How to overcome anxiety: 4 tips for curbing it.

Knowing how to overcome anxiety can be very helpful in this modern society as the ever increasing bar for toleration of uncomfortable situations is still rising, a lot of people have some form of anxiety and it’s okay.

Anxiety is a pretty common thing for a lot of people across different parts of the globe, Since its something that could potentially ruin the quality of one’s travels, we will be looking more into anxiety in this post and the different ways to keep it under wraps.

1- Take it easy.

And we mean that literally, when it comes to anxiety, even the slightest things can be very suspicious thus triggering the experience.

In your daily routine and even when you’re being the amazing globetrotter you are, you might want to consider taking some time out, say 20-30 minutes to do something you particularly enjoy or something that calms you down to help you better stay in this state of mind.

Side note: Be wary of your consumption.

It’s also highly recommended by medical experts to refrain from consuming anxiety inducing products like caffeine, alcohol or sugar.

Pro tip: Prioritize your tasks.

As for any impending tasks, try to make a list and prioritize the different things to be done and work on those items accordingly, you should also avoid doing anything you may find somewhat uneasy for you.

2- Analyze the situation.

When it comes to anxiety, we tend to perceive things a lot more heightened than they really are and its exactly in these times should we make it a point to question the feasibility of our fears and how relevant they are to the task at hand, is it something to really stress about or is your brain just being that way out of being wired in that direction?

By doing this, our anxiety level should reduce a bit, after all anxiety is fear of the unknown so it would be a slightly different case if we actually took into account the things that potentially scare us and why they would be so scary.

Side note: Be present.

Rather than over analyzing every possible worst case scenario and trying to figure out which one is more likely to happen, try to be more focused on the present and your current environment. When you worry about the future, you get anxious, its that simple.

Pro tip: Write it out.

Building off the point of analyzing the situation, it can be quite helpful to have your thoughts, feelings and reactions documented somewhere for you to be able to reference anytime.

As you fill your journal with more details, you might begin to find a pattern of your anxiety, where and why it tends to be in its highest and lowest and how realistic it would be to get anxious about those places and events.

By analyzing your journal information, you may also be able to predict, control and determine situations that could potentially lead to you having anxiety and steering clear of them.

3- Coping with it.

There are times when anxiety can get the best of us and its precisely during such periods should we know a few ways to combat or at least tame this seemingly ridiculous beast.

Some ways to go about this include taking deep breaths, this might not have much effect on your brain but it will help your body calm down a bit more.

Side note: Interrupt the eruption.

When you find yourself beginning to hyperventilate, its advised to breathe into a paper bag and exhale the air in it.

By doing this, your body will take in more carbon dioxide which will help suppress the urge to hyperventilate.

Pro tip: Distract yourself.

If you notice that your anxiety is steadily increasing and you’d really rather not want a panic attack (who does tho), try distracting yourself by doing anything that has zero correlation between your anxiety and the task at hand, whether its greeting a stranger, squeezing up a piece of paper or just commenting about the weather.

When you do something like this, it’ll with disrupt your anxiety themed thought pattern and help you re-establish a good sense of control.

Another interesting way of dealing with an anxiety attack is with what Locke Hudges, a writer for popular health blog WebMD, describes as the 3-3-3 rule.

Look around you and name three things you see. Then, name three sounds you hear. Finally, move three parts of your body — your ankle, fingers, or arm.

Whenever you feel your brain going 100 miles per hour, this mental trick can help center your mind, bringing you back to the present moment.

WebMD

4- Get creative about the remedies.

There are a number of ways to keep your anxiety in check besides the ones talked about earlier like watching funny videos or movies.

Side note: Mantras are good too.

Coming up with a good mantra that you find positive and personal to you can help keep your mind in a more relaxed state of mind. If you don’t have one yet, you can start with well known ones like “This too shall pass”.

Other creative ways include:

• Looking into aromatherapy and using essentials like Lavender.

• Talking it out with a family member or friend who can relate.

• Drinking some water.

• Doing some meditation.

• Sleeping early and avoiding sleeping deprivation.

• Listening to soothing sounds, instrumentals and podcasts.

Pro tip: Get an app.

Having apps to help you manage your anxiety by reminding you of any good daily practices can really go along way, some good examples of such apps are Headspace or Stop, Breathe & think.

With this post, I hope you’ve gained a little bit of insight about anxiety and some ways to keep its effects to a minimum, keep calm and enjoy your travels.

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