5 Ways to Quickly Reduce Your Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety attacks affect so many people and they can come on so quickly without any warning. Typically anxiety is a sign of being overworked and needing to take a break. When it hits, and you start to feel a panic attack coming on you’re going to want to find a way to quickly reduce your anxiety symptoms.

Acceptance is the first step to dealing with anxiety. Knowing that right now you are feeling anxious and then taking steps to minimize and reduce the symptoms. Or at the very least not make them worse.

How to quickly reduce your anxiety

Skip the caffeine

Since caffeine is a stimulant is can trigger your flight or fight response. It can speed up your heart rate which is the last thing you want when you are feeling anxious. Being mindful to how you are feeling and recognizing what is needed now can help. Skipping the coffee and going for an herbal tea with no caffeine might be a better solution.

Let go of any tension

Take some relaxing deep breaths can help calm an anxiety attack or a worried mind. Another tip is to tense your muscles and then to relax them as you release your breath.

Take some silent me time

Put down the phone and walk away from all of the updates about what is going on in the world.  This is especially important right before bed time. The blue light from our devices can keep you up at night when you rally need uninterrupted sleep.

Change your lifestyle

Adding in some simple things to your life to help you create a healthy lifestyle can be just what you need. Getting regular checkups and making sure you are eating and sleeping properly are important when we are feeling anxious.

Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today

Is there something that you can get done today to take a little off of tomorrow’s plate? Maybe it’s meal planning for the week on Sunday nights. Or maybe it’s getting a heads tart on an assignment now so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute. My supervisor phrases it like this: “what can I do today to help tomorrow’s Charlene?” This isn’t about overworking yourself today. If you know that projects and presentations make you anxious then practice coping ahead by breaking it down into smaller tasks that can be completed bit by bit. This way it won’t seem as overwhelming and add to your stress.

For me, what has helped to reduce my stress and feelings of anxiety has been my mindfulness practice. I know I talk about it often (or all the time) but mindfulness has created this huge shift in my life! It’s actually pretty crazy how different I am now. I used to be so shy and self-conscious but these days that has changed. It’s actually really awesome!!

This is why I want others to know more about mindfulness. I’ve seen how helpful it has been for me so I want to pass it on to others.