Self-help for anxiety

Everyone needs to feel anxious at some time or another – anxiety causes a reaction, which pumps the hormone stimulant adrenaline into the system. It spurs people to do challenging and uncongenial tasks and prepares them to cope adequately with difficult situations.

What is not desirable is for anxiety to become a problem - for normal temporary feelings of uncertainty, worry, or fear to eventually become a persistent or uncontrollable state of mind.

Normal anxiety usually has a cause of which you are aware – for example, an important interview or a test of some kind may be looming up. But anxiety can become a problem when worry or apprehension is experienced for no apparent reason, or is much worse than the situation warrants.

Although anxiety is an emotional state, it can induce physical symptoms that are not all in the mind- PAIN (particularly in the head, chest, abdomen, and back), INSOMNIA, muscular TENSION, and DIZZINESS. Often there is NAUSEA and VOMITING. DIARRHOEA or frequent urinating. The sufferer may show signs of panic such as SWEATING PALPITATIONS and abnormally deep breathing, or feel tired, weak, and listless. Generally, the symptoms disappear when there is no longer a reason to be anxious. Yet some people suffer from recurrent attacks over a period of years – an illness known as chronic anxiety.

Here are some self-help tips:

Stick to a daily routine: Set and keep times for work, meals, and leisure. Being better organised will help you to feel better.

Adopt a positive attitude: Be kind – but not indulgent – to yourself, and think constructively about solving your problems rather than focusing on worries.

Keep active and busy: Spending free time on physical activities such as aerobics or running, or on outdoor pursuits such as gardening, will cheer you up considerably and take your mind off worries.

Try helping others: Your own problems will soon seem less important.

Give your full attention to whatever you are doing: However humdrum the task, learn to value the present, rather than worry about the future.

See a doctor or alternative practitioner about any physical symptoms: Then at least the symptoms themselves will not add to your concerns.

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