Welcome To The Calm Code
Set yourself up for success to eliminate high stress and overwhelm, reduce anxiety, clear irritability, lower pain levels in just 16 weeks.
Why 16 weeks? Because youre training your mind to be calm, happy and balanced using daily exercises based on the science of Neuroplasticity. A physical trainer wouldnt promise you six-pack abs in 3 weeks right? Same idea here.
Your health will improve, too. Students have reported elimination of chronic pain, weight loss, improvement of digestive issues, sleep, and more
Take Care Of Yourself Physically
Studies have shown that nutrition and exercise can impact your experience with panic disorder symptoms. To better manage the physical symptoms of panic and anxiety, consider making some healthy lifestyle changes.
- Avoid certain foods or drinks that may trigger or worsen anxiety. For instance, an overabundance of certain foods and substances, including caffeine and sugar, can aggravate feelings of anxiety.
- Physical exercise can help relieve stress and tension felt throughout the body, increase energy levels, and improve mood.
- Stress-reducing relaxation exercises, such as yoga and meditation can help you learn how to control your body sensations and remain calm in the face of anxiety.
Identify And Learn To Manage Your Triggers
You can identify triggers on your own or with a therapist. Sometimes they can be obvious, like caffeine, drinking alcohol, or smoking. Other times they can be less obvious.
Long-term problems, such as financial or work-related situations, may take some time to figure out is it a due date, a person, or the situation? This may take some extra support, through therapy or with friends.
When you do figure out your trigger, you should try to limit your exposure if you can. If you cant limit it like if its due to a stressful work environment that you cant currently change using other coping techniques may help.
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Write Down Your Thoughts
Writing down whats making you anxious gets it out of your head and can make it less daunting.
These relaxation tricks are particularly helpful for those who experience anxiety sporadically. They may also work well with someone who has generalized anxiety disorder when theyre in a bind!
However, if you suspect you have GAD, quick coping methods shouldnt be the only kind of treatment you employ. Youll want to find long-term strategies to help lessen the severity of symptoms and even prevent them from happening.
How To Reduce Anxiety In The Long Term
If you find that you’re often suffering from anxiety and nervousness, even when you’re not in a situation that typically cause that level of anxiety, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders cannot be cured overnight but many people do improve. They’re the result of years of experiences, and they take time to heal.
The fastest way to reduce anxiety is to first identify what you’re experiencing, and then use step by step methods to move forward.
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Name What Youre Feeling
When youre experiencing an anxious episode, you may not realize whats going on until youre really in the thick of it.
Recognizing anxiety for what it is may help you calm down quicker.
Name that this is anxiety not reality and that it will pass, says Kim Hertz, a psychotherapist at New York Therapy Practice. When you are in a heightened state of anxiety, you want to disrupt that cycle, and for some people, thought-stopping techniques are effective and as simple as saying stop to the internalized messaging that heightens anxiety.
In other words, consider recognizing that what youre feeling is anxiety and talking yourself through it.
Embrace absolute truths, says Steven Sultanoff, clinical psychologist and professor at Pepperdine University. I will get through this one way or another.
Naming your sensations and feelings may help you step away from them. This is anxiety, it is not you and it wont last forever.
Reason #: Poor Sleep Cycle
According to Lawson, insomnia and anxiety share a strong relationship, meaning sleep problems or insomnia can cause anxiety and vice versa.
If youve always been anxious or struggled to fall asleep, you may have developed a pattern of poor or interrupted sleep. This makes your body most susceptible to stress and insomnia. Types of Anxiety Disorders
Research also shows that sleep disorders occur in almost all psychiatric and anxiety disorders. Some of these include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder: Worry over everyday events, making it difficult to relax.
- Social anxiety disorder: The anticipation of social situations can often prevent sleep at night.
- Compulsive-obsessive disorder: Research suggests that intrusive thoughts and fears can keep people up when theyre trying to fall asleep.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: The constant re-experiencing of traumatic events can induce nightmares and rob people of sleep.
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Seeking Treatment For Anxiety
If your anxiety symptoms seem to be staying the same or even getting worse, regardless of any techniques that you try, and if you are finding that your anxiety is having a damaging impact on your quality of life, you may need a bit of professional support to help you manage your symptoms.
At Priory, we are able to provide you with an anxiety diagnosis that sets you on a course for recovery. When you first come to one of our hospitals or wellbeing centres, you will meet with one of our doctors who will assess your symptoms, provide you with a robust diagnosis and work with you to determine the most effective treatment for anxiety, which may include medication and therapy.
Our expert multidisciplinary team will then support you through your treatment programmeso that you can begin to better manage your anxiety symptoms and improve your health and wellbeing for the future.
