Anxiety Natural Remedies: 15 Ways To Relax & Find Calm
Anxiety can be a disabling condition thats accompanied by long-term stress and a decline in overall health. It contributes to many chronic diseases, even when treated with conventional medications. Thats why we need to use natural remedies for anxiety and other mood disorders that will address the root of the problem instead of putting a Band-Aid on your symptoms.
In fact, anxiety can affect people of all ages, with a lifetime prevalence between 4.3 and 5.9 percent. In addition, 4060 percent of people with anxiety experience signs of depression, which makes it an even more serious and difficult condition to treat properly. And research shows that people with anxiety cannot successfully achieve short or long term remission, with remission rates remaining as low as 38 percent after five years.
The good news is that there are many natural remedies for anxiety that are safe and dont cause adverse side effects like so many anti-anxiety medications. By eating a clean and well-balanced diet that contains important nutrients like B vitamins, magnesium and omega-3s, and using essential oils for anxiety, you will notice an immediate difference in your mood, energy levels and sleep patterns.
Plus, there are many supplements and lifestyle changes that serve as natural remedies for anxiety.
Feeling Blue Use These Natural Ways To Feel Better
When youre living with depression or anxiety, one of the things you want most is to feel well again. Both of these conditions can sap your energy and fill you with worry. If depression and anxiety are getting in the way of living a happy life, it helps to know that you can relax and experience relief. All it might take are a few of these natural remedies for anxiety depression. They can help you start improving your mood and feel hopeful while healing.
Should Antioxidants Be Included In Your Anti
Anxiety is thought to be correlated with a lowered total antioxidant state. It stands to reason, therefore, that enhancing your diet with foods rich in antioxidants may help ease the symptoms of anxiety disorders. A 2010 study reviewed the antioxidant content of 3,100 foods, spices, herbs, beverages, and supplements. Foods designated as high in antioxidants by the USDA include:
- Beans: Dried small red, Pinto, black, red kidney
- Fruits: Apples , prunes, sweet cherries, plums, black plums
- Berries: Blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries
- Nuts: Walnuts, pecans
- Vegetables: Artichokes, kale, spinach, beets, broccoli
- Spices with both antioxidant and anti-anxiety properties include turmeric and ginger.
Read Also: Can Anxiety Cause Breathing Problems
Natural Remedies For Anxiety: Omega 3
Getting essential fatty acids into your body is really important to get your brain functioning at its most productive and naturally treat anxiety, especially anxiety symptoms in women.
Various studies have shown the positive affects drawn from incorporating Omega 3 into your diet regularly, from improving memory to reducing the feelings of anxiety and stress.
Try eating oil-rich fish like salmon a couple of times a week, or mackerel which is just as delicious, and half the price! Alternatively, regularly boost your Omega 3 intake with fish oils which can aid in minimising the symptoms of anxiety and are available in capsules from pharmacies.
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Energy Therapies That Heal Trauma
Okay, this one is controversial, but Im going to include it here anyway because its really interesting.
Trauma is not just something that happens to people who go to war or get attacked in the street. Milder forms of trauma can happen to almost anybody in childhood. And many scientists have already studied the link between social anxiety and childhood trauma:
Studies investigating childhood trauma in social anxiety suggest that parental emotional abuse towards the child and emotional neglect may be important factors in the development of SAD.
For example, in a non-clinical sample, compared to women with low levels of social anxiety, women high in social anxiety reported significantly more paternal rejection, paternal and maternal neglect, and paternal authority-discipline.
These types of early childhood experiences of abuse or neglect can cause someone to feel ashamed, insecure or deeply flawed as a person. I talk a lot about this in my social anxiety system and in my toxic shame video here. Trauma comes from disturbing memories int he past that create a psychoenergetic block inside you that affects your life and relationships with people today.
So how to deal with it? Well theres 2 interesting approaches I can share:
1. EMDR
EMDR is a type of therapy where you focus on the traumatic memory while moving your eyes side to side. This eye movement is supposed to allow you to reprocess the past trauma.
