Anxiety is defined by Webster’s as “worry or uneasiness about what may happen”. It sounds so simple in that short phrase but can tear apart a life so completely. Anxiety presents itself to people in a variety of ways and at what seems to be random times occasionally. Managing the way your anxiety affects you and your life is the goal of this website.
Supplements
Some people have spent years masking their emotions with prescription medications in order to function. I am certainly not above this option, nor am I suggesting anyone stop taking medication that has helped them, What I am offering is a possible alternative. There are a variety of supplements available to people that can assist with providing a more calm, centered feeling. The herbal options, like the prescriptions, generally take a couple of weeks to build up a bit in your body before you are able to appreciate any effect.
Once established in your system, the products have been demonstrated to bring the overall reactivity to situations down a notch or two. In my situation, it meant I was able to go out to dinner with my family without taking a prescription anti-anxiety medication before leaving the house in order to be able to enjoy the evening.
Meditation
The methods available for meditation are so numerous, I won’t even begin to try to list them. What I do know is that there most likely a lot of people that see this word and almost skip past. I am a skeptic. I did the same thing. When I was learning to try to do some easy forms of meditation, I thought I was doing it all wrong.
I thought I had to be able to block all things from my mind and find some Zen Garden, or a meadow with rainbows and unicorns! When unable to wipe my mind blank and find anything of the sort, I would give up. A friend that was trying to help me finally questioned me about it, and when I explained that my busy brain wouldn’t allow for a blank slate, she said you just tell yourself to get back to those thoughts later.
That simplifies the idea of meditation probably more than any guru would ever be happy seeing. There is more to it in order to achieve greater, deeper things. There is a myriad of helpful products that can get you focused on the right type of meditation for your situation.
Essential Oils
Very popular of late, essential oils are another great way to help manage your anxiety. For some people, the simple act of having a scent or aroma floating through their living space can grant them a sense of calm or peacefulness. For others, it may take the specific oil to achieve the result.
Oil diffusers are an easy way to get your oils distributed throughout your home. They are very simple to use and are quite cost effective, considering the significant benefits gained. Of course, diffusers are not the only way essential oils can be utilized. A few drops in bathwater for some, a direct application to the skin for some others, it depends on your needs. There is an essential oil for nearly everything you can think of!
Breathing Exercises
Not a hard concept, right? I mean, we do it all day, every day! There are easy yet specific techniques that can be taught to help control and manage generalized anxiety, as well as anxiety attacks.
In the most basic form, taking a deep breath and counting to ten can often give your brain the chance it needs to reset itself. It sounds like grade school instructions, I realize, but it can turn out to be a significant help.
Beyond that most simplistic, there are multiple other forms of breathing techniques that can be learned in order to help restore calm to an anxiety riddled mind. A lot of the breathing exercise techniques go hand in hand with the meditation techniques. Several of the instructional books and videos are sold as breathing and meditation packages.
Just Scratching the Surface
Above I have introduced a few products or types of products that can help manage anxiety. The beauty is that there are so many more available! They range from the simplistic self-help mantra to lights to pills to music and beyond!
I won’t try to convince anyone that I can cure their anxiety. I haven’t cured my own yet… I am only trying to help other people that have suffered through some of the loneliness that comes with it, some of the guilt and the shame you feel from missing out on events, live a better, fuller life. I have missed a lot of gatherings and a lot of time with people that I wish I could recapture. I have more tools now to help me on this path.
None of the products or techniques are meant to be a substitute for any type of therapy or other professional services. Perhaps using several of the suggested helps in addition to what you’re already doing will grant you the care-free life you once had! Maybe those combinations will allow you to leave your house again. This affliction comes is all shapes and sizes and can affect anyone at any time. However, you choose to try to manage yours may not be the best way for anyone else to handle theirs. Always be kind, life can be hard. Keep working toward making it better for yourself!