For details of how Priory can provide you with assistance regarding mental health and wellbeing, please call 0800 840 3219 or . For professionals looking to make a referral, please click here
Stick To A Sleep Schedule
Anxiety can make it difficult to sleep, and not being well-rested can contribute to more anxiety.
However, there are a few key ways to get better sleep with anxiety, such as having a sleep routine that includes going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
Overall, trying to get near the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night can help keep anxiety at bay. “Inadequate sleep increases the production of stress hormones that can exacerbate anxiety,” Jonas says.
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Try Dog Appeasing Pheromones
Dog appeasing pheromones are synthetic pheromones similar to the calming pheromones that female dogs give off while nursing puppies.
These pheromones can help reduce anxiety in some dogs and are available in a few different forms. There are collars, sprays, and diffusers, so you can choose the best option for your dog.
Alternatives To Alcohol For Anxiety
Since alcohol is a poor solution for many anxiety disorders, we must look elsewhere to get the edge we need. To win the fight against generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, etc., there are plenty of superior anxiety supplement options.
I would hop over to this page on anxiety supplements for my most current recommendations over there, I make it easy for you to figure out what might be the best option for you based on your particular anxiety disorder and situation.
Anxiety Medication and AlcoholPlease remember that you should never be mixing any kind of anxiety medication with alcohol. To do so can be extremely dangerous, as it may depress your nervous system too much, to the point where your organs fail or shut down entirely. Please be safe, and talk to your doctor if you have any questions about medication or alcohol.
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How Can I Calm My Anxiety
A combination of medication and therapy is the best way to calm anxiety. Cognitive-behavioral therapy or talk therapy is the most common treatment for those affected by anxiety disorders. In fact,research has found CBT to be highly effective in the treatment of several types of anxiety disorders.
Medication often used to treat anxiety may include:
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Benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are not a standard option, but doctors sometimes prescribe them. Its important to note that they are habit-forming sedatives for many individuals. If your doctor does decide to prescribe them, it will be for short-term use only. If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, let your doctor know as you should avoid taking this medication.
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Buspirone. Buspirone is a medication made explicitly for the treatment of anxiety. This is a type of antidepressant that you will need to take daily and long-term. It may not produce results for a few weeks.
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Antidepressants. Antidepressants, such as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are among the choice to treat anxiety. Specific medications doctors may prescribe, include venlafaxine, escitalopram, and duloxetine.
There are also a few things to do on your own to ease your anxiety symptoms. Deep breathing can help regain control if you experience breathing issues as a symptom. You can either do the breathing alone or as part of a meditation.
How Anxiety Disorders Develop
Studies show that anxiety may develop from genetic or environmental factors. You may be more likely to have an anxiety disorder if your family members have a history of mental health disorders.
However, anxiety may also develop as a result of a traumatic event. The brain may attempt to protect the body from harm and prevent such an event from reoccurring by activating a fight-or-flight response during a stressful situation.
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What Causes Anxiety In The Brain
What causes anxiety in the brain?
Anxiety is a normal, healthy emotion that can be useful in helping us to deal with a difficult situation. When anxiety reaches high levels, however, it becomes overwhelming and can result in serious problems such as panic attacks and phobias.
What causes anxiety?
The exact cause of anxiety is not known but there are many factors which may increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder. These include:
Genetics some people inherit a tendency towards anxiety from their parents.
Life experiences traumatic events such as abuse or bullying can lead to anxiety later in life.
Brain chemistry the balance of chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain may affect how you feel.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. About 18% of U.S. adults have an anxiety disorder, and they are more likely than those without anxiety to suffer from depression or other mood disorders. Anxiety disorders often first appear in childhood or early adolescence and tend to become chronic, resulting in a lower quality of life and more frequent health care visits.
Anxiety disorders can be treated with a variety of approaches, including medication and psychotherapy . It is important to find an approach that fits your needs and preferences.
Anxiety disorders are caused by a combination of genetic, environmental and psychological factors. The following brain structures are involved:
How Much Worrying Is Too Much
Worries, doubts, and anxieties are a normal part of life. Its natural to worry about an unpaid bill, an upcoming job interview, or a first date. But normal worry becomes excessive when its persistent and uncontrollable. You worry every day about what ifs and worst-case scenarios, you cant get anxious thoughts out of your head, and it interferes with your daily life.
Constant worrying, negative thinking, and always expecting the worst can take a toll on your emotional and physical health. It can sap your emotional strength, leave you feeling restless and jumpy, cause insomnia, headaches, stomach problems, and muscle tension, and make it difficult to concentrate at work or school. You may take your negative feelings out on the people closest to you, self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, or try to distract yourself by zoning out in front of screens. Chronic worrying can also be a major symptom of Generalized Anxiety Disorder , a common anxiety disorder that involves tension, nervousness, and a general feeling of unease that colors your whole life.
