Anti Anxiety

By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
updated on 11/19/2007 at 03:03PM

It's perfectly normal to feel anxious, nervous or even stressed-out from time to time. It would be impossible to go through life without encountering at least one stressful event or situation. But sometimes anxiety can develop for no apparent reason, and wreak havoc in an individual’s life. Left unchecked, anxiety can affect every aspect of daily life, from relationships at home, to productivity at work, even a person’s ability to drive. If you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, it's important to make the effort to learn what you can about this condition and how it’s affecting you. Next, you need to understand the source of your anxiety and the methods you can use to tame it.

The Source of Anxiety

Many people encounter similar circumstances in life, whether they are financial, marital, or otherwise related. But some people find it difficult to take the many bumps and curves that life has to offer without skipping a beat. Others become debilitated by the slightest setback. What accounts for the difference in the way one person handles anxiety as compared to another? The difference can be found inside.

Many researchers have come to believe that the difference between happiness and misery is a choice that each of us makes. That setbacks and misfortunes are only as debilitating as we allow them to become. This is an incredibly difficult concept for some people to grasp, after all, who would choose to be miserable? But in reality, misery is often an unconscious choice based on learned and habitual negative thought patterns. If you continually dwell on negative events, you’ll soon begin to avoid certain events for fear that they may have a negative outcome. This leads to the belief that happiness is impossible, and consequently misery takes its place.

So, is it possible to change this negative outlook and learn to be happy? Yes. And it’s not as hard to accomplish as one might think. The first step in taming your anxiety is understanding that it’s not the stressful situation that’s causing your anxiety, it’s your response to it. If you can learn to pay attention to your body and the ways you react to stress, you will become better able to counter anxiety before it becomes a problem.

Reconnecting With Yourself

The more you know about yourself, the better. Think about yourself as you think others might view you. What are your best qualities, the ones that others always seem to point out about you? What qualities do you think you need to work on? Think about your daily tasks and activities and the expectations you place upon yourself. Are they realistic? Do you focus too much on what friends, family, or co-workers think about you? Finally, think about your thoughts and feelings, the real thoughts and feelings that you experience when you totally let your guard down. Do you talk negatively about yourself? Are you filled with fear and anxiety? Look at yourself honestly and deeply. Make notes if you think it would be helpful and try to gain a better understanding of the person you are and the attitudes that you posses.

Now that you have a better understanding of who you are, and where your anxiety is coming from, you’ll be better equipped to tame that anxiety. There are plenty of self-help books, and self-professed experts that offer suggestions for the best methods for handling anxiety. But it doesn't really matter what the experts say, or what works best for most people, what matters is what will work for you. So if you have tried other methods and techniques, without receiving any noticeable relief, don't despair. Somewhere there’s a solution that will work for you. It’s just a matter of taking your time to find it.

Take a close look at how you cope with anxiety, and how you physically and emotionally respond to it. What action (or lack thereof) do you take in a stressful situation? How do stressors make you feel (tired, angry, helpless, depressed)? Keep track of these actions and feelings for several weeks. Before long, you will begin to notice a pattern of behavior and emotion. Use this information to determine the anti-anxiety technique that will work best for you.

Taming Anxiety

Taming anxiety involves understanding yourself and the source of your anxiety. Make an effort to take control of your life and those situations which are causing your anxiety. Now that you understand what triggers your anxiety, you can determine the best method for diffusing or avoiding these situations. Learn to manage your time and your activities to avoid stress and anxiety. And make a daily effort to renew your spirit and recharge your batteries. Make the time to enjoy your life and, most importantly, choose to be happy.

Learn more about stress, anxiety, depression and the newest natural remedies at www.stress-anxiety-depression.org.