Anxiety affects millions of people every day. Whether it be chronic, generalized anxiety or sudden panic before a big presentation at work, very few people live a life completely free of anxiety. Because it is nearly impossible to completely prevent anxiety, it is important to know how to relieve anxiety in the healthiest, safest way.
Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety Most people know what stress and anxiety feel like in the moment: a quickened heartbeat, a knot in your stomach, racing thoughts, or sweaty palms are just a few of the common symptoms. But, they may even be affecting your life in ways that you are unaware of. Some lesser known symptoms and side effects of stress and anxiety include:
Frequent headaches
Jaw pain due to clenching
Neck tension
Nausea
Weakness and fatigue
Diminished sex drive
Insomnia or inability to rest
Clearly, stress and anxiety are not things you should try to simply “deal with” or ignore. People who regularly feel anxious understand the need for quick relief when anxiety does strike. Thankfully, there are things everyone can do to reduce anxiety naturally.
10 Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety If you have never tried to reduce anxiety naturally, you may be surprised at how effective these methods can be. Everyone should try incorporating these easy home remedies for stress and anxiety into their daily routine, or when they simply need anxiety attack relief.
Natural Supplements To Relieve Stress and Anxiety While there are plenty of prescription anxiety medications on the market, there are also natural supplements that can help keep you calm. One of the most widely used is valerian root, an all-natural sedative. Valerian root supplements are derived from the valerian flower, and can help relieve anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
Another natural supplement to help reduce anxiety naturally is 5HTP. Once metabolized, 5HTP can convert readily into serotonin and melatonin, two natural substances that can greatly reduce anxiety. Serotonin regulates mood to keep your anxiety at bay, while melatonin can help you achieve restful sleep.
To really reap the benefits of these natural anxiety cures, look for a supplement that combines them. Momental MEND contains both valerian and 5HTP, along with other beneficial ingredients like malic acid and huperzine A. Before heading to your local health food store and filling your cart with various calming supplements, try MEND nootropics for anxiety and reap the benefits of multiple natural anxiety cures, plus cognitive benefits, in one supplement.
2. Deep Breathing To Calm Your Anxiety When you are stressed or anxious, your body thinks you are in danger, and your sympathetic nervous system kicks in. Your body’s response to this perceived “danger” is shallow, quick breathing, and a quickened heart rate, two anxiety symptoms. This “flight or fight” response can be useful when in real danger, but most anxiety attacks are not caused by any actual danger. Plus, when you are not breathing fully, you just feel worse from lack of oxygen.
To calm yourself down, you need to slow your breathing and send the message to your body that everything is okay. Take a minute or two to focus on your breath, breathing deeply in through your nose, holding in the breath for a moment, and then sigh out as you exhale through your mouth. As you sigh, you will likely feel your worries leave your body as you start to calm down. Deep breathing is one of the easiest, quickest ways to bring to cure anxiety naturally.
3. Cut Down on Caffeine Consumption and Decrease Stress It is very common to turn to caffeine to power you through your busy day. But, if you struggle with anxiety, it may not be the best idea. Consuming caffeine makes your heart rate increase, and increases levels of stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. While a little bit of this is okay, if you are trying to relieve anxiety the natural way, cutting down on caffeine may be the key to keeping your mind and body calm.
If you feel like you cannot give up caffeine, look for alternatives to your standard cup of coffee (or three) that you drink throughout the day. Nootropic Momental MIND with green tea caffeine can give you your caffeine fix without an overload of the stimulant. MIND combines caffeine with L-theanine, which nullifies the negative effects of caffeine that can contribute to anxiety.
4. Journal Everyday For a Healthy Mind Expressive writing, or writing about your emotions, problems, or even about a specific event, can be very beneficial for mental health. Set aside a few minutes in your day to write about how you have been feeling, or simply keep your journal handy and practice expressive writing when you feel anxious. Writing about how you are feeling can be a great emotional release, and help you move on from what you are feeling. It can be especially helpful to write before getting in to bed if you suffer from insomnia due to too many thoughts rushing through your head. Rather than keeping them all inside, try letting them out in your journal.
