Effective ways to deal with anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders. Imagine every time you go out, and you`re in crowded places, you feel that panic starting to arise. When you`re surrounded by lots of people, like on a bus, you start to feel hot, nauseous, uneasy, and to prevent this from happening, you start avoiding a lot of places which makes you feel lonely and isolated. This is called anxiety disorders.

Anxiety is very common, much more than people think. Right now, one in 14 people around the world has an anxiety disorder, and each year, it costs over 42 billion dollars to treat this mental health problem. Anxiety can lead to depression, school dropout, and suicide. It makes it harder to focus and to hold down a job, and it can lead to relationship breakdown. But a lot of people don’t know this, that’s why, a lot of times, people sweep anxiety under the rug as just nerves that you need to get over, as a weakness, but anxiety is much more than that.

In spite of whatever kind of anxiety you might be suffering from, there is something that you can do to lower it.  It works, and it's simpler than you may think. All too often, we're given medication for mental disorders, but it doesn't always work in the long run. Symptoms often come back, and you're back to where you started. So here's something else to consider: the way you cope or handle things has a direct impact on how much anxiety you're experiencing.

Living a life without any stress or worry is not possible. Many times, there are situations in life that make a person feel anxious within a matter of seconds. It is important to tackle such stressful situations tactfully, since ignoring them over a long term can worsen the anxiety symptoms and lead to a chronic anxiety disorder.

Some of the simple, yet effective, tips to stay happy and reduce anxiety are:

        Living in the present: Staying in the present is important to eliminate anxiety-related symptoms.

        Smiling frequently: While this might prove to be difficult to implement, it is important for a person with an anxiety disorder to smile and laugh a lot. 

        Practicing breathing exercises: For a person dealing with anxiety, it is normal to experience speedy breathing. Therefore, it is essential to practice slow and controlled breathing to manage the symptoms of anxiety in a better way.

        Getting enough sleep: Inconsistent sleep leads to a number of health issues, related to both physical and mental health. Therefore, one should get proper rest and sleep to get rid of health issues, which might deteriorate when left unnoticed.

        Staying away from negative influences: At times, anxiety could be triggered by near or dear ones, leading to a chronic sense of unease, doom, and worry. Therefore, one should distance oneself from such people to curb the probability of anxiety disorder.

Each one of us is struggling with issues. Problems are different, but in some form or the other, they will be there, always. So, you should have faith in yourself, because you are the best solution to all your problems.