One of the major challenges for people living with GAD or generalized anxiety disorder is learning how to cope with persistent anxiety and physical symptoms. While different people may have different symptoms, most of the patients go through common symptoms, such as:
- Persistent sadness
- Intrusive thoughts
- Constant worry about future events
- Lack of hope
- Muscle tension
- Rapid heart rate
If these symptoms are mild, they might not affect your lifestyle, but if the symptoms are severe, they can hamper your quality of life. Learning a few ways to cope with anxiety can help you manage your symptoms. Here are five self-help tips that can help.
Know Your Triggers
The first and foremost step towards managing your anxiety is to know what triggers it. Every time you feel stressed or have a rapid heart rate – pause and reflect on what factors induced these physical symptoms. For instance, if someone shouts at you, you might feel demotivated and suddenly feel muscle tension in your body. Ask the people around you to be gentle with their behavior or avoid talking to such people.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the mental practice of living in the present moment and putting all your attention to it. Practicing mindfulness every day, in fact, every time you feel anxious can help calm down your racing thoughts and get you back to the present moment. And the best part is you can practice this technique anywhere, anytime. For instance, if you are working at your desk and suddenly start feeling stressed or anxious, bring your focus to your breathing and try to pay attention to what’s happening in the present moment. This can greatly help.
Try Natural Herbs
People have been taking natural herbs since ancient times to relieve stress and anxiety. Herbs like kava, passion flower, chamomile, ashwagandha, and mushrooms are known to provide quick and effective relief from anxiety and poor sleep. Magic mushrooms or psilocybin are especially popular as it helps boost serotonin production in the brain, which makes you feel happy. While many users rely on the strongest mushroom strain for quick effects, if you’re a beginner, you can start with milder ones. Just make sure to go slow with the dosage.
Talk to Your Loved Ones
Nothing could be more relieving than sharing your thoughts and feelings with someone you love. People who are suffering from GAD should actively engage with their friends and families to seek constant social support. Studies have shown that spending quality time with your loved ones can reduce stress and anxiety and promote happiness.
Practice Journaling
Journaling is the practice of writing down your thoughts and feelings ( both positive and negative) to get mental clarity. People with GAD can often find it overwhelming to handle their restless, chattering minds. Writing down your thoughts and validating them can help you feel much better and relaxed.
Final Thoughts
Living with generalized anxiety disorder can be challenging and hamper one’s quality of life. Incorporating these self-help tips can teach you the right way to cope with your overwhelming thoughts and emotions. Following these tips for a consistent period of time can reduce the severity of your symptoms to a greater extent.
