If you find yourself dealing with anxiety on a regular basis, you might be on medication to help control the symptoms, or you might be thinking about asking your doctor for anxiety medication to help you cope. It’s true that anxiety medication can be a great tool for helping with these feelings, but there are other ways that you can handle your anxiety, too. These are a few helpful tips for dealing with anxiety without medication.
Seek Counseling for Your Anxiety
Going to counseling can help you with your anxiety in a few ways. It can help you get to the bottom of some of the issues that might be causing these feelings, which can help you make lifestyle changes to make things better. Additionally, your therapist can give you tips for managing your anxiety when you are experiencing symptoms. For example, at my practice, I help people who are dealing with anxiety all the time.
Exercise Reduces Stress
Exercise is a great way to combat anxiety, and it can help with other issues, too, such as depression or low self-esteem. Consider working a long walk into your daily routine, or join a gym. You can even purchase at-home fitness equipment if you would prefer it.
Write in a Journal
If you find yourself feeling anxious, consider pulling out your journal and writing down your feelings. Simply putting your feelings down on paper can help alleviate your symptoms, and your journal can also help you get a better idea of the situations and times in which you feel most anxious, allowing you to identify some of your triggers. You can make your journal totally personal and can write about anything that you want to write about, or you can even share it with your therapist, if you prefer.
Sip on Hot Tea to Ease Your Mind
Sipping on a hot tea, apple cider or another favorite warm beverage can provide you with a bit of comfort and can give you a calming feeling when you’re feeling your most anxious. Coffee is another good option, but you may want to choose a decaffeinated version, since caffeine can actually aggravate your anxiety and make it worse. To make things even more relaxing and calming, consider using a mug that you really like and adding embellishments, such as adding a cinnamon stick to your apple cider or a little bit of milk or honey to your hot tea.
Take a Hot Bath to Eliminate Tension
Sometimes, simply unwinding in a hot bubble bath can be enough to provide a little bit of relief from your anxiety. Consider using epsom salts and a few drops of lavender essential oils or a nice lavender-scented bubble bath or body wash to make your bath that much more peaceful and relaxing.
Read a Book to Distract Your Thoughts
Doing something to keep your mind off of things can help you with your anxiety, but it can be tough to keep your mind off of your worries when it is so easy to multi-task. Rather than getting online or watching television, consider diving into a book, which you often have to pay much more attention to and which can make it harder for your mind to race and wander. Make sure that you do your reading somewhere where you feel comfortable, and consider playing a little bit of soft, non-distracting music to help prevent your mind from wandering even further.
Get Away
It’s true that you probably can’t just run off any time that you start to feel anxious. However, if possible, consider taking a trip to the beach, a lake, a quiet park or another destination, even if it’s only a few miles from your house. Getting away can help you clear your mind, and spending time outdoors can help alleviate your anxiety.
As you can see, there are medicine-free options for reducing your anxiety. If you would like more help with managing your anxiety, contact Mary Shull to schedule a therapy appointment today.
