How to Reduce Anxiety Symptoms Without the Use of Medication

How to Reduce Anxiety Symptoms Without the Use of Medication

Anxiety is a common feeling. Everyone will have felt anxious at one time or another, whether that is during a job interview or on a first date. These situations are expected to come hand-in-hand with anxiety; this is known as situational anxiety, and it should begin to fade soon after. 

But there are individuals who experience feelings of dread, fear, or worry frequently, and this is when it becomes an issue. An anxiety disorder can affect your day-to-day life in multiple ways, stopping you from attending a social event or causing you to lose joy in a once-loved hobby.

If you find yourself feeling this way, and you do not want to depend on medication just yet, then the three tips explained below should be able to help.

Make Adjustments to Your Lifestyle

The choices you make on a daily basis will directly impact your brain’s chemistry and stress response. This means that if you want to reduce anxiety, then the first step is to adjust your lifestyle. Lifestyle changes might not be a replacement for professional treatment, but the right adjustments can offer substantial relief, improving your confidence and mood dramatically.

There are many different ways you might change your lifestyle, but some adjustments will be more effective than others. For example, exercising regularly can be an incredibly beneficial method to reduce the symptoms of anxiety you experience. It might feel like the last thing you want to do when you are in a low mood, but physical activity, whether that is walking, swimming, or weightlifting, releases feel-good endorphins, which improve your sense of well-being.

While exercising is an addition to your lifestyle, there will be certain aspects that need to be removed, like stimulants. Stimulants can include amphetamines, caffeine, nicotine, and some ADHD medications. They speed up the nervous system, which can cause difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations, and physical sensations, ultimately leading to feelings of anxiety. It is best to consult a doctor if the stimulant is part of a treatment plan or limit ones like caffeine yourself.

Try Stress Management Techniques

After making adjustments to your lifestyle, the next step is to utilize different relaxation techniques, which can lower anxiety and stress symptoms. Although many people are aware that exercise and yoga are beneficial, there are ways of managing stress that focus more on your mind and breathing, like meditation. This type of relaxation calms the body’s response to anxiety, helping to reset the fight-or-flight response.

Psychiatrists have found that mindfulness meditation helps people who suffer from anxiety by re-training their thought processes. Where they once catastrophized about running late for work, with the thought of job loss as a result, these people can now recognize the thought and stop it from triggering their anxiety. Although this can be difficult in the beginning, regular practice does make notices your thoughts much easier.

Continued use of meditation practices goes further than just behavioral changes, with proof that mindfulness meditation can change brainwaves. This occurs through the increase of alpha and theta waves, which are associated with creativity, focus, and relaxation, and the decrease of beta waves, which are linked to overthinking and stress.

Build Support and Resilience

Reducing anxiety can also be achieved through an increase in resilience and support, which you should focus on to better your life. Resilience is vital to adopt adaptability and a positive outlook, and this can help you to view challenges as temporary. Instead of feeling like you are helpless to the symptoms, you will understand that you can manage and overcome them. 

Similarly, building a reliable support system can offer an external buffer against stress. It is crucial to find strong relationships with trusted friends and family, as these will be the individuals you can depend on to offer practical help during tough times. They will lessen the burden on your shoulders by offering advice and keeping your accountable, and this type of group can stop you from becoming isolated when stressful times hit.

To conclude, although it can be difficult to reduce anxiety symptoms without medication, it is entirely possible. The three tips outlined in this post should be used together to gain the best result and improve your quality of life long-term.