Anxiety is common throughout the world. Almost 4 percent of the world’s population suffers with anxiety. That is around 264 million people dealing with anxiety every year. So you are not alone if you find yourself dealing with anxious thoughts.
Chest pain, nervousness, a racing heart, agitation and tension are among the symptoms. And sometimes there are underlying medical causes, such as an overactive thyroid, that causes anxiety.
Do not ignore how you feel. Untreated anxiety will only get progressively worse. It is completely treatable with medications, therapy and natural remedies. So it is vital to get an accurate diagnosis to get the best treatment for anxiety.
But you may need to try different combinations of anxiety treatments to find the best option for you.
Diagnosing anxiety
To diagnose anxiety start by seeing your doctor to make sure there is no underlying medical condition. They will do a physical check and if they find anything, you will receive treatment.
But if your anxiety is severe, you may need to see a mental health specialist for an accurate diagnosis. This can include a psychological evaluation. They will discuss how you think, feel and behave to help them diagnose your condition and check for other related conditions. Often anxiety co-occurs with other mental health conditions, such as substance abuse and depression. If this is the case, this complicates the diagnosis.
Once you receive a diagnosis they will discuss with you the best anxiety treatment. And you may want to use natural methods along with more conventional ones.
Natural anxiety treatments
Normally natural anxiety treatments are safe to use in conjunction with other medications, but check with your doctor. There may be adverse interactions with some natural supplements and dietary changes.
1. Add superfoods to your diet
Superfoods are popular for improving physical and mental health. They are high in fibre and packed full with minerals and vitamins. These foods are excellent for your digestive system and help you to rapidly absorb nutrients. And they have a positive affect on stress and anxiety.
The top 10 superfoods are:
- Garlic
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Oats
- Eggs
- Spinach
- Cocoa nibs
- Salmon
- Almonds
2. Eat more foods that contain lysine
Another natural anxiety treatment is lysine. So it is important to add more foods to your diet that contain it. It is powerful for fighting off anxiety. Often people take lysine as a supplement to their diet.
Research shows that consuming more lysine can reduce stress levels and anxiety. It is a building block for your brain’s neurotransmitters, which is why it is so powerful. You do not have to take it as a supplement, you can add foods to your diet that are high in lysine. The top 10 foods that contain lysine are:
- Beef
- Lean chicken breasts
- Lean pork chops
- Tuna
- King crab
- Firm tofu
- Low-fat ricotta cheese
- Milk
- Canned navy beans
- Green peas.
3. Modify your diet
Improving your diet is a great way to improve not only your physical health but your mental health too. Trans fats, alcohol and high levels of sugar damage your brain and your body. Countless research studies show the damage these types of foods cause. There is a clear link between a diet high in processed foods and anxiety as well as other mental health conditions.
Try taking vitamins and mineral supplements such a B12 and magnesium to help increase your overall health. But make sure you check with your doctor before you do.
Reduce your processed food diet gradually and limit yourself to the occasional treat.
4. Reduce how much coffee your drink
When you are an anxious person, coffee is not good for you. Drinking too much caffeine will make you more anxious. You may not want to cut out coffee completely so try drinking other products lower in caffeine such as tea. There are many other drinks that are high in caffeine; for example, soft drinks and some types of sweets. So try to avoid those as well.
The best way to reduce your caffeine intake is to do it gradually.
5. Try herbal teas
While there is mostly only anecdotal evidence, drinking more tea has a link with promoting happiness. The ancient herb chamomile is also well-known for promoting relaxation. It has natural chemicals, apigenin and luteolin, that are good for mental health. Drinking chamomile tea promotes sleepiness. It will help you sleep especially if you have high levels of anxiety. Drinking chamomile tea consistently over the long term may reduce the symptoms of an anxiety disorder.
6. Spend time in the sun
Getting plenty of sunlight is an excellent anxiety treatment. As you know, plants need sunlight to grow. So do you. It gives you energy and promotes happiness. Sunlight boosts your vitamin D levels which ensures good physical and mental health.
Just getting 15-minutes out in the sun daily can significantly benefit your mental health. So when you take a break get outside into the garden or an environment full of greenery. Green is a colour that makes you feel tranquil and peaceful.
7. Add Omega-3 to your diet
With our modern diet of processed foods damaging our mental health, adding more foods high in omega-3 fatty acids will help. Omega-3 is well-known for lowering the stress chemicals, cortisol and adrenaline, in your system. Fish and seeds are the best sources of omega-3 but you can also get supplements.
