Natural Remedies for Anxiety to Try at Home

We all experience a bit of anxiety. Living busy lives can be stressful, and anxiety often flows from that. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that anxiety is among the most common mental health issues, and that in the United States, around 1 in 5 adults are affected by anxiety disorders yearly, making remedies for anxiety all the more important.

Grappling with anxiety

Anxiety doesn’t feel the same for everyone, nor is it triggered by the same things. Anxiety can present itself in different ways, with one person experiencing butterflies in their stomach, while another might have shallow breathing, panic attacks, nightmares, or trembling. It’s important for you to understand what anxiety looks like for you and how it feels so that you can address it if necessary.

Anxiety is how your body naturally responds to stress. This has its positive and negative aspects. For instance, anxiety is good because it makes you alert to danger around you, like when a car runs a red light, and you react instinctively.

If you have a huge deadline, anxiety can motivate you to stay organized and push you to prepare well. If you’re uncertain about an upcoming decision, anxiety helps you calculate your risks.

Anxiety can be unhelpful, however, when it lingers and becomes persistent. If it begins to affect how you live your daily life, you should address it before it gets out of control. Unchecked anxiety can have a huge negative impact on your quality of life, so you should use every tool at your disposal to counteract it.

Natural remedies for anxiety

There are many ways to deal with anxiety. Below are some natural remedies you can try out.

Quit smoking

It may function as a quick fix for anxiety, but smoking affects your overall health and may worsen your anxiety.

Stay away from alcohol

Alcohol can disrupt your body’s natural processes for falling asleep, and heavy drinking can interfere with the balance of neurotransmitters. All of this can interfere with how your body functions to repair itself and provide you with mental health benefits. Instead of alcohol, why not drink water to quench your thirst and hydrate well?

Get better organized

Having a plan to manage your time well can alleviate the stress that comes from being overwhelmed and overextended.

Get regular exercise and stay active

Physical activity can help reduce anxiety by diverting your attention from whatever may be stressing you out. In addition, exercise reduces the symptoms of anxiety by boosting the release of neurochemicals like serotonin.

Reduce your intake of caffeine

Caffeine can make you jittery and worsen anxiety. Try drinking herbal teas such as chamomile instead (but be careful as it can increase the risk of bleeding when used in conjunction with blood thinners).

Sleep well

Make good sleep a priority. Go to bed and wake up at consistent times, limit your device usage before bed, make sure your room is dark and cool enough for you to sleep comfortably, and try to relax before you go to bed.

Journal

Expressing your thoughts can help lighten your load and make it feel more manageable.

Try some relaxation exercises and meditation

Meditation can help slow and order racing thoughts. You can use guided meditation apps. Anxiety causes you to tense your muscles, and progressive relaxation exercises can help you alleviate this tension in your body.

Eat a balanced diet

Consider what you eat. If you feel more anxious after eating certain foods, especially those high in sugar, or highly processed foods, switch to a balanced diet with complex carbs, lean proteins, and fruit and vegetables.

Try aromatherapy

Using essential oils and natural plant extracts, aromatherapy can help calm you and relieve anxiety. Some of the essential oils that are often used to relieve anxiety are bergamot, ylang-ylang, clary sage, grapefruit, and lavender. These can be put in a diffuser or added to your bath.

Learn your triggers for anxiety

Identifying these can help you prepare mentally and emotionally before and when it happens.

Spend time with animals

Furry or otherwise, these can provide you with companionship and function as a form of support.

Finding further remedies for anxiety

If the natural remedies named above don’t help you reduce your levels of anxiety, there are other forms of help available. A professional such as a therapist can offer more guidance on treatment options that are available to address persistent or increased anxiety.

Some of the available treatment options include talk therapy, which helps one cope with anxiety, and it can help with disrupting unhelpful thought patterns that exacerbate anxiety. Additionally, medications such as antidepressants and sedatives that balance one’s brain chemistry and prevent episodes of anxiety may be effective for dealing with the symptoms of anxiety.

Talk with someone if your anxiety is overwhelming or preventing you from enjoying life. Reach out to a counselor with training in dealing with anxiety and anxiety disorders today.