Fear and anxiety are emotions designed to protect us from harm. Someone veers into your lane on the highway, and your heart pounds and your stomach drops. These physical reactions are the result of the brain’s stress response system and enable you to quickly swerve. But sometimes the brain’s stress response system goes into overdrive, and our bodies respond like we are in danger even when there is no actual threat, leaving us in a near-constant state of fear and anxiety. Working, going to school, or interacting with others can become nearly impossible when this happens.

The World Health Organization estimates that over 300 million people worldwide live with anxiety disorders, which cause tremendous suffering and disability. Symptoms of anxiety disorders include increased heart rate, hyperventilation, sweating, trembling, a persistent sense of impending doom, fatigue, panic attacks, excessive worry, and gastrointestinal distress. There are several types of anxiety disorders, like panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobias, but all involve pervasive fear and efforts to avoid anxiety triggers. Relief from anxiety can be found through lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, and other practical strategies for emotion regulation.

Natural Anxiety Remedies: Incorporating Simple Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Anxiety

If your anxiety is so severe that you are unable to take care of yourself, work, or engage with others, seek help from a mental health professional. The recommended treatment for anxiety disorders is psychotherapy and/or medication. For people experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, incorporating the following lifestyle changes can reduce anxiety:

• Establish healthy sleep habits.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Reduce caffeine consumption.
• Increase social connection.

Exercise

 A 2013 review concluded that exercise improves anxiety symptoms in healthy adults, adults living with chronic illness, and adults diagnosed with panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. These researchers noted that the improvements in anxiety symptoms were comparable to those achieved with traditional treatments for anxiety, including medication and psychotherapy. One study showed that engaging in group exercise programs effectively reduced anxiety for college students.

Establish Healthy Sleep Habits 

Research has demonstrated that anxiety is associated with sleep disruptions and poor sleep quality. Further, several studies have demonstrated that sleep quality is related to treatment response to psychotherapy for anxiety, suggesting that prioritizing sleep is important to managing anxiety.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers these tips for establishing healthy sleep habits:

• Set and maintain consistent bedtimes and waking times.
• Improve the sleep environment by ensuring that your bedroom is quiet and dark, with a comfortable temperature.
• Do not allow electronic devices (i.e., TV, phones, computers) in the bedroom.
• Get physical exercise.
• Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bed.

Limit Alcohol Intake

Many people with anxiety use alcohol to self-medicate, which increases the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. Reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption can be an important step towards better physical and mental health. A systematic review revealed that reductions in alcohol consumption were associated with decreased anxiety, stress, depression, and blood pressure, and increased self-confidence, quality of life, and social functioning. Additionally,

research showing that alcohol reduces sleep quality underscores the importance of limiting alcohol intake for people whose anxiety already interferes with sleep.

Reduce Caffeine Consumption

High anxiety sensitivity, or being especially attuned to physiological changes, is a common component of anxiety. For those with high anxiety sensitivity, the stimulating effects of caffeine, like increased heart rate or feeling jittery, can trigger a cascade of anxious thoughts and feelings. Reducing caffeine consumption can help manage anxiety and increase sleep quality.

 Increase Social Connection

The COVID-19 pandemic made clear what many people suffering from mental health issues have long known: anxiety and depression thrive in isolation. Anxiety can make interacting with others or even leaving home feel overwhelming, but withdrawing from others makes anxiety symptoms worse. Confiding in trusted friends and family members can be a powerful support for managing anxiety. Engaging in enjoyable activities with others also allows you to experience positive emotions like joy and pleasure, which can counterbalance fear and anxiety.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety: How It Works and What to Expect

Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for anxiety, involves a cognitive component and a behavioral component,  which is referred to as exposure therapy.

During the cognitive component of CBT, therapists help clients identify thinking errors commonly associated with anxiety, like overestimating risk, predicting the future, reading others’ minds, or misinterpreting bodily sensations. A client with panic disorder may misinterpret an elevated heart rate as evidence of an impending heart attack, while a client with social anxiety whose voice and hands shake, may believe that others perceive her to be stupid or weak. These thinking errors heighten anxious thoughts and amp up physiological responses like heart rate, trembling, and rapid breathing, which then further increases anxiety, fueling a cycle that leads to withdrawal and avoidance.

Therapists help clients identify and challenge these thinking errors. Clients are asked to record thoughts associated with anxiety and to identify the resulting feelings and behaviors triggered by these thoughts. The therapist and client work together to test the accuracy of these thoughts and to replace these thoughts with more accurate and realistic ones, thereby interrupting the cycle of anxiety. Over time, clients learn that replacing anxious thoughts with more accurate thoughts results in lower anxiety and healthier behavior.

