5 Ways to Deal With Anxiety (Natural Steps to a Calmer You)

"Anxiety disorders are one of the most common disorders among young people in the general population. It is estimated that up to 20% of young people in Western countries meet the diagnosis of any anxiety disorders."   

Being your best self without anxiety holding you back will give you more energy, a clearer perspective and better thinking.  It can be a life changer in so many ways.

My family's health challenges have us using these strategies to make sure our anxiety is in check. It can consume the person but also affect the people around them. Below, the 5 ways to deal with anxiety have been broken down by topics.

First we will cover what anxiety is, symptoms of anxiety and why it is important to get it under control. The we will discuss the natural practices that can be put into place for a calmer and more at ease you.

#1  Balance Neurotransmitters

What are neurotransmitters?  They are the chemicals messengers of the body's nervous system.  There are more than 60 noted neurotransmitters according to this article, and the role of each one differs but yet affect one another.  These chemical messengers release signals which play roles in carrying information and boosting and balancing bodily functions.

The neurotransmitters can work together, and often times more than one can be out of balance. When this is the case, the body can display problems and over or under compensation for things.

Since this article is focused on anxiety, we will keep to the topic of neurotransmitters' functioning regarding anxiety.  However, neurotransmitter functions are intricate and seek a knowledgeable doctor when seeking help for your deficiencies.  

The five specific neurotransmitters below contribute to anxiety in certain ways when they are not balanced:

• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• Glutamate
• Norepinephrine

Dopamine

The neurotransmitter dopamine is is involved in regulating emotions and movement.  It is involved with motivation, decision-making, learning, reward processing, attention and memory.  It is sometimes phrased as the pleasure neurotransmitter because dopamine is release in response to a reward-like behavior, for instance, gaining pleasure from eating a much desired piece of chocolate cake.

Serotonin

Serotonin regulates mood, body temperature, sleep, digestion, and bone health. More that 95 percent of serotonin is in the stomach. Therefore, if your diet is not coinciding with your body's needs, then serotonin could be a contributor to your anxiety.  A contributor, but most likely not the only problem.

When one or both neurotransmitters are out of balance, the brain does not receive messages properly. Anxiety is one behavior that is brought about to compensate for this.

Knowing if you have either too little serotonin and/or dopamine is an important step in balancing your anxiety. It is important to note that a person can have too much dopamine as well.

We have and still are working on balancing these neurotransmitters ourselves. Below we will discuss the last two neurotransmitters quickly, and then show you steps to put into practice to balance these naturally.

Glutamate & GABA 

Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter. It also is a regulator of mood, and it also regulates memory and cognitive functions. Glutamate can affect the body in different ways depending on if there is an excess or a deficit.

Glutamate is a brain stimulator. GABA is a neurotransmitter that calms the brain.  

Glutamate is known as the on switch and the GABA is the off switch.  When they are not working properly, anxiety can persist.

Also, continued high glutamate levels can increase inflammation in the brain as well leading to neurological problems down the road.

These two neurotransmitters need to be in balance and work with one another.  You can also go back and forth from anxiety problems to depression problems.

Norepinephrine

Norepinephrine is a stress hormone that also functions as a neurotransmitter.  It is a role player in how one reacts to stress.

Increased norepinephrine increases anxiety and fear-related behavior.  I have seen this a lot and it is very difficult to deal with. It can be frustrating to get this neurotransmitter into balance and difficult to communicate with a person with this issue.

How to Naturally Balance the Neurotransmitters?

• Seek a Holistic Doctor or Naturopathic doctor's Advice
• Eat Foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals that you specifically are lacking
• Supplement where appropriate- For instance, magnesium increases GABA and decreases Glutamate. Magnesium is a mineral that many people are deficient in, which correlates with the high amount of anxiety seen among humans.
  • B6 also increases GABA and decreases glutamate, but there are many factors that need to be considered when choosing a vitamin B supplement, so please check with a knowledgeable doctor first or do thorough research.  Mold, methylation, and the way your body processes B vitamins all need to be factored in.
    
