Six different allies to be able to calm anxiety naturally

It is one of the most common ills of our time. Anxiety is a disorder that we have all suffered at some point in our lives, as shown by various studies on the subject. Thus, you shouldn't feel like a weirdo and believe you're the only one. How to face this pathology so typical of the XXI century? There is no immediate remedy, so you must bet on changes in your lifestyle and seek the support of the environment to put a brake on it progressively.

If you experience frequent episodes of anxiety or stress, you must implement a series of routines that help you feel better and put a stop to the negative thoughts that plague your mind and repeat themselves incessantly. The majority advice from doctors and psychologists is do sports outdoors, whether it be walking, running or cycling.

When you practice relaxation techniques, you learn to calm feelings of anxiety or not let them interfere in your life

In more serious cases, in which anxiety becomes chronic and palpably affects your daily life, the best thing you can do is put yourself in the hands of a professional, Because in addition to this series of changes in habits, it is likely that you also need some type of therapy or medication to combat this disorder. But for those people in whom the episodes are not yet very pronounced and want to bet on natural remedies, "Business Insider" has compiled a collection of the best tips to reduce the frequency of this disorder so in vogue today.

Regular exercise

As we said, it is the first thing that is prescribed when noticing symptoms related to stress or anxiety. Especially because of the positive impact it has on your mood, since the body releases endorphins, the so-called "happiness hormones". Some experts like Dawn Jonas, A doctor at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, they claim that walking for one hour four days a week is just as effective as taking medication.

A 2017 study concluded that "exercise has a significant effect in reducing anxiety," while another from that same year also recommends strength training to reduce stress levels. Either aerobic or anaerobic, the important thing is to release the energy that your body has stored and burn calories to feel better mentally and physically.

Adapt a sleep routine

In many cases, anxiety brings with it sleep problems, and in turn the fact of not sleeping well also multiplies the chances of having a new episode of anxiety. Therefore, it is very important that you try to follow a sleep routine, that is, establish a fixed time to go to sleep as well as get up. This in times of quarantine can be very difficult, since the schedules become more variable. But once the body gets used to it, in a matter of days you can fall asleep. A very important detail that you must take into account is that you cannot sleep too much nap or none, since otherwise you will be contributing to alter that sleep cycle.

Do relaxation exercises

Meditation is very important in order to reduce the effects of stress and the frequency of episodes. "When you practice relaxation techniques, you learn to calm feelings of anxiety or not to let them interfere in your life, "he says Alisa Kamis-Brinda, a psychotherapist from Philadelphia, to ‘Business Insider’. A 2019 study found that guided meditation was much more effective than cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing stress symptoms.

Practice "biofeedback"

Biofeedback It is the process by which you can monitor the physical reactions your body has to anxiety to know how to regulate them. For example, if your first symptom is that your heart starts pumping faster than normal, You can cut it short by taking deep breaths and, meanwhile, monitor your heart levels to verify that exercise is effective and thus incorporate it into that series of techniques that work to reduce anxiety.

Eat healthy and avoid alcohol or tobacco

Recent research found that a diet high in fats, sugars and carbohydrates can increase the risk of anxiety by 25%. On the other hand, if you bet on vegetables, fiber or legumes, you will not only get your weight down, but also stress. We are what we eat, and in order to reduce this type of mental disorders, a correct diet is an essential factor.

And while we are committed to healthy nutrition, we must also know how to say no to toxic substances that can interfere with the health of our body. Without going further, tobacco, which in addition to causing serious damage to the lungs causes the blood vessels to dilate, favoring that the episodes of anxiety occur more continuously. Similarly, alcohol is also a very dangerous substance which contributes to more stress. Although it may be relaxing in the beginning or in the short term, in the long term it is very destructive to mental and physical health.

Take magnesium

It is an essential mineral substance in order to reduce anxiety episodes. This is demonstrated by science: a 2017 study revealed that those who had high levels of magnesium in their blood reported lower rates of anxiety or stress. That is why this vitamin ends up working almost as a natural anxiolytic. We can find it in foods rich in chlorophyll, such as vegetables or nuts (walnuts or almonds), in legumes and cereals (brown rice) as well as in white corn, cashews, pistachios and peanuts.