5 Helpful Tips for Minimizing Your Risk of Anxiety Attacks
For many adults, anxiety is a part of their daily lives. This often leads to those with anxiety and those around them wondering how and why it occurs. To understand why anxiety occurs, we first need to understand what anxiety is.
Anxiety can be apprehension, tension, or uneasiness that stems from anticipation of danger, which can be internal or external. It can be the emotional reaction that someone has to a threat or a perceived threat that gives a fearful response.
It should also be noted that anxiety is not the same as fear, although they are sometimes if not often, used interchangeably.
Here are some of the signs and symptoms of anxiety and how to take preventative measures to avoid anxiety attacks.
Signs and Symptoms
There can be various physical, mental, and emotional signs for those who have anxiety. The perceived or real danger can cause a rush of adrenaline which triggers anxiety and a fight-or-flight response.
Additional physical signs include increased blood pressure or heart rate, sweating, trembling, or hyperventilating. It can also include feeling restless, constantly having to be moving or doing something, fidgeting, or having trouble sleeping. Others can have trouble eating due to lack of appetite or find themselves overeating, otherwise known as “stress-eating.”
Mental and emotional signs can include feeling tense, feeling overly nervous, or having a constant or increased sense of panic, dread, or incoming danger. For many, it can also include struggles with controlling worrying thoughts or ruminating on a specific topic.
How to Prevent Anxiety Attacks
There’s no one correct way to address anxiety. The key is to talk to a trusted healthcare professional to get you on the proper treatment plan. It’s also important to have other ways to help prevent anxiety attacks:
1. Know Your Triggers
This can take time to learn and manage, but it’s important to know any and all triggers of an anxiety attack. Triggers can vary from person to person, but they can include certain sounds, smells, dates, people, or places. If you know a trigger, you can either find healthy ways to cope with it or, when possible, find ways to avoid that trigger altogether.
2. Maintain a Routine
It’s common for someone with anxiety to feel like there are not enough hours in the day to get things done. Try to set and maintain a routine to keep normalcy and know when you’re close to capacity for the day. This can include having a daily or weekly schedule with all events and activities. It can also include making a daily and weekly chores list to help stay on track with what needs to be accomplished.
3. Find Ways to Rest and Relax
The key to this is to do something you enjoy that isn’t stress-inducing. This can include reading a book, practicing yoga, or listening to music. It can also include finding a new hobby, going for a walk or run, cooking a favorite meal, or spending time with friends and family.
4. Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
When you eat well, you feel better. A well-balanced diet can help increase energy levels and help boost your immune system. Consider speaking to your doctor or a nutritionist to come up with a nutrition plan that works best for you. When possible, try to have foods that you enjoy that also have good nutritional value.
5. Maintain a Positive Work-Life Balance
If you’re working too much or overly stressed about work, it will inevitably bleed into your home and personal life. If you can leave work truly at work, try to set boundaries with colleagues. If you work from home, talk to your manager or coworkers about setting up a routine or schedule to allow a true break from work.
—
If you struggle with managing anxiety, reach out today to schedule your first session!