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controlling anxiety naturally?


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Anybody got any good tips to calm yourself down when you are feeling particularly anxious?

 

I'm not talking about a mild case of nerves, I'm talking can't sleep, rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, dry heaving & feeling like you are about to jump out of your skin.

 

I hate the pharmaceutical approach. I don't want to be stoned but I do want my body to stop aching & my mind to stop racing.

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Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique:

 

Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4.

Hold your breath for a count of 7.

Release your breath from your mouth with a whooshing sound for a count of 8.

Without a break, breathe in again for a count of 4, repeating the entire technique 3-4 times in a row, then resume normal breathing and activity.

 

Also, a strenuous workout can be mind clearing.

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GorillaTheater

Pump iron or beat the living f*ck out of a heavy bag. Seriously.

 

Or sex. Sex does wonders when I'm feeling anxious.

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So rough sex with DH? Fortunately for him I hit like a girl. lol :p

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GorillaTheater

And Donni, I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Any particular triggers you've been able to identify?

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And Donni, I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Any particular triggers you've been able to identify?

 

It's a combo of things. Life long struggle. Made worse by a lot of deaths. There was a recent big change & that has brought some of it back with a vengeance.

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todreaminblue

they used to tell you to breathe into a paper bag and it works....it truly does.....i think you can do it with out the paper bag...the shortness of breath to me causes the physical aspect of anxiety to take hold.......felling like you cant breathe to me isnt good for the heart beat to slow.......and has been the major reason i have at times passed out due to anxiety....(not breathing properly)

 

 

deep breathing is a natural way ...as is yoga.....as yoga is also about breath in and out of the body and lengthening muscle lines which allows oxygen into the cells and muscles.....not that i suggest in the middle of a crowded functions a yoga pose like salute to the sun is the most comfortable action...but finding a corner and centering yourself with deep breaths and feeling each part of your body from your feet up is a good idea.....

 

you are such a together soul donnivain......so i doubt what i have said is anything new to you...i am a fractured soul at best ....but what i do know is anxiety.......comes from being fractured you see...;0)...doesnt matter i know hwhat to do when i get anxiety i still get it and sometimes i am beyond actually thinking how i can manage my anxiety normally....depends on what i have been asked to do ..like speak in public for one.......when i stress and lose all logical ways of dealing with my anxiety but i have the methods above to be true and fast in helping manage anxiety....good luck ......deb

 

yoga and breath are my suggestion....everything else will hopefully slow if you can maintain good deep breathing good posture meditation adn or prayer.....(get your shoulders down from around your neck) and feel where your body is in the room and where you stand or sit......deb

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Thank you todreaminblue / deb. Your support means alot. I have repeated been told to try yoga I just can't seem to find a beginners class that fits my schedule.

 

you are such a together soul donnivain......so i doubt what i have said is anything new to you...i am a fractured soul at best ....but what i do know is anxiety.......comes from being fractured you see...;0)

 

I suspect you are more together then you think. I know I am more fractured than I let on.

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thefooloftheyear
Pump iron or beat the living f*ck out of a heavy bag. Seriously.

 

Or sex. Sex does wonders when I'm feeling anxious.

 

Agreed...

 

Vigorous exercise will help...esp weight training..

 

TFY

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MuddyFootprints

Do you have any fragrance sensitivities?

 

I have a few favourite plants that I find calming. I combine square breathing with the scent of the plant.

 

Lavender, rosemary, sweet marjoram, sweet Annie, and white sage are really great plants with calming scents.

 

You should be able to find these in your local garden centre or nursery. Spending some time amongst the flowers and greenery tends to have a relaxing effect, too!

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Muddy

 

I can try commercial fragrances but I have severe pollen allergies so a garden would make me more miserable.

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MuddyFootprints

Well, that stinks!

 

I know essential oils can be expensive.

 

I've used lavender Epsom salts in a bath before bed. It's affordable and pretty easy to find.

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Get into your body.

 

Breathing, stretching/yoga, dancing, singing, jumping up and down, clapping your hands, stamping your feet. Any kind of movement.

 

Anxiety is a very physical thing, so doing physical things often helps.

 

Valerian can help.

 

Disclaimer: Talk to your doctor before you take it.

 

This is a little exercise that I've used:

 

 

1. Sit down in a dining chair, or other upright chair.

 

2. Close your eyes, and let your attention come to your body. Let your attention wander around your body, just noting any sensations you feel. You may feel anything. Itching, hot, cold, tight, heavy, relaxed etc. Just notice any sensation.

 

3. Notice your breathing. Don't try to breathe in any particular way, just notice your breathing.

 

4. Bring your attention to the heart area, and let it rest there for few moments. You might like to put your hand over your heart for a moment.

 

5. Slowly, open and close your eyes 2 - 3 times, and then leave them open, stand up, and go about your business.

 

NB: It should take you no more than 3 - 4 minutes to do this. If you enjoy it, do it twice a day. If you don't enjoy it, don't do it.

