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Anxiety leads to a vicious cycle where the very thing that causes your anxiety leads to more anxiety. If lack of sleep causes your anxiety, you will end up getting less sleep because you are thinking of how to get more sleep. This, in turn, breeds more anxiety because you can’t get the sleep you need.

However, there is good news. There is more research done on anxiety, and people are now opening up about their situation. Many are learning how to cope through other people sharing their experiences. Others are recognizing that they do not have to be alone in such times and can get help in various ways. Here are a couple of ways to help alleviate anxiety.

1.   Perform Deep or Diaphragmatic Breathing

Lack of control can quickly lead to anxiety. You can quickly feel despair if you are in a situation where whatever you do, you cannot control the outcome. An excellent way to reduce anxiety in such a situation is to take control of the little things you can handle—for example, breathing.

Through deep or diaphragmatic breathing, you are consciously controlling an automatic process, helping you grasp a little control over the situation.

While breathing, take in as much air as possible and exhale slowly. By breathing out slowly, you are engaging the parasympathetic nervous system that helps control rest and digestion, reducing your anxiety. On the other hand, the sympathetic nervous system controls fight or flight, which is triggered by heavy breathing, which can lead to more anxiety.

2.   Use Your Words

Self-reflection is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety. Describe your feelings verbally and audibly to yourself. Ask yourself questions that force you to self-analyze.

• What feeling am I experiencing?
• Does this situation warrant this reaction?
• Am I projecting this emotion due to a prior situation?

Because of our innate evolutionary trait of self-preservation, we often project many of our emotions. We take longer to perceive that danger is over, making it easy to project emotions wrongly. Self-reflecting helps identify such situations and deal with them.

3.   Get Active

Yoga and exercise are up there as some of the best ways to reduce anxiety. Physical activities raise brain chemicals that control mood. Exercising also helps keep your body and mind healthy, reducing anxiety levels. But perhaps most importantly, exercising triggers your brain psychologically, telling it you are doing something to get yourself out of a bad situation.

By taking steps to self-heal, you will feel relaxed, which helps reduce anxiety.

4.   Practice Guided Imagery

Most of the time, anxiety is brought about by imagining and overthinking worst-case scenarios in your head. That is why one anxiety symptom is replaying past events in your head and how you could have handled them, imagining future situations, and how you hope to manage them.

Use your imagination to induce feelings of safety and well-being. Guide your imagination and think of a person or a place that gives you joy and calmness. Picture it in detail: smell it, hear it, touch it, feel the ground beneath your feet, the wind on your face, or whatever feeling the place or person evokes. Breathe slowly and imagine you are inhaling that image and feeling you have created.

5.   Take Advantage of CBD Oil

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CBD oil presents a natural remedy to anxiety and depression medication. CBD is a cannabinoid derived from the cannabis plant. Unlike cannabinoids like THC, which causes the high feeling associated with marijuana, CBD offers a calming effect. As more and more states legalize marijuana, it is now easier to find an online CBD store to make a purchase.

CBD increases serotonin levels in the body, which plays a vital role in mood, sleep, healing, and even sexual desire. Its antipsychotic properties help reduce overthinking, hallucinations, and delusions. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help you relax and sleep better. Due to such benefits, it is no surprise that there are now many cannabis delivery services in California and elsewhere to get your anxiety remedy to your door.

6.   Eat the Right Diet and Vitamins

Eating and hydrating well can help reduce anxiety in general. But increasing specific vitamins like B1 and B12 can also significantly improve your mood. The brain uses vitamin B1 (Thiamin) to convert glucose to energy. Without it, the brain will not have enough energy to function correctly, leading to mood swings and anxiety.

On the other hand, vitamin B12 aids in the formation of red blood cells, which transports oxygen to brain cells to create energy. Without it, your brain will not have enough oxygen, resulting in less energy to function properly.

Foods that contain high levels of B1 and B12 include:

• Beef
• Liver
• Whole grains
• Eggs
• Milk
• Cereals

7.   Understand Your Triggers and Know Yourself

The best way to reduce anxiety is by knowing yourself. Identify what triggers your anxiety and learn ways to cope with it. Some of the most common triggers of anxiety include:

• Stress at work
• Friends or family
• Medication
• Crowds
• Phobias
• Pain

Alcohol can also be a trigger, as it is a depressant and can make you feel amazing for a short while, but awful when it is out of your system. This is also the reason why many people with anxiety or depression may end up being alcohol addicts, as they want to chase that short-term feeling.

Caffeine may be a stimulant, but it can excite your body, increasing your heart rate. As mentioned earlier in this post, quick breathing could activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to a flight or fight reaction.

There are many ways to battle anxiety, but the best way is to understand your body and how to adapt to different situations that come your way.