Many natural and homeopathic options have demonstrated effective in the treatment of anxiety and panic disorders. You should avoid incorporating these options for therapy into your routine until you have discussed it with your physician. Some supplements might prove to be counteractive against your prescription medications.
Teas and Supplements
There truly is something calming about a good cup of tea, but it goes beyond the comfort of a familiar routine. While it can help to ease your jittery nerves and help to ground you by distracting you from your anxiety, you’ll also discover that many teas have calming properties.
Chamomile contains specific compounds that act to soothe your nerves and help to restore a bit of calm into an otherwise anxiety-infused moment. Many find that a cup of chamomile tea a day can help with the long-term reduction of anxiety.
Green tea is another great option, as it contains an amino acid that has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure and help to curb an increasing heart rate. Long-term studies have shown that drinking green tea two or more times a day can help you to see a reduction in your anxiety.
Lemon balm has long been known to have soothing properties. You can enjoy it as a tea, or take it as a capsule. Additionally, the scent of lemon balm can help to reduce overall stress and anxiety in your home so it is a great option for soothing aromatherapy.
Lavender offers an intoxicating scent that is also a great choice for aromatherapy. It can help to infuse a great sense of calm and well-being when inhaled. When taken as a tea or a capsule, it has also been effective at reducing the severity of panic attacks.
Supplements like St. John’s Wort have been demonstrated to show a marked improvement in depression and anxiety. It can however interact with prescription medications, which could set your treatment plans off kilter.
Exercise and fresh air
It’s no secret that getting in a good workout and plenty of fresh air can help you to feel better. Exercise is good for your brain and is a surefire natural antidote to anxiety. Many find that if a panic attack is setting in, they can lace up their running shoes and find an almost instant source of relief from the workout.
Whether hitting the pavement, flipping down the treadmill, or going for a swim, you’ll find that just twenty minutes can help to reset your anxiety and stave off panic attacks.
Eat your way to good mental health
Are you a person who skips breakfast? It’s a universal truth that people tend to see an increase in anxiety when hungry. A drop in blood sugar can be at least partially to blame for the onset of a panic attack.
Grab a quick but sustaining snack, like apple slices and peanut butter, a fistful of almonds, a piece of dark chocolate, or whole wheat crackers.
A plant-based diet that includes lean meats and seafood can help to reduce anxiety over the longtime. Leafy greens contain folate and phytonutrients, which studies have determined can help to lower anxiety.
Don’t skip breakfast and other meals. Even if you just scramble an egg in the morning, it can provide you with the filling protein you need to take on your day. Eggs are a source of choline. Choline levels that are on the low end have been associated with an increase in anxiety.
Meditation and breathing techniques
When you feel a panic attack coming on, odds are good that you’re going to notice a marked difference in your breathing patterns. Your breaths will typically be shallow and rapid; this can also lead to the feeling of being unable to catch your breath, and is often the reason that panic attacks can feel like a heart attack to some.
Deep breathing techniques have been shown to be effective at calming panic attacks drastically. The reason is that when you have a focus on your breathing, you will find your focus directed away from the anxiety and panic at hand.
Take in a deep breath and then exhale through your mouth. Take in a breath through your nose, counting to four. Hold in your breath, counting to seven. Slowly exhale through your mouth, for a count of eight.
This exercise can be hugely effective when you feel the anxiety creeping in.
Mindfulness Meditation
Taking cues from Buddhism, mindfulness meditation is no longer exclusively for practicing Buddhists. It is now an accepted part of mainstream therapy, and has been shown to be beneficial in treating anxiety.
With mindfulness awareness, we will be able to experience the truth of each moment as it occurs, rather than what you may be fearing or expecting.
It’s a breeze to start to incorporate mindfulness techniques into your everyday routine. Start by paying close attention to the right now. Pay attention intentionally, and with a concerted effort to do so without judgment in your mind.
Sitting at your desk, feel the surface of the desk beneath your hands. Feel the cool air from the air vent blowing on your face. Be aware of the chair you are sitting in. Be aware of the sounds around you, and of the sensations you are feeling.
Close your eyes and purposefully turn your focus onto your breath. Focus in each breath coming in and going out of your body.
Feel the air filling your lungs. Is the air cool or warmed? How does it change when it leaves your body?
This type of directed thinking can help you to alleviate the panic as it is trying to take a hold. Simply put, if you are focused on your breathing and you’re here and now, you won’t be able to also focus on your feelings of anxiety.
Quick Breathing Techniques
We’ve all seen that scene on a TV show where someone is experiencing anxiety, and someone hands them a brown paper bag to keep them from hyperventilating and get their anxiety under control.
There is actually something to this much-played Hollywood bit. The practice of taking deep controlled breaths works to, in a way, diffuse the fight or flight response that is responsible for your anxiety and creeping panic attack.
By changing our breathing patterns, we can alter the messages being sent to our brains. Whether it feels like it at the time or not, the way you breathe when you’re in the grips of a panic attack can impact the anxiety you are feeling. By altering your breathing pattern, you’ll be sending a direct message to the brain; one that it understands and can react to.
These types of messages from your respiratory system can have a rapid and direct impact on the parts of the brain that are involved with emotions, behavior, and thought processes.
Whether using the paper bag or taking deep controlled breaths, you’ll be able to center your thoughts a lot faster, even with a panic attack trying to take control.