This is the 2nd part of the Anxiety free post in which I will be focusing on prevention or things you can do to have more calm and less anxiety in your life. But first, a bit of science that forms the base of the prevention tips below. One thing all anxiety disorders have in common is our body’s reaction to them, or rather the stress response they trigger so I will touch upon that very briefly (and much more in detail in one of the video lectures coming up soon!).
The mechanism of the stress response
One thing all Anxiety disorders have in common is the stress response they activate. This happens via two axes; the sympathetic-adreno-medullar (SAM) axis, secreting noradrenaline and norepinephrine which are involved in fight and flight response and will increase heart rate, increase blood pressure, increase respiratory rate, dilated pupils, increase awareness and focus, and HPA and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, secreting cortisol which increases glucose in the bloodstream and enhances brain's use of glucose while it decreases functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight or flight situation; it alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive and the reproductive system.
This response mechanism is important and life-saving when we are in real danger, and once we’re out of the danger zone, all systems go back to normal. With anxiety, when the perceived danger triggers the system, the system stays alert and aroused much longer than necessary leaving us constantly tense and hypervigilant. Small amounts of stress are actually healthy and keep us resilient so we can react quickly to danger or challenge, but constant stress can put us in a spiral wreaking havoc on our health. Prolonged periods of stress can increase blood sugar, suppress the immune system, cause weight gain, digestive problems, suppress libido and cause reproductive problems etc. Very often, anxiety itself is a symptom of chronic stress, so preventing it can help you live a calmer and anxiety-free life.
Prevention is key
The tips below are not in a specific order and one is not more important than another. You don’t have to follow all, but following more rather than less will help you balance your nervous system and with it have a calmer life. We often indulge ourselves in behaviours that are a source of momentary joy or relief but to the cost of something greater like our mental health. Humans are rather short-sighted, this is what brought us where we are. We sacrificed our home for simple indulgence and convenience (but, let me not go there now).
Move, move, move
Moving your body is so important for health on so many levels, and the same goes for handling anxiety. Do yoga, hike, dance, jog, whatever you like, but try to stay persistent and disciplined. Apart from helping you to metabolise energy and with it decrease muscle tension, types of exercise that increase your heart rate also increase the availability of important anti-anxiety neurochemicals like serotonin and endocannabinoids.
Eat well
Food is another very important part of health in general, including mental health. Eating fresh, unprocessed foods gives our bodies all the nutrients it needs to function properly. A healthy diet means a healthy gut, and a healthy gut, or rather a healthy microbiome, communicates with the brain via the gut-brain axis which I will explain in detail in one of my video lectures. That saying ‘You are what you eat’ is very true. What disrupts or kills the healthy microbiome are processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and stress.
Also, you can take B vitamins and Ashwagandha supplements occasionally. B complex, and especially B1, B6, and B12 are essential to the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. Ashwagandha has many benefits and one of them is calming the nervous system.
Reduce coffee and alcohol
Just as I do, I know that many of you enjoy your morning coffee and a glass of wine over dinner, but the truth is, they are both stimulating to the nervous system. I recently quit coffee altogether (which I thought I never will) and I feel it has helped me feel calmer. Also, I don’t indulge in that glass of wine over dinner any longer except maybe on the weekends and my HRV (Heart Rate Variability, also something I will discuss in detail in the lectures) has gone up. One cup of coffee a day is ok and some wine here and there, but overindulging in either isn’t good for your anxiety in the long run.
Get a good night's sleep
Sleep is so important for everyone, but perhaps even more so for those suffering from anxiety. Exercising, eating well, and reducing (or giving up) coffee and alcohol will help you get a good night's sleep. If you have trouble falling asleep, a cup of calming hot tea might help, reading a book instead of watching something on TV, guided meditation etc.
Generally, if you are watching something on TV, Netflix, etc, know that violent and scary films and TV shows have also shown they can affect anxiety amongst other things (can make one more aggressive). This makes sense – we get involved and emotionally react to what we are watching and our system can get stressed if we’re watching something violent. When I’m going through a stressful period, I choose feel-good cartoons;).
Breathing and meditation
10 minutes of Coherence Breathing (also called Resonant Frequency breathing) has shown that it can balance your Autonomic Nervous System. This is the most simple breathing exercise you can do, yet perhaps the most effective. Download a metronome and for 10 minutes count your breaths to 5 or 6, whatever is better for you. For example, 5 inhale, exhale. No retention, no squares, none of that. After those 10 minutes, you can extend your exhale by one or two counts for a few minutes and do your favourite meditation after that or just sit observing your neutral breath for a few minutes.
Get a pet (if you can take care of one!)
If you have a pet, you don’t need scientific research to tell you that having a pet, and I am mostly referring to dogs and cats, is healing. If you don’t and you didn’t know this, it has been proven in numerous studies that pets can reduce anxiety as well as depression and PTSD. Pets need love and care too, so make sure you have someone to share the responsibility.
Find a good therapist
Last but definitely not least. Therapy has, thankfully, stopped being such a taboo and more and more people are opting to talk to someone when they feel stuck. I call this emotional hygiene. If you are prone to anxiety, a good therapist can help you not only manage it but perhaps shed some light on the events which brought it on and help you process them. If not shared, anxiety can be self-reinforcing, so being open and talking to someone, even if it’s your family and friends, is very important.
Give your phone a day off
Sunday is usually my no-phone day. I have my phone around if I need to make a call, but one day a week, that’s all I use it for. The topic of social media and all the ways it changed our lives both for better and worse is a big one, so for now I’ll just leave it here with this simple advice. Try it, it might be hard at the beginning but ultimately oh so freeing.
Other
Have some fun - dance, listen to music, socialise… Journal your thoughts and emotions, this can be a great self-therapy. Learn how to relax – go for a slow, mindful walk, get a massage, or take a bath. Change your habits - what was it that Einstein said about doing the same thing and expecting different results…? Engage in volunteer work – by helping others we also help ourselves.
Be well.