• Practicing the techniques discussed further below will also help with neurotransmitter levels. This is because toxins and stress all affect neurotransmitter processes.

#2  Body Maintenance 

The second topic for dealing with anxiety is maintenance of your body.  Doing one of the activities below will help reduce your anxiety.  Maintaining the body consists of doing many things. Below are some particular activities that will help you not only reduce your anxiety but also help you become healthier.

Exercising

The part of the brain called the amygdala is activated when you exercise, allowing for clearer processing of real threats versus what our imagination believes are threats.

More beneficial chemicals are released when the heart rate rises such as serotonin and GABA.

Acupressure Massage

Acupressure has been shown to be beneficial to relieving stress and anxiety.  Pressure is used to release muscle tension while the body is massaged at the same time. 

Studies such as this one have shown acupressure to be beneficial.  My husband and I find this to be extremely beneficial in relieving tension and helping the body detox.  Anxiety levels are greatly helped through this practice.

Reflexology

Reflexology is the technique of applying pressure to targeted areas of the body which relate to problems with different areas of the body.  Finding the area in need and helping that area will cause less stress on the body reducing anxiety.

This study involving 2366 participants demonstrates that reflexology can be a help in lowering anxiety levels.

Detoxing

Toxins can contribute to anxiety problems.  Getting rid of the toxins will lighten the body's load easing tension and anxiety.  There are many ways to detox.  Simply drinking lemon water first thing in the morning is a great way to start.

Related Post:  Sauna Benefits

Chiropractic Care

I went to a chiropractor after being in a minor fender bender and having a lot of anxiety as a result of the accident.  It just would not go away.  After several adjustments, the anxiousness was lifted. Now we go on a regular basis.

#3  Breathing and Relaxation Techniques 

One of the ways to deal with anxiety is through breathing and relaxing practices. These are techniques to try out when anxiety hits and practice regularly prior to anxiety hitting as well. They are helpful routines that can be used as a preventative measure or when an anxious moment arises. 

• Tai Chai- a type of Chinese martial art that uses slow and intentional movements in the routine of self-defense practice.  It is great for flow of breath and exercise that calms the body.
• Breathing Exercises- Relaxed breathing methods reduce cortisol levels which therefore naturally decreases anxiety. 
  • The 4-7-8 breathing technique is one example of a breathing method.  Here is a video link demonstrating this technique.  Simply breath in through the nose for a slow count of 4, hold it for a count of 7, then release the breath out the mouth for a count of 8.
• Acupuncture- This may not quite fit clearly into this category, but I remember my sister going to a highly trained acupuncturist and feeling extremely relaxed afterwards.  My daughter went to an acupuncturist as well for rash and inflammation issues.  Reducing inflammation in the body will reduce anxiousness as well.
  • Acupuncture consists of the use of special needles to puncture the skin slightly in specific body parts.  The body part targeted is according to the symptoms of the patient.  
• Forest Bathing Therapy (Shinrin-yoku) - This therapy focuses on rest and relaxation of the body using nature.  It was started in Japan in the 80s to combat the increase of stress levels in the people.  A perso uses their senses to respond to the nature around them while being guided on a slow walk through the forest. Enjoyment of nature and oneself in it is the focus.  It has been founded to be extremely beneficial for stress and one's mental health state.  Here is an article with more detail.
• Foot and Detox Soaks
  • There are different ways to detox the body and a great way is through the feet.  Using Epsom salts and baking soda is a great way to release some toxins.  Of course, make sure appropriate binders are in place if they are needed.
  • Essential oils or herbs may be added for an extra health benefit
  • Lesser toxins in the body will equal a lesser stressed body with less anxiety

#4  Food & Supplements For Anxiety  

There are foods that will help anxiety if they are consumed and then foods that will potentially make your anxiety worse.  A great book to read to learn more about properly supplementing and eating for maximum health benefits is Dirty Genes by Ben Lynch.