 

 

Hope you feel better soon.

 

All the best,

 

Satu.

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What I usually do: go for a 2-3 mile walk when I feel anxious. About 1/2 mile into the walk I start to calm down, and the rest of the walk I use to clear my head about whatever problem is on my mind.

 

So, my suggestion is go for a walk. Even if it's indoors on a treadmill at a gym due to inclement weather. Otherwise, nothing like brisk air and lots of trees along a walking path to clear the head.

 

Here is a website about how walking calms anxiety.

 

How Walking Works to Cure Anxiety « Calm Clinic

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MuddyFootprints

Valerian can also amplify the anxiety, so yes. Talk to your doctor if you are considering supplementing with that.

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Valerian can also amplify the anxiety, so yes. Talk to your doctor if you are considering supplementing with that.

 

That's true. It's a herb that doesn't suit everyone.

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I drink chamomile tea to help me relax. I've tried Valerian and it puts me to sleep. So, if I ever get bad insomnia, a cup of Valerian tea will knock me out.

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I'll stay away from the Valerian. Stuff that "may cause drowsiness" tends to knock me into the middle of next week. I took a OTC benedryl on vacation once & a friend who is a nurse was about ready to take me to the ER because I passed out so quickly & completely. Our other friend reminded her that I said that would happen. I was still dopey / stupid 36 hours later.

 

Exercise, breathing & tea seem to be the winners. I will try because I am pretty sedentary which I know is part of the downward spiral but sometimes when you start in that direction it's so hard to take that first step back.

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todreaminblue

often when i hav eanxiety the last thing i should do is jump around...but a more centred repose helps...where i am still and can feel my body and realize any irrational thought is actually in my mind and not my body..when i am anxious what i want to do is to run......that is the worst thing....like if i dont run away i am going to die pass out or throw up...the running away and jumping around thing is what i have to stop feeling to manage my anxiety

 

 

there are many public speakers who deal with anxiety and from what i have gleaned they all take stillness as the action to do before important public engagements...........they take time out ....in silence and away from people...somewhere quiet.....people mess with my anxiety....dont know about you...

 

donnivain i think yoga would suit you that you would find personal enjoyment from the movements and the stillness the quietness and the meditation and the clarity you often find after a good session fo yoga is hard to beat...satu gave classic yoga tools....recognising the you and where you are in your physicality...feeling your heart beat...your breath...your body..actually isolating the areas to feel ...seems to incite a slower breath.another really good tool for anxiety is tai chi.......and there may be more beginner classes in your area.....they often practice in open places, parks early morning.......check it out....it is actually what i consider fun...i love slow sure movements ...its a dance......and it is really really relaxing and uplifting....i hope you find a good class donnivain whatever you decide to do......deb

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MuddyFootprints

Wii Fit has yoga, as a last resort. Specialty tea shops carry different varieties of calming teas if you want to switch things up.

 

Wishing you peaceful relaxation and restful sleep!

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amaysngrace

Melatonin helps you sleep but as far as anxiety the thing that works best for me is deep-belly breathing and I do it as soon as my heart starts to speed up now.

 

Do you have PTSD Donnivain?

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Do you have PTSD Donnivain?

 

 

I was actually diagnosed with it last year. In the first 2.5 years after my mother died in 2011, I lost over 30 other friends to death not counting my mom & my dog.

 

 

My shrink pointed out that this was the downside of having such a large social circle. Because I knew more people, I would have more losses. The problem was there were so many in such a short period. I was literally going to a funeral every 3 weeks on average.

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amaysngrace
I was actually diagnosed with it last year. In the first 2.5 years after my mother died in 2011, I lost over 30 other friends to death not counting my mom & my dog.

 

 

My shrink pointed out that this was the downside of having such a large social circle. Because I knew more people, I would have more losses. The problem was there were so many in such a short period. I was literally going to a funeral every 3 weeks on average.

 

Wow I am so sorry to hear that. That's a very tough hand to be dealt.

 

Do you numb out your feelings or just check out sometimes? That can be a cause for the anxiety, at least in my case, because pushing down the pain makes it comes it out in a different way...a physical way.

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Do you numb out your feelings or just check out sometimes? That can be a cause for the anxiety, at least in my case, because pushing down the pain makes it comes it out in a different way...a physical way.

 

 

I spent my whole life pushing down the feelings. It worked for me. When my mom died. I hung on for my dad. When my dad died & I lost my childhood home, the dam burst. Then I lost the ability to control my feelings & they just took over.

 

 

Things had been better but just this past two weeks or so it's been really bad again & I have to get a handle on it. Once something sets me off, all the walls close in again & I spiral down.

 

 

I know I need more structure in my life, I just have no idea how to go about creating order out of the chaos I have created.

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