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Natural Remedies For Anxiety: Mindful Meditation
Taking a little time out of your day seems difficult for lots of people, especially if your anxiety is fuelled by feeling overwhelmed with what you need to achieve during the day, but mindfulness is a great natural remedy for balancing feelings of anxiety.
At first you may find it hard to concentrate but persevere and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can turn a few spare moments into a little piece of pure calm with meditation.
To meditate, choose a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit in a position comfortable for you try lying down, standing, sitting or even walking. Once you’ve found your ideal posture try to focus on being deeply calm and your breathing pattern. Once you feel you have settled into your meditation it’s then time to examine the four foundations of mindfulness.
These are, mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of physical feelings and sensations, mindfulness of mental states and mindfulness of the consciousness.
For mindfulness of the body: Focus on each body part separately, like your head, heart, stomach, while continuing to keep your breathing deep and steady.
For mindfulness of physical feelings and sensations: Concentrate on whether what you’re feeling is nice or not and mentally let go of any physical discomfort you might be feeling to reduce tension.
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Cheap Natural And Quick Anxiety Remedies
When anxiety strikes, you need fast relief. Here are six ways to tame your anxiety, without medication or a doctor’s office visit.
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Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in the U.S., affecting about one out of five people at any given time, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Anxiety can take many forms generalized anxiety disorder , obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder.
While medications to treat these anxiety conditions are often an important component in the management of anxiety, there is also many natural, do-it-yourself techniques that can help calm you down, either in place of medications or as a supplement to them.
Next time you’re too tense to cope, consider trying one of these natural options for relief.
1. Laugh it off. Cultivate a good sense of humor and laugh, says Karen Lynn Cassiday, PhD, president-elect of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and a clinical psychologist in Chicago. “Even if you do a fake laugh, you get an instant hit of dopamine,” says Dr. Cassiday. Dopamine is a brain chemical that controls feelings of reward and pleasure.
If you’re too tense to laugh on your own, try using technology, she suggests. For example, find a laugh track phone app. Just google phone apps for laughing.
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Suan Zao Ren For Insomnia
It is probable that the most famous treatment for vigilance in Traditional Chinese medicine is Suan Zao Ren. With the formal name of Semen Ziziphi spinosae, the dried ripe seed of the sour jujube or spiny date has been frequently used for a long time among Chinese to treat vigilance, anxiety, hyperhidrosis and dreaming too much . Recent researches demonstrate that Suan Zao Ren has various pharmacological effects, such as protecting the functions of cardiovascular systems, enhancing the function of immune system, lowering the blood lipid and counteracting anxiety . Suan Zao Ren is also an indispensable component of some traditional formulas, such as Suan Zao Ren Tang and Fufang Suan Zao Ren decoction, which are frequently used to cure insomnia in clinical practice . Animal studies suggest that Suan Zao Ren could reduce the sleepless symptoms in rats , regulate the sleeping alteration in mice caused by stress , and prolong the time of total sleep and that of slow wave sleep in a rabbit model .
Trade Your Coffee For Matcha
Despite your undying love for coffee, its not so great to consume in excess if youre prone to anxiety. Thats because caffeine stimulates the production of adrenaline, which activates the fight or flight response in your body, which can further exacerbate feelings of stress and anxiety. All of which is to say youll just feel more on edge, says Albertson.
If you can bear to part with your morning cuppa joe, consider trading it in for a lower-caf option like matcha tea . Matcha not only has about half the caffeine of coffee, but it also contains the amino acid l-theanine, which helps buffer the effects of caffeine and is associated with a more calm alertness .
Want to ditch caffeine altogether? Albers recommends sipping on chamomile, rooibos, or valerian tea when youre feeling anxious, all of which are naturally caffeine-free and contain antioxidants and other compounds that promote relaxation and sleep.
Also Check: Is Lexapro Good For Anxiety
Natural Remedies For Anxiety
Natural remedies for anxiety are those that donât involve conventional medications . They include things such as herbs, aromatherapy, and performing certain actions that promote relaxation. Some people with anxiety use natural remedies alongside conventional treatments to find relief.
Examples of natural remedies for anxiety include:
Exercise isnât just good for your physical health itâs also beneficial for your mental health. While the connection isnât well understood, studies do show that exercise can help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
Getting active helps to take your mind off of the issues bothering you. It also triggers your body to release endorphins, which are natural feel-good hormones.
