Medically reviewed by Dr. Riaz Ali Shah.
Anxiety is something we all face before exams or weddings. We tend to term the butterflies in our stomach as anxiety. Feeling nauseous and anxious before an important event is normal, but when anxiety is so severe that it interferes with your daily life and activities then you need proper medical help. However, you can ease your anxiety naturally with these 5 remedies.
Skip the doodhpati and get some Chamomile Tea instead
You’re in for a par-tea if you have Chamomile Tea. This tea helps to reduce anxiety and stress because some compounds in it bind to the GABA receptors in the brain which helps to induce relaxation.
Moreover, it helps to relax muscles and for the longest time has been used to treat insomnia. So, you can drink it before going to sleep or when you wake up. To make this tea you will need to add dry chamomile flowers to boiling water for 10 minutes. You can even play with it and add some honey to make it sweet.
Less extra-fried foods and more exercising
Exercising is an ideal way to control anxiety. You can take an evening stroll and continuously breathe in and out to burn off the anxious energy. Or, you can join the gym and distract yourself by doing a rigorous workout.
Also, many people clench their jaws in response to anxiety. Therefore, relaxing exercises will help them ease off. You can try to do this exercise by lying in a comfortable position, stretching your feet, then your legs, and then your hands. Continuously breathe in and out, and do this at least 5 times a week.
Away from humans and into the pet-land
Everyone needs some time off, be it from work or from humans in general. This is where these insanely cute living things come into the picture. Pets provide love, companionship, and support. This companionship offers comfort to the person, therefore, building self-confidence for anxious people.
Moreover, pets help to make you more active. If you have a dog then taking it out for a walk will help to fulfill your daily exercising requirements. So pull a pet in your house, and push your anxiety off as spending alone time with animals helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
Meditation before Medication
Meditation literally gives you the peace of mind. People with anxiety have an overworked brain, think of a hamster playing on a wheel- constantly moving but not reaching the end goal.
The anxiety cycle starts when we buy into our feelings and thoughts. Then we start worrying and our brain starts thinking about ‘what-if’s’. To help ease that we need to meditate, as meditating helps us from overthinking. You need to remind yourself that you are not these feelings or thoughts; you are actually a whole being. Download any meditation application on your phone, or just put on some light background music and start meditating.
Think, breathe, thank…and continue the loop
You need to stay mindful, and for that, you need to sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, think and practice breathing exercises. Ask yourself questions while focusing on your breathing. Ask yourself about the wind hitting your face or the amount of time it takes for you to breathe.
Then, reflect on things you are grateful for and thank them out loud. You don’t have to be specific; you can even thank yourself for buying something you wanted. Alex Korb writes in “The Grateful Brain,” “Gratitude can have such a powerful impact on your life because it engages your brain in a virtuous cycle. Your brain only has so much power to focus its attention. It cannot easily focus on both positive and negative stimuli.” So be grateful, think about things and keep on breathing!
The anxious-free ending
Now that you know of these ways to control anxiety, try them out. Not everything might work for you but it is worth a try. Remind yourself that you are doing well every day. Remove the bad energy from your life and fill your life with people who help decrease your stress and not increase it. Other than that if you have severe anxiety then you need medical help. Remember, natural remedies might help to push your anxiety out of the door but to shut the door you need actual medical therapy.
Guest Credits: Asma Qadri