The top 12 foods for omega-3 are:
- Mackerel
- Salmon
- Cod liver oil
- Herrings
- Oysters
- Sardines
- Anchovies
- Caviar
- Flaxseed
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
8. Regular exercise is perfect
Regular exercise is the perfect anxiety treatment. In fact, exercise is perfect for helping relieve so many mental health problems. It is the key to having a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Exercise along with a healthy diet and a good night’s sleep are the three components to promote healthy mental health.
When you exercise, it releases the feel good endorphins which are excellent for the treatment of anxiety. Exercise also increases your body heat which is also good for your mood as well as for the brain’s function. That is why people who regularly exercise appear to be happy and mentally well-balanced.
9. Use Aromatherapy
The aroma of plant oils is a great way to relieve anxiety and stress. Of course, different aromas have different affects. So you may need to experiment to find the ones that work best for you.
Lavender is particularly good for helping you to relax and to fight off anxious thoughts. Use it as a massage oil to amplify its effects, or in a humidifier or diffuser. You can also burn lavender scented candles and place fresh or dried lavender under your pillow.
The following are the top essential oils for fighting of anxiety:
- Valerian
- Lavender
- Jasmine
- Holy basil
- Sweet basil
- Bergamot
- Chamomile
- Rose
- Vetiver
- Ylang ylang
- Frankincense
- Clary sage
- Patchouli
- Geranium
- Lemon balm
- Marjoram
- Fennel.
10. Take a warm bath
After an anxious day take a warm or hot bath to help you unwind. It increases your body temperature which will regulate your anxiety and mood. Add Epsom salts to the bath to make you feel even better. Apart from the added relaxation effect, Epsom salts may help to reduce your anxiety further. If you do not have any Epsom salts, add essential oils such as lavender or jasmine for a wonderful scent.
11. Express your feelings
Try expressing your feelings in writing to relieve your anxious thoughts. Writing them down is a good treatment for anxiety and may help you to cope better with how you feel.
12. Manage your time
Does having too many commitments to keep up with make you anxious? Are you running all day from one commitment to the next trying to keep up with the needs of your family and work? Yes? Put a plan in place to manage your time. This can help to manage your anxiety.
A good time management plan it will help you focus on one thing at a time. Use the calendar on your phone to help you resist the urge to do more than one thing at a time.
Break down major tasks into more manageable chunks to help you achieve what you need to without a lot of stress.
13. Spend time with your pet
Pets are wonderful. They offer unconditional love, support and companionship. We do not need research to know how beneficial they are to helping you with many types of mental health conditions, including anxiety.
While most people prefer cats, dogs and other small furry animals, others love birds and reptiles.
Next time you feel anxious, spend quality time with your pet.
Positive Auditory Stimuli Technique
The positive auditory stimuli technique (PAST) targets the unconscious brain to change cognitive behaviour. This works because all emotional and mental problems usually have their foundation in this area. It retrains the brain’s unhealthy patterns via the unconscious part of the brain.
There are seven major factors that contribute to mental illness—stress, negativity, worry, fear, dwelling on the past, low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. While 60% of these factors are genetic, 40% are conditioned. Everyone inherits a blueprint at the time of birth. These create default patterns such as how you see the world, and how you react and behave.
Working with the unconscious brain to change conscious behaviour may help address inherited thought patterns and behaviour that are the root cause of your anxiety.
By accessing the innate intelligence of the unconscious brain, the PAST may help your brain to change negative, ineffective experiences so they become happier and joyful.
PAST also compliments other ways to help you mange anxiety better. It is totally natural and will not interfere with any medication you are taking or counselling to reduce your anxiety. Try the Emotional Empowerment Program using the Blissiree app. Download it now to discover how it can help you get fast relief. Try it for free.
Key takeaways
There are a lot anxiety treatments that will help you:
- Add superfoods to your diet.
- Add foods high in lysine.
- Reduce your caffeine consumption.
- Use aromatherapy to help you relax.
Look after your health and wellbeing
Now there is a way to get immediate help you to deal with anxiety better.
Download Blissiree now!
Access the free Emotional Empowerment Program Introductory Session today through the Blissiree app. 98% of people notice a change after the first session. The results speak for themselves.
Don’t just believe us. The evidence stacks up. A peer-review study published by the European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences reported significant reductions in anxiety, depression, stress and worry using this program.
Hear what others have to say
Dr Karen Viera, Ph.D. talks about Blissiree and its mental health programs.
Watch our latest documentary
Blue Rain – PTSD The Silent Suffering
It follows Gavin, Melissa, Grant and Kelly’s journey to recovery using the Emotional Empowerment Program methods.