Anxiety is pervasive in our fast-paced world, with 40 million Americans suffering every year. That’s 18% of the population, yet only 37% of those afflicted receive treatment. Anxiety can impact every area of your life, and it is essential to seek treatment for your overall quality of life and well being.
If you are struggling with this condition, here are some effective ways to fight anxiety.
CBD Oil Can Help
The popularity of CBD is skyrocketing, and for a good reason! CBD stands for cannabidiol and is a type of cannabinoid with numerous health benefits. While it comes from the hemp plant, it contains no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana that causes a ‘high’ feeling. CBD has been known to fight numerous conditions, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse disorders, seizures, inflammatory disorders and psychosis. For example, vaping CBD oil has been suggested to enhance the experience of consuming CBD to provide quick relief from anxiety, depression and many other conditions that people regularly suffer from. When buying CBD oil, be sure to consider brands from reputable online stores like vapocorner.com where you’ll find several choices of quality products to choose from.
Exercise more
Exercise is an excellent antidote to stress and anxiety that relieves tension and boosts your mental status. Aerobic activity releases endorphins, which reduce pain and increases pleasure, improving your mental well-being.
The more mindfully you exercise, the more endorphins you release, so pay attention to your five senses while you exercise. Notice the air temperature, the feeling of your feet on the pavement, your lungs expanding in your chest, etc. Developing your “mind to muscle” connection allows you to build fitness faster, prevent injuries, and enjoy greater relaxation. It separates you from racing thoughts and puts you in the present moment, which reduces rumination and worrying.
Anxiety causes tense muscles, and exercising helps relax them, which can break the cycle. By physically relaxing your tense muscles, you may find that your mental status follows. Deep stretching is very beneficial, as is yoga because it combines strength training, aerobic exercise, and mindfulness into one.
Utilize breathing exercises
Breath is a powerful tool for relaxation that many people sadly neglect. Breathwork encourages mindfulness, which is helpful for anxiety, but it also directly links to your physiological response.
When people feel anxious, they inhale tight, quick, shallow breaths. Chest breathing disrupts the carbon dioxide to oxygen balance in the body and leads to a faster heart rate, tension, and dizziness due to lack of oxygenation. This increases the stress response, making the anxiety even worse.
By breathing deeply with the diaphragm, which lies in the belly area, you reverse this and allow the body to slow the heart rate and relax. To test how you breathe, put one hand on your chest and one on your belly, and notice which hand feels the breath rise. Ideally, your hand on your belly raises higher, and feels the intake of breath. Practice this throughout your day- you can try this when driving, on the bus, in line at the grocery store, etc. You might be surprised at how this one simple habit can change your mental and physical state.
You can also try taking a slow, deep inhale through the nose, holding for a moment, and then exhaling slowly through the mouth with the lips slightly open. Exhale completely and try to make the exhale longer than the inhale. Pause with no breath before taking your next inhale, and repeat until you feel your heart rate slow and your body relax.
Seek professional help
Generalized anxiety disorder is severe and has real health implications, and should be treated like any other medical condition. Seek help from a qualified professional, be wary of fraudulent treatments, and not ignore symptoms.
First, talk to your primary care provider and discuss your treatment options. They should refer you to a mental health specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychologist who can better assess and determine your needs. From there, they will determine if medication is appropriate and what treatment is necessary. They may refer you to cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavioral therapy, which is proven to be very effective against anxiety.
Do not be embarrassed to seek help for mental health concerns. Anxiety is prevalent and does not mean that you are mentally weak; know that professionals will help you feel better, not judge you.
If you struggle with anxiety, know that you are not alone. There is no shame in seeking help, and there are abundant available resources to help you. Anxiety is challenging to cope with, but it is possible to effectively treat and manage the condition and live a good and healthy life. Try these ideas out today, and see how they can help you manage your symptoms and live a better life.
