5 Natural Methods for Preventing Anxiety Attacks
According to the American Psychological Association, panic disorder — which is the name of a condition that causes severe, recurring anxiety attacks — can decrease your quality of life and cause you to fear normal situations. You can choose to take medication for panic attacks (which is often necessary to calm down enough to treat the issue), but this won't address the cause of your anxiety. Consider the following tips from Truly Divine for reducing your stress level and preventing your anxiety attacks before they have a chance to begin.
1. Repair or Let Go of Toxic Relationships
It's easy to see how an abusive relationship would cause extreme anxiety. But what if you're dealing with the low-grade toxicity that interferes with healthy relationships between friends, coworkers, or even you and your spouse? If the relationship is important to you, it's a good idea to address passive-aggressive tactics, criticism, and bickering head-on. If you can live without these people in your life, it may be time to simply let them go.
2. Reduce Your Intake of Stimulating Substances
The foods and drinks you ingest and the medications you take can contribute to the anxiety you feel. Take note of how you feel when you drink caffeine, smoke, or use alcohol to moderate your mood. If you're using substances like marijuana to calm down, be aware that though this drug is usually safe for most people, it can make others feel much more anxious.
3. Update Your Storage System
Cleaning up may not cure your panic attacks, but it has many mental health benefits. You may clean and declutter to reduce your stress, or you might be a packrat whose piles of paperwork and dirty laundry are adding to your anxiety. If this sounds like you, consider creating an updated storage system for your paperwork or digitizing it to reduce the clutter in your home. If you work from home, use a scheduling system — either a physical planner or an electronic calendar — to keep track of important dates and appointments.
4. Turn Your Home Into a Relaxing Oasis
Negativity can contribute to anxiety, and it can be difficult to stop negative thought patterns once they start. It's also possible that you live with extremely negative people. Boost your home's relaxing ambiance by installing softer lighting, using ergonomic furniture, and installing sheer curtains instead of heavy fabric to bring in more light. If you have small children, try designating one room as a playroom or sectioning off an area of your main living space for their toys so that you're not constantly stepping on small objects and picking up messes.
5. Try Counseling
Panic attacks often start when you feel ungrounded. Do you feel as though you don't understand your purpose in life, or do you feel stuck but unsure of how to get out? Seek out a professional counselor, life coach, or spiritual leader (either online or in person) to help you discover the right life path for yourself and to help you act despite your anxiety.
Your anxiety may never completely disappear, but over time, you'll be able to put it into perspective. Sometimes anxiety makes you feel helpless and powerless — which can prevent you from helping yourself or doing anything about it. Use the tips listed here to begin taking action.