5. Exercise Everyone knows that exercise is good for your physical health, but it can also improve your mental health. When you engage in cardiovascular exercise, your body releases endorphins, a feel-good hormone. Endorphins help lift your mood and can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Plus, moving helps take your mind off of whatever is making you anxious, and can help you clear your head so you can move on from the anxiety. Whereas sitting still will cause you to keep thinking about your anxiety, exercise is a nice distraction. It will be even more beneficial if you go for a walk or jog outside and reap the added benefits of spending time in nature
6. Meditation and Yoga More and more people are turning to meditation and yoga to help them deal with problems like depression, anxiety, and stress. The ancient practices have had a resurgence in recent years as people are looking for ways to relieve some of the tension caused by daily life.
Meditation and yoga can both be effective, natural ways to reduce anxiety. Both practices teach you to only focus on the present moment; when you are truly doing this, there is nothing to be anxious about, as anxiety stems from worries about the future or regrets about the past. It is not easy to let your thoughts go and focus on the present, but once you learn to do so, it can do wonders for your anxiety. Yoga also adds in elements of deep breathing and exercise, making it the ideal way to move your body and get some relief from anxiety.
7. Make Sleep a Priority and Stop Stress in it's tracks Anxiety and sleep present a “chicken or the egg” conundrum. Anxiety can make it harder to sleep, but lack of sleep can also cause anxiety. Either way, it is important to make getting a restful sleep each night a top priority. Adequate sleep is important for many bodily functions, including keeping mood stable. When you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to be shaken by minor events, and this can cause anxiety to sky rocket. Plus, when you are tired, you are more likely to reach for the caffeine throughout the day which can make you feel even more anxious.
Lack of sleep and anxiety fuel a vicious cycle that you should make an effort to break if you struggle with anxiety. Make getting your 8 hours a priority by constructing a nighttime routine with aromatherapy, meditation, journaling, or anything else that relaxes you. Exercising during the day can also help you fall asleep at night. Try Momental MEND with calming, natural ingredients to put you in the right frame of mind to relax and drift to sleep.
8. Self Care Practices You Don't Want to Miss Anxiety can be very overwhelming to the point that you forget to do things that make you feel happy and at peace. Make time to indulge yourself in your favorite self care practices to keep life from getting too overwhelming and help keep anxiety at bay.
Self care means different things to different people. But, if reducing anxiety naturally is your goal, try things like massage, aromatherapy, or making time to get out and enjoy nature. Whatever self care means to you, by making it a priority in life you will overall feel more calm and can reduce the impact of things that make you feel anxious.
9. Therapy or Counseling is No Longer Taboo It can be intimidating or scary to try therapy or counseling for the first time. But, if you struggle with anxiety, it can be really helpful to talk to a mental health professional. Simply releasing everything you have been holding in to a friend or in your journal can be a natural anxiety reducer, but talking to a therapist or counselor is even more beneficial because they are trained to give you advice. A therapist can give you suggestions on natural ways to reduce anxiety that are specifically tailored for your life and situation. If you feel you need someone to talk to about your anxiety, or if trying to manage the condition on your own has become too much, definitely do not hesitate to start working with a therapist or mental health counselor.
10. Clean Eating Helps With Stress; It Matters What You Eat Many people do not realize how much the food we eat can impact our mood. Both eating too many and too few calories are associated with anxiety. It is important to adequately fuel yourself with healthy foods to keep your mood positive and stable. The nootropic diet is a whole foods focused, balanced diet that can naturally improve your mood while also providing cognitive benefits. When you add in nootropic supplements with a clean diet, the benefits are maximized even further.
Beyond just eating a generally healthy diet, there are specific foods you can eat to naturally reduce anxiety. For example, magnesium can help promote restful sleep, especially for people with depression or anxiety. Foods high in magnesium include spinach, dark chocolate, and avocado. But, as long as you focus on eating a sufficient amount of calories from healthy foods and limit sugary, processed foods, you should see some improvement to your anxiety symptoms.
Anxiety can be a huge burden to bear, but there are many simple ways to calm anxiety naturally. Try these 10 natural ways to relieve stress and anxiety and feel the difference they can make in your daily life.
