Defined as “an emotion characterised by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure” an increasing number of people are suffering from anxiety.
Anxiety disorder is the most common mental illness in the USA and in the UK approximately 8 million people have an anxiety disorder.
With recent events heightening many people’s concerns, we all need to find ways to manage our anxiety as it is often difficult to influence events going on around us.
Here are our top tips for managing anxiety naturally:
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Breathe
When panic starts to rise the best thing that can be done is to breathe. Focusing on breathing can distract your mind and help manage anxiety symptoms.
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Limit news exposure
If listening to the news makes you anxious but you want to remain informed limit the time spent engaging in the news. Resist the habit to check social media or news stories frequently and ensure you're receiving good quality reporting.
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Exercise outside
Walking, running and cycling are all great to release pent up energy. One study showed that people who walked in a wooded area produced fewer stress hormones than those in a city.
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Stay hydrated
Not drinking enough water can make your anxiety symptoms worse. Dehydration can cause heart palpitations which in turn can lead to feelings of panic, which may trigger an anxiety attack. Take the time to drink a glass of water slowly.
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Take a mental break
Take your mind on a journey. If you feel yourself getting anxious close your eyes and picture yourself in a happy place.
Take some deep breaths and allow yourself to relax, meditation techniques, mind mapping and imagery therapy can all be useful tools for this.
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Eat anxiety-reducing foods
Science often refers to the gut as the second brain, with 95% of serotonin receptors found in the belly. Studies these have shown that foods containing certain vitamins and minerals may help reduce anxiety.
So fill up on foods such as leafy greens, wheatgrass juice, chard, legumes, nuts and whole foods.
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Top up on Vitamin B
Research has shown that B vitamins have many wellness qualities and that people who ate a diet high in vitamin B showed a significant improvement in their anxiety and stress scores.
An easy way to increase your consumption of B vitamins is to drink our organic wheatgrass juices with 100ml containing 95.7% of the RDA for Vitamin B
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Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses essential oils derived from various plants to promote well-being.
This can be in the form of candles, massage oils, bath oils and even lotions. Different oils have different properties for example lavender is known to be soothing and lemon may alleviate stress.
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Get enough sleep
When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest. It helps us to recuperate and regenerate. One study showed that people who continually had less than 7 hours of sleep per night were more likely to suffer from depression.
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Talk to someone
Don’t try and hide anxious thoughts, which can make them worse. Talk them over with a friend or family member, who can help you put them in perspective and if needed get professional help.
Eating a balanced diet can be beneficial for managing stress and an easy way to incorporate additional nutrition into your diet is by drinking our organic superfoods juices. To orders, yours simply visit our shop here today.