The behavioral component of CBT for anxiety addresses the avoidance associated with anxiety. People with social anxiety may avoid social situations, while those with anxiety related to being in crowded places may avoid activities they previously enjoyed, like concerts or sporting events. During exposure therapy, clients address avoidance by intentionally exposing themselves to feared situations. Because this part of CBT can be overwhelming, therapists have clients start with exposures designed to cause small amounts of anxiety so that they can build confidence before tackling more challenging exposures. Exposure therapy gives clients opportunities to test their faulty beliefs, like whether using a public restroom makes them sick, and to practice replacing these beliefs with more accurate and realistic thoughts.

Hypnotherapy for Anxiety: Understanding the Benefits and Risks

Due to misconceptions driven by popular culture, hypnotherapy has been a controversial topic within psychology. Television shows and movies have depicted people in hypnotic states as completely under the influence of the hypnotist, compelled to do whatever they are told. Hypnosis has been portrayed as a state of separation from the consciousness that one could get “stuck in.” These depictions are inconsistent with hypnotherapy and have hindered research on the usefulness of this form of therapy.

Recent studies documenting the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for chronic pain, insomnia, and depression have sparked renewed interest in hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapists teach clients to use imagery and deep relaxation techniques to achieve a hypnotic state distinct from wakefulness, sleep, or meditation. Hypnotic states are characterized by reduced awareness of surroundings and increased focus on and responsively to suggestions made by hypnotherapists.

There is evidence that hypnotherapy can reduce anxiety. One study demonstrated that medical students who received hypnotherapy ten days before oral exams reported significantly reduced test anxiety compared to a control group who received no therapy. Another study showed that anxiety decreased following hypnotherapy for patients on hemodialysis. A randomized controlled trial of 60 people living with HIV/AIDS found significantly lowered depression, anxiety, and stress for those who had received hypnotherapy four times per month compared to those who did not receive this treatment.

While research has shown that hypnotherapy shows promise for treating anxiety, more research is needed. Reviews of studies investigating hypnotherapy consistently state that the lack of a clear hypnosis protocol limits the usefulness of the studies. Additionally, people with low levels of suggestibility may not benefit from hypnotherapy.

Calming Anxiety Techniques: Practical Strategies for Promoting Inner Peace and Relaxation

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are one of the most practical strategies for increasing relaxation and inner peace. Diaphragmatic breathing involves placing one hand on the chest and the other on the abdomen to help you use your diaphragm to guide breathing. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible, but the hand on your abdomen should be pushed out as you slowly inhale and then back in as you exhale. Diaphragmatic breathing helps regulate your cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems, all of which become dysregulated during anxiety.  

One study found that eight weeks of training in diaphragmatic breathing produced significant reductions in anxiety, heart rate, and breathing rate. Another study revealed that 20 sessions of training in diaphragmatic breathing over eight weeks resulted in significant decreases in negative affect, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and improved attention.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation teaches people to intentionally focus their thoughts on the present moment. Mindfulness involves shifting attention to sensory experiences and non-judgmental acceptance of the current reality. Mindfulness asks questions like, “What do I taste as I take this sip of tea?” or “What do my feet feel like inside my shoes?” People with anxiety often get stuck in cycles of worry concerning the future or how others perceive them. By intentionally shifting attention to current sensory experiences, mindfulness is a powerful tool for interrupting the cycle of anxiety. Mindfulness also teaches non-judgmental acceptance of the current reality, including the self. Research has shown that mindfulness meditation is associated with increased self-compassion and emotion regulation.

One study found that practicing mindfulness for as little as five minutes four times over the course of two weeks was enough to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. A review of 40 studies concluded that mindfulness meditation reduces stress and anxiety in college students. Similarly, another study revealed that college students who completed mindfulness training reported significantly lower anxiety and stress compared to students who did not receive the training.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

The vagus nerve is the largest of the cranial nerves, traveling from the brain stem, through the neck and chest, and into the abdomen. It is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for restoring balance and equilibrium following stress. Stimulation of the vagus nerve counteracts the physiological effects of fear and anxiety by dilating blood vessels, slowing the heart rate and breathing rate, and triggering the release of calming neurotransmitters in the brain, which can powerfully promote relaxation.

Vagal nerve massage involves applying moderate pressure using twisting and stroking motions to the muscles of the neck and shoulders, specifically, the trapezius muscles at the top of the shoulder and the sternocleidomastoid muscles along the sides of the neck and base of the skull. Research has demonstrated that vagal nerve massage can lower heart rate while increasing positive emotions, relaxation, and well-being. Additionally, one study showed that this type of massage was effective in decreasing anxiety in people with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders.

The Bottom Line

Anxiety causes considerable distress and gets in the way of living an enjoyable and productive life. Lifestyle changes, therapy, and practical strategies for emotion regulation can reduce anxiety as you embrace life.

 

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