5 Natural Remedies to Help Anxiety Disorders
Tom Hendry
5 Natural Remedies for Anxiety Disorders
If you suffer from an anxiety disorder you have probably tried all sorts of things from traditional to alternative medicines and from ridiculous to plausible new wave psychological techniques.
The following is a package of remedies and I suggest you try them all together!
1. Positive Visualisations
The mind controls the body. You are what you believe. If you believe you are a negative or weak person then that is what you will be for the rest of your life. If you believe you are positive and strong person then that is what you will be for the rest of your life.
The person you have become has been created by all the experiences you have ever had since you were born. If you were brought up in a loving home and nurtured by your parents and had no bad experiences then there is a good chance you will become a ‘normal’ person with no hang ups. If you were brought up with no respect or love or were subject to bad experiences then the chances are that you will experience great negativity that will impact on your confidence and self esteem levels. This will in turn create multiple anxiety disorders.
It's as if your mind is in a prison that it can’t escape from. Your mind is creating the negative thoughts that create the person you are.
You need to change your negative thoughts because they create the negative emotions that create the person you believe yourself to be. A common disorder that springs from this is social anxiety. The thought that ‘I am not good enough’.
Whenever you think a negative thought you must replace it with a positive thought. Easier said than done and maybe not worth trying? Well if you want something badly enough you will achieve it. Start a battle with your negative thoughts and drown them out with positive thoughts. Your emotions will change. Caveat. This assumes you don’t have an anxiety disorder caused by an illness.
Tips: 1. Watch The Secret film on our website below. 2. Create a list of everything positive that has happened in your life.
2. Long Term Rhythmic Diaphragm Breathing
When you are upset, anxious or stressed your breathing becomes shallow. When it becomes shallow you are not taking in as much oxygen. This means your body especially your brain is being starved of energy.
Most people with an anxiety disorder breathe into the top of their lungs where there is less blood supply. You need to learn to breathe into the bottom and middle part of your lungs where is a greater blood supply. It’s the blood supply that takes the oxygen to your body.
How many times have you heard ‘breathe deeply for a little while and you will feel better’ and you think been there before and my anxiety returned later.
Rhythmic diaphragm breathing is where you breathe into the bottom and middle part of your lungs. This pushes down on your diaphragm muscle which then pushes your stomach out. When your stomach goes in and out you know you are breathing properly. Improper breathing makes your shoulders go up and down.
The rhythm part is where you breathe in for 5 seconds with a natural pause and breathe out for 5 seconds. None of this should be hard or labored. Don’t overbreathe as you might faint. Get used to breathing like this every day for the rest of your life. You might be very surprised with the positive effects it may have on you especially the way you feel, your emotions and your anxiety disorder.
If you have an existing medical condition consult your doctor before you try any new breathing technique.
3. Deep Relaxation Helps Keep Stress Down
When we are stressed we tense up. When we tense up we stress ourselves. All those neck and back aches and trapped nerves are probably stressed related. Those short tempers, inability to cope and negative emotions and fears are probably stress related. It is all a vicious circle.
Learn how to relax every muscle in your body. Starting with your feet and working upward. Learn to clear your mind of all thoughts. It’s as if your mind is on fast forward and you can’t stop it. Relaxing your mind and your body will give you a wonderful physical and mental rest. You can find more information on progressive muscle relaxation on our website below.
4. Your Diet Can Affect the Way You Think
If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, exhaustion or even crazy thoughts it could be down to your diet. You could be suffering from hypoglycemia - when your blood sugar level goes too low. Our blood sugar rises when we eat, our pancreas releases insulin to bring it down. Then one day the pancreas has had enough because it is fed up with the constant large sugary meals and it brings our blood sugar level down to a dangerous level. Our brain is not getting adequate amounts of glucose and then we may experience the above symptoms.
You need to cut down or out the five big offenders - sugar, white flour, alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. You may also need to change your diet. Eat smaller meals more often, say 5 to 6 rather than the traditional 3 square meals per day. The sugar content in your food will be released into your bloodstream in a much more disciplined way and won’t trigger an over-the-top insulin release. Before going on or changing your dietary habits always consult your medical practitioner.
5. Hydration Re-Fuels Your System
When there is a 1% or greater reduction in body weight due to fluid loss dehydration occurs. Dehydration causes more than just dark yellow urine. Here are some other symptoms you might be interested to know about: weight loss, tiredness, headaches, dizziness, deterioration in mental state, lethargy, change in emotions, feeling weak, falling, changes in ability to carry out activities of daily living, confusion. These all create stress and anxiety!
Water is so very important because it hydrates the body’s cells, helps flush our system, moves fecal matter and may help prevent colorectal cancer.
Drink between 8 to 12 cups of water per day. The amount should be based on your build. The bigger you are the more take. The more you sweat or exercise the more you take. When your urine is pale yellow or clear you are hydrating yourself.
If you have an anxiety disorder you may be able to alleviate or even get rid of it by doing ALL of the above.
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