If youre plagued by exaggerated worry and tension, there are steps you can take to turn off anxious thoughts. Chronic worrying is a mental habit that can be broken. You can train your brain to stay calm and look at life from a more balanced, less fearful perspective.
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Repeat A Positive Affirmation
When you notice yourself feeling anxious, try repeating a mantra or affirmation such as “I am safe” or “I am calm.”
Mantra repetition is a staple of transcendental meditation, which is associated with a reduction in stress and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. While transcendental meditation is centered around a specific mantra assigned to you by an instructor, you can still gain benefits from coming up with your own mantra or positive affirmation.
Here’s what the research says:
- In one small 2015 study, repeating a one-word mantra reduced activity in the brain, which, for people who suffer from racing thoughts or ruminations, could be useful for calming anxiety.
- According to a 2022 review, various forms of mantra meditation were associated with a “small-to-moderate” reduction in anxiety, stress, and depression.
- In a small 2016 study of female heart disease patients, using positive affirmations caused a significant decrease in stress, anxiety, and depression.
Some examples of positive affirmations that you can try include:
- “I trust myself”
- “I am relaxed and at peace”
- “My life is a gift”
- “I have faith in my abilities”
Tip : Challenge Anxious Thoughts
If you suffer from chronic anxiety and worry, chances are you look at the world in ways that make it seem more threatening than it really is. For example, you may overestimate the possibility that things will turn out badly, jump immediately to worst-case scenarios, or treat every anxious thought as if it were fact. You may also discredit your own ability to handle lifes problems, assuming youll fall apart at the first sign of trouble. These types of thoughts, known as cognitive distortions, include:
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Eat Healthy And Avoid Substances
What you put in your body affects how you feel, for better or for worse. Here’s what to eat and what to avoid to improve your mood:
- Avoid fat, sugar, and carbs:Research has found that a diet high in fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates may increase the risk of anxiety.
- Eat whole foods: On the other hand, eating a diet rich in natural, wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes, while avoiding sugary snacks, can help control anxiety and boost your mood.
- Try fermented foods: Eating fermented foods may also have benefits for people with anxiety. A 2015 study found that people with high neuroticism a tendency to experience negative emotions who ate more fermented foods had fewer symptoms of social anxiety
- Add omega-3s to your diet: Another study found that omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish like salmon and sardines, reduced anxiety in medical students.
- Avoid alcohol: Many people with anxiety get temporary relief from symptoms when they drink, but experience increased symptoms when they stop drinking. That leads some people with anxiety to drink even more. For example, social anxiety disorder is closely linked to alcohol use disorder, according to a 2019 twin study.
What Triggers Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal emotion that we all experience from time to time. Its a response that prepares us to deal with danger and prevents us from acting impulsively.
There are many factors that can lead to anxiety. Some of the most common include:
Stressful life events. This can include starting a new job, going through a divorce or losing a loved one. It can also be caused by an illness or injury, or something as seemingly simple as moving into a new home.
Experiencing trauma or abuse during childhood. If you experienced trauma while growing up, it can make you more prone to anxiety as an adult. Any type of abuse physical, emotional or sexual can have lasting effects on your mental health later in life, even if it occurred many years ago.
Genetics and family history. If your parents suffered from anxiety disorders, theres an increased chance that you will too. Similarly, if other members of your family have had similar experiences with anxiety issues, its likely that this could be contributing to yours now too.
Anxiety can have a significant impact on your life. It can make you feel worried, nervous and uneasy about things that wouldnt normally bother you.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations. But when it becomes overwhelming and starts to interfere with your life, its known as an anxiety disorder.
Generalised anxiety disorder a condition characterised by excessive anxiety and worry about everyday events and activities
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Keep Lavender On Hand
Lavender is a traditional remedy that many people use to reduce stress and help them relax.
Research suggests it has a calming effect but doesnt lead to dependence or cause withdrawal symptoms. Using products that contain diluted lavender oil may help reduce or manage symptoms of anxiety.
However, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate essential oils, and strengths and ingredients vary widely.
If you use lavender essential oil, make sure you:
- get your oil from a reputable source, such as a pharmacy
- follow the instructions for use
- avoid applying concentrated oil directly to the skin
- avoid using lavender with benzodiazepines because the combination can cause intense drowsiness
While research suggests there are health benefits, the FDA doesnt monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. Its important to talk with a healthcare professional before you begin using essential oils and be sure to research the quality of a brands products. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil.
Which essential oil is right for you?