Anxiety and panic attacks can be very scary and, although not normally life threatening, can make you feel like you may die. The fear and terror that often accompanies these attacks can be very overwhelming causing you to feel a very real threat during a normally non threatening situation. Here are some natural ways to fight anxiety and panic attacks that can help you take back control of your life and not be a prisoner of your anxiety anymore.
There are many natural ways to fight anxiety and panic attacks including deep breathing exercises, meditation, aromatherapy, vitamin and herb therapy, menu planning, physical exercise, and more. These techniques work in different ways to relieve or prevent anxiety and can be used in conjunction with each other to boost their effectiveness. The key to relieving your anxiety naturally is to find the method or combination of methods that works best for you. Some methods are more effective for some people than others and certain techniques may not work at all for some but may completely relieve others symptoms. It can be tricky to naturally fight anxiety since different people, with different physiologies, in different situations will respond differently to the same treatments.
Deep breathing exercises can be effective in calming you down during a panic attack, helping you get a handle on things and keeping you from hyperventilating which can cause the finger tingling and tight chest. Meditation techniques can help you during an attack as well as being effective as a preventative maintenance tool. There are numerous ways to meditate, but perhaps the easiest and most effective method for those seeking immediate relief is the recitation technique. There is really nothing to learn with this method, you simply recite or chant a chosen word or phrase over and over again while breathing slowly and deeply and visualizing something peaceful. Buddhists do this when they chant the Buddha’s name Amitabha. You can recite any word or phrase that helps to calm you down or that helps give you confidence. Meditating in this way regularly can reduce the frequency of your anxiety attacks. Some phrases, you could recite, are such things as: It’s going to be OK; I am confident and have faith in myself; This too shall pass; I will get through this, I am OK; I am in control, I can handle this.
Vitamin and herb therapy can offer some preventative maintenance for symptoms by reducing the frequency and the intensity of panic and anxiety attacks. B complex vitamins and foods containing inositol such as cantaloupe, beans, nuts, and oranges can help improve your overall mood and improve the communication of nerve cells in the brain. Taking herbs and herbal preparations such as St. Johns Wort, Valerian root, Kava Kava, and Passion Flower can treat anxiety and panic attacks by helping your body and mind to relax, improving sleep, minimizing stresses, and lessening the strength and duration of the attack. These types of herbal extract remedies usually come in the form of a liquid with which you place a couple of drops under the tongue a few times per day or in times of stress.
Aromatherapy can help you manage your anxiety symptoms by helping you relax and manage your stress. Try using herbs such as jasmine, lavender, and chamomile in a hot bath or the equivalent essential oils in an oil diffuser to benefit from the relaxing vapors. You can also place a small amount of the extract into a cloth and breath it, or dilute it and wear it as perfume. You will want to make sure, if you are wearing it as a perfume that the extract isn’t toxic if it absorbs near a major vein or artery, for example, you can wear patchouli but you wouldn’t want to put it on your neck near your jugular vein or on the wrists where there is a high absorption rate, as patchouli is slightly toxic if you get enough of it in your system. Most herbal extracts aren’t toxic but in a high enough dose, anything can be harmful.
Physical exercise is also good to help you manage your anxiety symptoms by helping keep your body and mind healthy and active. Keeping your attention on healthful activities can reduce the worry and negative thoughts that seem to pop up when you least expect it as well as helping you sleep better at night. Try some exercise that is enjoyable, low stress, and helps you focus on healthy, peaceful thoughts. Such activities can include bike riding, walking, aerobics, swimming, walking the dog, or even just lifting some weights while watching TV. Anything that takes your mind off of the daily stresses and gives you a sense of peace and well being will be effective.
A healthy hobby can also help you to manage anxiety. Find something you love to do that takes your stress away and set aside some time every day to do it. Even just a few minutes a day can help. Try making pottery, crocheting or knitting, woodworking, putting together puzzles, painting, drawing, etc. Try putting your emotions into your hobby and get them out of your mind. The art pieces can be a reminder to you of the stress you felt and released into the project and you can be at peace knowing that at least a little stress has been relieved. Abstract painting can be really effective for this type of project.
I hope you find these tips helpful in managing your anxiety and panic attacks. Going the natural route with this type of disorder can be tricky and can involve some trial and error. Click Here to learn a simple natural method that is guaranteed to alleviate your anxiety and panic attacks.
