More than 19% of the American population is affected by generalized anxiety disorders, which makes it one of the most commonly occurring mental illnesses of the country. However, anxiety disorders can take several forms. While some people feel frozen and reluctant to indulge in everyday activities, others adopt a high functioning mode to hide the symptoms. However, anxiety attacks are common even for those who adapt to the problem by overthinking and working. They are often scrutinizing and criticizing their own efforts more than others. They always feel burdened with the feeling that someone is going to find out that they have not put their best efforts into the project, and it could have been executed better.
No matter which type of anxiety disorder you suffer from, you always have to deal with these attacks silently. You will not be able to share these feelings with anyone other than yourself because you feel that they are going to judge you, which makes things worse. However, some simple everyday hacks help you to accept your reality and prevent these attacks.
Use a Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets can not only help people get a good night’s sleep. They are also extremely beneficial for a person’s mental well-being. Occupational therapists all over the world recommend the use of weighted blankets for several kinds of mental disorders, including anxiety. A Weighted blanket is a heavy blanket for sleep that applies something called Deep Sense Pressure therapy to the person. It will give you a feeling that is similar to being hugged by someone. A hug is well known for its therapeutic effects and its ability to make one feel safe and secure.
Deep Sense Pressure therapy has been proven to reduce the anxiety-inducing hormone called cortisol in the human brain. It also produced oxytocin, which will help you feel relaxed. Weighted blankets apply uniform pressure to all the pressure points of your body, which relaxes the nervous system of your body. Regular use of a blanket with weights is also said to release serotonin and melatonin, which will help you sleep more peacefully and further reduce your anxiety attacks.
Connect With Your Body
Anxiety can affect your physical health as much as your mental well-being. You may find it hard to break the cycle of mental fear and nervousness, which will prevent you from going outside for days and get some physical workout. It can form a vicious cycle and have severe effects on your overall health. To break this vicious cycle, you must make some efforts to reconnect with your body.
If you don’t feel like going outside, there are several ways to improve your physical health indoors. You can take some online yoga or Zumba lessons. Stress caused by anxiety can often make you feel lethargic. So if you don’t feel like getting out of your couch, some simple breathing exercises can make you feel better. Start with baby steps till you get comfortable going outside for walking or running. Exercise can stimulate the release of endorphins in the human brain that increases the feeling of happiness.
Learn to Stop the Snowballing Effect
People with anxiety disorders are familiar with its snowballing effects. You start to obsess over something, and it keeps going back and forth in your head till you feel panicked. Sometimes one small obsession leads to a bigger one, and you can feel the panic attack rising within yourself. You have to learn to stop this from happening over and over again. The first step is to identify the symptom as soon as it starts. Once you become aware that your anxiety has started snowballing, walk away from whatever you are doing, and engage yourself with another activity.
Most of the time, the snowballing effects start when you are sitting idle or lying on your bed, trying to fall asleep. But there will be a pattern of things that you feel worried about. Try to identify that pattern so that you will know when you need to break away from it. You must engage yourself in an activity of your choice so that you can use it to divert your brain from obsessing. Some people also use tools or objects that require focus to break away from the snowballing effects of anxiety.
Anxiety attacks can get triggered by several things, but their patterns are usually similar for people who face them. Identifying those patterns can be the first step to avoid the build-up of anxiety and an imminent attack. Different things work for different people, so you may have to try a few before you can find the ones that work for you.
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