Balance: 7 Natural Ways to Cope with Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling most of us experience from time to time, especially when facing a particularly stressful situation. However, if your levels of anxiety are such that they overwhelm you and interfere with your daily life, you may suffer from an anxiety disorder.

How Common Are Anxiety Disorders?

According to research done by Pfizer, as well as the UK Mental Health Foundation, anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental health problems. Up to 1 in 4 adults will have an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, and that up to 1 in 10 people will have an anxiety disorder each year.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Emotional/Mental Symptoms

• restlessness
• irritability
• a sense of apprehension or dread
• feeling constantly ‘on edge’/tense
• difficulty concentrating
• irritability
• feeling as though your mind has ‘gone blank’

Physical Symptoms

• dizziness
• fatigue
• palpitations (a noticeably strong, fast or irregular heartbeat)
• muscle aches and tension
• tremors, twitching, trembling
• dry mouth
• excessive sweating
• shortness of breath
• stomach ache or upset stomach/diarrhoea
• headaches
• insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep)

7 Natural Remedies for Anxiety

1 Exercise

Get a natural endorphin kick by doing something active. It’ll boost your mood, take your mind off your stress, and help you feel less lethargic. One session can help prevent symptoms for a few hours; a regular routine can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms.

2 Supplements: Magnesium, St. John’s Wort & Liquorice

St John’s Wort is a natural anti-depressant and is also effective in combatting anxiety. Liquorice combats stress, pain, fights chronic fatigue, boosts the immune system and can even help relieve PMS. Magnesium has a whole range of benefits, but in short is a ‘calming mineral’ that helps prevent anxiety, fear, nervousness, restlessness and irritability.

3 Reflexology

The massaging of specific pressure points helps to calm your mind and relax you, and may even help relieve insomnia (a common side effect of anxiety).

4 Kinesiology

Help discover the root cause of your anxiety by getting balanced. This will pinpoint exactly which supplements will be effective, what dietary changes need to be made, and what emotions are potentially holding you back from letting go of the fear that causes anxious feelings.

5 Meditation & Yoga

Both meditation and Yoga have proven extremely effective in calming the mind. The release of endorphins also helps to boost your mood and the repetition of positive mantras can help you to re-focus and undo negative thought patterns.

6 Avoid Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant, and can trigger a ‘fight-or-flight’ response that can exacerbate anxiety (and even trigger an anxiety attack). ‘Too much’ differs from person to person, but generally, over-consumption of caffeinated substances can lead you to feeling nervous, anxious and moody, and also contributes to sleeplessness.

7 Lavender Oil

Lavender oil is considered a nervous system restorative; it helps with irritability, panic attacks, upset stomach and general nervous tension. The inhalation of lavender oil has a calming, soothing and relaxing effect. A lavender oil spray is a great way to help relax before bed: spray some on your pillow or in the bedroom to help combat restlessness.