as a temporarily diffused emotional state triggered by a hypothetically/possibly harmful situation, with a very low or perhaps uncertain chance of happening (Goes et al., 2018).

 

If you are someone who faces these issues, then you are not alone. General anxiety is highly common. According to WHO, 1 in 3 people has anxiety. Lots of people with anxiety turn towards quick fixes and pop pills to reduce or stop their anxiousness. There are ways to reduce anxiety without medication that work in the long run.

Relaxation

Learn a few relaxation techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises. There are guided videos online if meditating by yourself is difficult initially. Meditation and breathing mindfully can help calm and drop your shoulders in any anxious situation in no time if you have good practice of it.

Write it down

Writing journals have shown to improve various aspects of personal health by online counselling. Research has shown that journaling can be a form of therapy for growth and healing psychologically. Keep a diary to record your anxious thoughts- of when it happened (triggers) and what happens (behaviour). Once it is out of your mind on paper (or even digitally), it will make it less daunting.

Physical exercise

There are numerous benefits of exercise for physical health. But there are even more benefits of exercising for your mental health. Exercising has been shown to alleviate stress and anxiety. While exercising, your body and mind are combined and concentrated. This can shift your focus away from your fears and anxiety.

Dealing with anxiety is hard, but there are many ways you can win this battle. You can initiate non-medication techniques to improve your well-being. If your anxiety does not get control or worsens even after that, consider consulting an online therapist at www.hopequre.com