Meditation

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Meditation has proven to be one of the most successful ways of dealing with stress and anxiety. There are different ways of meditation, it does no necessarily mean that you have to sit Indian-style on the floor with your eyes closed. (If you want to, though, you can!) Honestly, the most effective way of meditating that I have come across is the kind that no one notices. For example, if you are in the grocery store and panic strikes, what are you supposed to do?? You can't run away, you can't cry, and worst of all, you're in public! It is SO easy to do deep breathing. If you concentrate on what you are doing, tell yourself it's all right, and deep breathe for as long as you need, the anxiety is certain to disappear, and as a bonus, no one will notice what is going on. I find myself doing this all the time, and it has proven to have made me a much more relaxed person in general.

Yoga, pilates, or even just going to the gym to work out counts as different forms of meditation as well. You've got your deep breathing in there, and at the same time you are thinking about something other than whatever is bothering you. You will also get a good workout while doing this, and meditative exercises have proven to be extremely healthy on both body and mind.

Depending on the person, I know religion has been an enormous part of people's meditation. Praying has to be one of the most relaxing and stabling activities that a person can do.

Below is a link to an article that I read a few months ago when doing research on anxiety. It is called Mindful Meditation: Reducing Anxiety by Focusing on the Present Moment. The article gives a lot of great information on "mindful meditation," which is a method of meditation that includes the idea of living in the moment. If you want to learn more about mindful meditation, give it a shot!

Click:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/01/11/mindfulness-meditation-reducing-anxiety-by-focusing-on-the-present-moment/

Keeping Up With Your Body!

Eliminating stress and anxiety is a tough thing to do. They key is to know your body and what positively and negatively affects it. For example, I know that caffeine has a major effect on how much negative energy I have that day, or even the day after. Caffeine is a drug in coffee, chocolate, and many sodas that is also used as a medical stimulant in some cases. This stimulation in your brain makes someone with anxious tendencies much more suseptible to stress. This is only one example of something I know of that acts as an agent to my anxiety. It is, of course, different for every person. Trial and error is the best way to see which diet and even which lifestyle affects your body in the best way. Below is some information I retrieved from a chart on www.symtoms.org/anxiety_symptoms.html. It lists many possible habits to adopt in order to have the most anxiety-free lifestyle.

Self-Help Tips for Controlling & Reducing Anxiety:

Exercise regularly: Exercise is an effective treatment for anxiety. Yoga and aerobic activities are particularly calming.

Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can exacerbate anxiety. Getting the Sleep You Need describes the importance of a full-night’s rest and offers tips on how to sleep well.

Eat a healthy diet: Healthy eating can help you in your battle against anxiety and stress. Make sure your diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Meditate: Many types of meditation have been shown to reduce anxiety. Common types of meditation include mindfulness, walking meditation, and transcendental meditation.

Practice relaxation techniques: Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visualization can help reduce anxiety.

Avoid alcohol and drugs: Don’t use substances to cope with your anxiety. They can make the problem worse, and eventually will cause problems of their own.

Eliminate caffeine: Stop drinking or cut back on caffeinated beverages, including soda, coffee, and tea. Caffeine can increase anxiety, cause insomnia, and even provoke panic attacks.

Cultivate a support system: Spend as much time as possible with people who make you feel good and are emotionally supportive. The more social support you have from friends and family, the less vulnerable you will be to anxiety and stress.

What is Anxiety, and What is An Anxiety Disorder?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines anxiety as follows:

1 a : painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill; b : fearful concern or interest; c : a cause of anxiety

2 : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it

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Anxiety is certainly a speedbump, smack-dab in the middle of the road to happiness. It is built-up adrenaline that more or less has no where to go. When a feeling like this, or the definitions above occur, it is generally thought of as anxiety. Sometimes anxiety is quite easy to ignore- just count to ten! Other times, it can be an extremely intrusive disorder that seems like it can control your life. www.kitchentablemedicine.com/what-is-anxiety/

How can someone tell the difference between an anxiety "event" and an anxiety disorder?

What I call and anxiety "event" is something that can be brushed off without having to take drastic measures to do so. It can be uncomfortable, annoying and even cause anger, but it will most likely be somewhat easy to extinguish. For example, what if you have an exam in twenty minutes that you haven't even studied for? What chapter is it on again? You may start to sweat, feel flushed, or even feel your heart flutter in an uncomfortable way, and sometimes it is hard to breathe- this is because you realize that you really need to pass the test, and there is just no way that is going to be possible.

On the contrary, and anxiety disorder is much more prominent, and seems to control your life. Everything makes you feel as described above, but you feel this way a majority of the time for no reason at all. These disorders could be caused by many things, whether you have generalized anxiety, or have had something traumatic happen in your life (a disorder which can also be diagnosed as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Both kinds of anxiety are irritating, and there are many, many things that someone could do to help or even prevent them.