Herbal Remedies
Several different herbs and herbal supplements may help alleviate anxiety symptoms, helping you to relax and feel calmer. Some of the more well-known varieties include:
Studies show that chamomile can help with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. While many of the studies on herbal supplements for anxiety are limited, the results are promising.
You can find many of these supplements in capsule form. Many people also drink herbal teas to help them relax.
Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils to improve health and overall well-being. Many scents can help to boost your mood, help you relax, and reduce anxiety.
Scents to use for anxiety include:
- Lavender
Suggest They Try A Herbal Remedy
There are a number of herbal remedies which have been used for centuries to help relax those who suffer from anxiety.
Valerian root has been used for hundreds of years as a herbal remedy for nervousness, anxiety and insomnia, based on traditional use only. Its able to relax the muscles and slow down brain activity so you feel calmer.53
St Johns Wort is another millennia-old herbal remedy used to relieve symptoms of mild anxiety, based on traditional use only.
St Johns Wort is thought to work by reducing the time it takes for the brain to use up serotonin the bodys happy hormone.54
Recommended Reading: How To Overcome Food Anxiety
Want More Help For Anxiety
For more help with anxiety, I also wrote this post to help you stop anxiety in its tracks so you can learn now to manage anxiety in the moment.
Please share if you know someone who would find this helpful. Thanks!
Do you have any tips about how to treat anxiety naturally?
I wish you health and happiness,
Kenda
Natural Remedies For Anxiety: Chamomile
For hundreds of years chamomile has been used as a natural remedy for lots of common conditions, everything from soothing tummy aches to relaxing people and reducing anxiety, in those few tense moments.
Some elements of chamomile act in the same way as sedative drugs like Valium, binding to the brain receptors and relaxing your mind. You can buy whole dried chamomile flowers to brew in hot water as tea, or buy pre-made tea bags in the supermarket . Alternatively, if you don’t enjoy the flavour, you can take chamomile supplements, available to buy from chemists and health food shops.
Even Peter Rabbit’s mum gets her baby bunny back to bouncing health with a little cup of chamomile tea, and they do say mums know best.
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Also Check: Can Stress And Anxiety Make You Sick
How To Deal With Anxiety At School:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the basics for children with anxiety: eating a healthy diet, getting at least 60 minutes of exercise a day and getting the proper amount of sleep.
Having a hard time focusing in school could be a sign of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder , which may require medication. Parents should also consider whether bullying is fueling the anxiety.
A child who is overly anxious at school could benefit from therapy. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America also advises helping the child establish a support system at school.
Being mindful about what you eat can help ease anxiety symptoms. Experts advise avoiding sugar. Instead, go for complex carbohydrates found in foods like oatmeal, quinoa and sweet potatoes. You feel fuller longer and experience calmer feelings psychologically as well.
Foods rich in magnesium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B may help ease anxiety.
Have Eggs For Breakfast
You dont want to get too hungry, says Drew Ramsey, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and creator of the new e-course Eat to Beat Depression. So make sure to eat a good source of protein and fat in the morning, like eggs, and skip the sugar and refined carbs.
Thats because hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can cause or exacerbate symptoms of anxiety, especially symptoms like sweating, shaking, irritability, and heart palpitations. But consuming enough protein and fat will keep blood sugar levels stable and prevent any mood-altering spikes or dips.
Eggs are also great because they contain choline, adds Ramsey. One study found that low choline levels were significantly associated with increased anxiety symptoms, and several other studies suggest that choline enhances cognitive functioning and overall brain health.
Also Check: How To Calm Down My Anxiety Attacks
Warm Up In A Steam Room Sauna Jacuzzi Or Hot Bath
Most of us associate feelings of warmth with a sense of calm and well-being much the same way we would relaxing in the sun on a powdery-sand beach. Research shows that heating up your body, whether in a bath, steam room, or sauna, reduces muscle tension and anxiety. Sensations of warmth may alter neural circuits that control mood, including those that affect the neurotransmitter serotonin. You could also cozy up by a fire with a cup of tea or hot cocoa.