Self-Help Advice
When we have noticed physical and mental symptoms of anxiety, we can often think there's nothing we can do to get better. Although seeking formal support will help us change our thought patterns and communicate how we've been feeling, many lifestyle changes have been proven to improve our anxiety and well-being. If you haven't tried these yet, maybe start implementing them for a few weeks and see if there are any positive changes.
Reducing Alcohol Use
Alcohol is a depressant that slows down your central nervous system. Although you may feel better at the time of drinking, the more you rely on alcohol to reduce your symptoms, your brain will get used to the suppressing effect of alcohol. Your stress hormones in your brain will go into ‘fight-or-flight’ mode when the alcohol leaves your system, which could develop an alcohol dependence.
Especially if you suffer from panic attacks, alcohol can significantly reduce the chemicals in your brain that relax you and cause tension and feelings of panic.
A Good Sleep Routine
Sleep is crucial to managing anxiety symptoms. Often, a vicious cycle is created when you’re feeling too anxious to fall asleep, and then the insomnia is increasing your anxiety. There are things you can try first that may help with anxiety-related sleep issues, and if these don’t work, there is professional support that you can find for this.
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Build a consistent routine: whether you can fall asleep or not, get into bed or your bedroom at the same time every night and off of your phone, and get out of bed at the same time every day. This will help train your brain into a regular sleep/wake cycle.
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If safe to do so, sleep with your window open: This helps circulate air around the room, and you often get better quality sleep in a cool room than a warm one.
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Try not to force sleep in the beginning: If you’re lying awake and can’t fall asleep, don’t force yourself to. Sit with low light and read or listen to quiet music until you’re feeling sleepier to limit anxiety.
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Eating patterns: Avoiding eating large meals 1/2 hours before bed and avoiding stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine can help settle your brain before bed. ​
Gym and Exercise
From a physical and biological perspective, one of the best things you can do to reduce anxiety symptoms is to engage in exercise. This can be any type of exercise, from swimming to weight training to walking. Exercise helps to activate the parts of our brain that control our reacting system to threats and increases anti-anxiety chemicals, such as serotonin and relaxants. Physically, moving also decreases muscle tension, which may counter some of your physical symptoms of tense or shaky muscles.
Reducing tobacco use
Regular smokers believe that being able to smoke when they’re feeling stressed or anxious relieves them, but this is a result of easing their withdrawal symptoms. It’s often likely that if you’ve started smoking and then noticed anxiety symptoms develop, it’s as a result of smoking. When people have quit or significantly reduced their smoking, their anxiety levels have lowered, their mood increased, and the dosage of some anxiety medications could be reduced, minimising side effects.
Swapping caffeine for other hot drinks
Caffeine affects anxiety levels in multiple different ways. For example, caffeine from coffee or energy drinks can increase symptoms of anxiety such as shaky legs, increased heart rate and insomnia. Consuming a high amount of caffeine has been shown to cause panic attacks, especially if you aren’t used to it, so cutting down or switching to decaf if you have anxiety symptoms is the safest option.
Warm, decaffeinated drinks such as herbal teas and hot chocolates have been shown to help calm you down if you’re feeling anxious. Warm soups and hot water bottles or baths can also reduce anxiety by encouraging your body to relax.
