Today, we are living in the age of anxiety. By the time a person reaches his teenage years, they already have to deal with varying degrees of anxiety and stress daily. Its is not surprising therefore, that more and more people are suffering from various anxiety related illness. As a matter of fact, a staggering 40 million American adults have been reported to suffer from anxiety attacks, making it one of the most common mental illness around.
Traditionally, antidepressant and other drugs are widely used in treating anxiety attacks, but they are also faulted for the potential side-effects and damage they cause to our bodies. As such, more and more people are turning to natural, drug-free ways to stop anxiety attacks.
Natural Remedies
Because prescription drugs can cause various side-effects, more and more people are turning to natural remedies as the alternative. As the name suggest, natural remedies are made using natural herbs and ingredients, and hence they do not cause any side-effects or damage your body. The only downside is that it require more time to take effect, but otherwise, it is just as effective as prescription drugs.
Breathing Technique & Meditation
One of the most important thing that will help you during anxiety attacks is to control your breathing. Although it can be a difficult thing to do, especially when your panicking, there no doubt that the correct breathing method will calm you down significantly.
Experience this now. Sit down (or lay down) and close your eyes. Just become aware of your breathing and focus on "listening" to your breath. Focus on allowing the belly to rise easily and inhale to a count of seven. Next, exhale slowly to the count of eleven. The objective here is to breathe all the time with the belly (diaphragm) and not the chest.
Additionally, you might want to consider taking up yoga or Pilate classes as they will strengthen you physically and mentally.
Healthy Lifestyle
There's no better excuse than now! A healthy lifestyle will make you less susceptible to anxiety attacks. Reduce, or if possible, stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Change your diet to include more fruits and vegetables, cutting down on junk food and snacks. Last but not least, EXERCISE. Be it cycling, swimming or even a simple 20 minutes walk, start exercising today!