Foods that are Beneficial:

• Blueberries-  The antioxidants and vitamin C in blueberries are beneficial for a person high in anxiety.
• Low Histamine Foods-This should be looked at if people have problems with inflammation and digestion.  Histamines can contribute to anxiety if they are problematic for the body. Chocolate was a big one that was problematic for some members of our family.  It would cause anxiety even though dark chocolate can be a good source of magnesium.
• The juicing of appropriate vegetables and fruits.  My anxiety decreases tremendously when I juice regularly and watch my food intake.
• Lemon water- Drinking this especially first thing in the morning greatly benefits the flushing out of the body.
• Lemon Balm Tea, (this is a great one), is also very beneficial for anxiety because it provides a relaxing effect on the body.
• Lemon Balm Drops like this brand are also an excellent way to provide relief from anxiety.  
• Magnesium is a wonderful supplement for anxiety as well as some many other aspects of your health.

Foods to Avoid

• Sugar- This will definitely trigger anxiety to be worse.
• Glutamate was said to be the neurotransmitter that was like turning the switch of the brain to on. Avoiding foods with glutamate should be practiced.
• Overly processed foods, seed oils and fried foods.
• Limited caffeine take should be considered as well.

#5  Anxiety Awareness and Anxiety Thought Patterns

One of the 5 ways to deal with anxiety is being aware of your thought patterns and practicing ways to handle them.  You need "outlets" that you can practice routinely or tools to go to when your thoughts lead to anxious thinking.

Fearful thinking is one type of thought that is common among people with high anxiety.  Dealing with the fearful thoughts will automatically ease your thinking therefore reduce your anxiety.

Practices to put into Place:

• The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins - This rule consists of counting down from 5-1 in order to activate the frontal lobe part of the brain.  Her theory backed by science is that your thinking will be interrupted by doing this and you can then get control of your thought pattern.  
  • This is a very popular book and strategy and one worth trying.  Negative and fearful thinking or any type of thinking that will lead to anxiety can be dealt with by practicing this technique.  It is easy for thinking to spiral out of control for anyone but especially for a person prone to anxiety problems.
• Journaling- This is an activity my oldest daughter loves to do.  She has stacks of journals that she writes freehand in. 
  • One type of journal is emptying all of your thoughts onto a page in order to release your mind of holding onto the information to ponder.  This book suggests that you do this first thing in the morning to begin your day fresh and with clearer thinking.  It is a book meant for creatives, but it will equally work for helping with anxious thoughts.
  • Journaling is a relaxing activity that can help you to get thoughts out onto paper in any way you see fit and at any time of the day.  We have used a lot of journals, so pick one that best fits you.  This type has been a favorite of my daughter's.
• Prayer - Praying or Bible time is a sure way to get yourself in a better perspective.  It allows one to prioritize and view the things that are important and not so important by simply reading the word of God or communicating with him.  This allows your thinking to be clearer and more focused without the excess anxiety.
• Situational Awareness - Not all situations can be avoided nor is it always healthy to avoid all situations, but there are ones that are definitely not needed. 
  • For instance, overbooking yourself.  To help with this problems I use google calendars.  I thought I wouldn't like having another thing to do.  However, scheduling has helped me to feel organized and more in control.
  • Put yourself around people that you want to be around.  Some people cause more negative thoughts and anxiety than others.  Do not feel like you have to be around them if you are trying to alleviate your anxiety levels.
• Alone Time - Some people feel other people's energy. Being alone will allow you to take the time you need to recoup and regroup your thoughts and get yourself to a less anxiety state of being.  

There are many ways to help create less stress for yourself.  The list above provides you with many ways to do so.  It is important to remember that the ways have been broken down into 5 topics for a reason.  

Begin with one step from each category or just one step from a couple categories.  Reducing anxiety is extremely vital so cortisol levels are not continually high creating continued stress and anxiety on the body.   

You are able to get control over your anxiety and these are the 5 ways to deal with anxiety that are all natural and the most helpful practices .