8 Ways to Calm Anxiety

Do I Have Anxiety?

Anxiety and Generalised Anxiety Disorder is normally characterised by a number of symptoms, Anxiety is usually passing, that is, it may come and go. Anxiety is normal, our body is responding to stressful life events and alerting us to it. For example, if you are in a toxic relationship, or a job that isn’t right for you, or if you’re in danger, anxiety’s job is to alert you to a problem, so that you take action. It makes our senses heightened so we can keep ourselves safe, though it feels uncomfortable (that’s why you’re here) and sometimes gets it wrong.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder is persistent, though there are many things we can do to manage symptoms.

What are the Symptoms of Anxiety and Anxiety Disorder?

The Psychological Symptoms of Anxiety:

Anxiety can cause a change in your behaviour and the way you think and feel about things, resulting in symptoms such as:

• restlessness

• a sense of dread or fear

• feeling constantly "on edge"

• difficulty concentrating

• irritability

Your symptoms may cause you to withdraw from friends and family to avoid feelings of worry and fear. You may find going to work difficult and stressful, and may take time off sick. These actions can make matters worse as you worry more and more.

Physical symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalised Axiety Disorder can also have a number of physical symptoms, including:

• dizziness

• tiredness

• a noticeably strong, fast or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)

• muscle aches and tension

• trembling or shaking

• excessive sweating

• shortness of breath

• stomach ache

• feeling sick

• headache

• pins and needles

• difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia)

How to Calm Anxiety Naturally: 8 Ways

Anxiety is a problem for many, thought there are many natural ways to calm anxiety. Your body is responding to triggers that may or may not be true, signalling to your mind that a fight or flight response is needed, even when it isn’t This can be a result of past trauma or difficulty, negative thoughts, or lifestyle choices that make it worse. Anxiety is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong, and you need to act. But we can get stuck in anxiety, see above.

Taking Exercise to Reduce Anxiety

One easy way to calm anxiety naturally is exercise. Running, sports, working out or yoga as well as dance and pilates can help relieve tension, as well as releasing endorphins which make you feel good. Often anxiety stems from ‘blocked action’. This means that your body is primed for a response to a trigger (which may or may not be real) where anxiety is the stuck place between a trigger and a response. Physical exercise, as well as the endorphins, lets the body know you have responded to its signals and calms the nervous system down.

You can practice mindfulness (also part of the course). Mindfulness and other breathing techniques can help calm and reset your nervous system out of fight or flight mode and into a state of regulation.

You can also practice yoga, or go for walks to help combat anxiety, increasing endorphins and cutting through anxious thoughts. You will also find a worksheet with breathing exercises in the free members area - sign up here.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol are both stimulants, and impact your nervous system and can make anxiety worse. I recommend reducing your caffeine intake gradually. Start by dropping one cup/drink every 3 days and continue until you are only consuming a limited amount. It is also wise to stop any caffeine in the afternoon, as it stays in your body and inhibits sleep.

An example: If you have 5 cups of coffee every day and coca cola in the evening, switch to a non-caffeinated drink in the evening. After a few days drop one of your cups of coffee and replace with a herbal alternative. Keep going until you only have up to 3 teas or coffees in the morning. I know this can be hard so have tasty alternatives ready!

Alcohol might seem to calm anxiety for a moment, but longer term it actually makes it worse. Reducing your alcohol intake can help your body stay in a state of regulation, giving it less work to do.

See a Counsellor for Anxiety

Because anxiety is often caused by events, past and present, and lifestyle choices, counselling and psychotherapy can help you manage and reduce symptoms, usually by getting to the root cause, as well as using tools to calm you down (like those in this article).

Your GP will be able to diagnose you if you have Anxiety Disorder, and will refer you for CBT therapy. CBT and NHS therapy is great though also has its limitations. Tight budgets mean a shorter course of therapy and it is limited to CBT, which can be helpful, but may not see the whole picture. There are also long waiting lists so it is better to make a start if you can.

You can find a counsellor yourself, for example on the Counselling Directory to help you understand and treat anxiety naturally, getting to the root cause, and show you how to calm anxiety. The Therapy Toolbox is designed to calm anxiety too, and address unhelpful mind patterns that might contribute to anxiety.

Journaling for Anxiety

Journaling can help with anxiety and other mental health conditions, as well as personal growth and development in general. (So much so I added 200+ journaling prompts into the lessons of the Therapy Toolbox.)

You can get started journaling through your thoughts and feelings - learn more about therapeutic journaling on the course or read my blog post about it here for an introduction to journaling.

By writing out your thoughts and feelings you give them an escape route from your mind, helping you understand the things that are causing the anxiety and set them free. You’ll gain more awareness of the problems that contribute to your anxiety, so you can deal with those.

Check your Thoughts

Negative and unrealistic thoughts can contribute to anxiety symptoms.

By slowing down and checking your thoughts you can see if you could see things another way. If you take the Therapy Toolbox Course you will learn several ways to gain self awareness like this, with tools to shift your thought processes. Our thoughts are not facts, only thoughts.

More Ways to Calm Anxiety:

(From the Therapy Toolbox Online Course):

Of course we can address anxiety directly, though often when our mood is improved, and our self esteem stronger, and our awareness is more clear, anxiety begins to shift. The mentally holistic view of a person of the course helps with anxiety by developing:

Practice Presence: Increasing your ability to be present with your emotions - giving you understanding and a better ability to respond. Anxiety often covers other emotions so revealing these can be a great help.

Grow Self Awareness: Often we have unconscious thought processes that give us a negative view of ourselves and the world. By growing awareness of these you can release yourself from them.

Nurture Your Soul: When we are anxious we can often disconnect from our soul, and all the things that make us inspired, authentic and happy. By nurturing our soul we calm anxiety symptoms and bring in new possibilities.

Develop Self Compassion and Acceptance: by letting go of memories from the past, and mistakes, as well as practicing self compassion tools anxiety can be addressed.

Learn Tools for Calm: Using relaxation tools such as meditation, body work and breathing we can tackle anxiety in the moment and relieve anxiety symptoms.

Grow Better Habits: Often bad habits can make anxiety worse. By identifying these, and creating better habits that suit our wellbeing, we can escape from anxiety.

Build Confidence: When we feel more confident, anxiety tends to naturally fall away.

Find Meaning: When we focus on what matters most to us, and lead a meaningful life day to day, our anxiety reduces, and we feel satisfaction and good self worth too.

If you would like help with any of these the Therapy Toolbox course is a self directed course that starts whenever you are ready. It lasts 8 weeks with 40 lessons, 60+tools, 200+ journaling prompts and 10+ meditations. You can read about the course and sign up here.

If you have debilitating symptoms you may want to see your GP and a therapist for a more robust approach - and use the course to support you to calm your anxiety naturally.

Read Article: Am I Depressed?

Take the NHS Quiz for anxiety and depression here.