6 Healthy Practices To Avoid Anxiety Attacks
The practice of healthy habits can contribute to the prevention of anxiety attacks . Does this problem bother you? Discover 6 important recommendations.
These days, avoiding anxiety attacks is something many people deal with. These panic attacks start suddenly and are characterized by symptoms such as palpitations, sweating or shortness of breath, among many others.
The feeling of suffocation, helplessness and absolute terror take over the person who suffers it, especially in those moments when it is completely taken by surprise.
Feeling that you do not have control over your own body creates a lot of frustration. When anxiety becomes a chronic disorder, the fear that symptoms will reappear at the wrong time becomes apparent and creates even more stress for the person.
Therefore, we want to give you some healthy keys to help you deal with this situation. Let’s go deeper.
6 healthy practices to avoid anxiety attacks
1. Perform physical exercise
The regular practice of physical exercise helps us improve our physical health. However, it also has a positive impact on our mental health, according to this report from the Mayo Clinic.
Playing sports helps us improve our mood and prevent states of anxiety and depression in the short and long term.
Ideally, you should do 30 or 40 minute sessions of moderate intensity, three times a week. This could help us reduce or avoid anxiety attacks.
2. Learn to breathe correctly
One of the symptoms of an anxiety attack is shortness of breath or a feeling of suffocation. In fact, it can be one of the signals that help us detect the near start of the attack.
In this sense, learning to control breathing can help us avoid anxiety attacks or, if we are already suffering from it, shorten it, as suggested by this study by Dr. Rapee.
Hyperventilation is one of the factors that contributes to maintaining the flare. Some practices such as yoga and other similar disciplines spend time teaching how to breathe deeply and with all the capacity of our body.
How is it done?
- To begin with, we sit down to do it, ideally with our elbows on the armrest to avoid strain on our shoulders.
- The breaths should be soft, slow, regular and, ultimately, calm.
- We breathe through the nose and fill the abdomen in 4 seconds.
- Next, we hold our breath for 2 seconds.
- Afterwards, we exhale little by little through the mouth in 4 seconds.
- We wait a few seconds and repeat for several minutes.
3. Follow a balanced and nutritious diet
A balanced diet is very important as a complement to any medical treatment. There are always some foods that we should avoid because they harm us, while others will provide us with very beneficial nutrients.
In the case of anxiety, it is advisable to keep caffeinated beverages (such as coffee or soda), industrial pastries and junk food away. Instead, it is better to opt for a healthy and balanced diet.
4. Resort to natural remedies and supplements
Some natural remedies can help us balance the nervous system. In this way, with some medicinal plants we can reach mild states of relaxation that will help us avoid anxiety attacks.
Some of them are these:
- Valerian.
- Lavender, as expressed in this research by a team from the Western University of Health Sciences (United States) .
Some supplements can also be effective. However, we recommend always taking them under a medical prescription :
- Magnesium.
- Lysine
5. Enjoy life
To put an end to anxiety in a definitive way we must delve into our emotions. In our plan to prevent it, we cannot miss all those people, things or activities that fill us with positive feelings.
We must pursue our emotional well-being to achieve a higher quality of life. This we must seek through joy, gratitude, vitality and hope. We must fill our existence with what inspires us and gives us satisfaction.
6. Psychotherapy to avoid anxiety attacks
Finally, if we feel that anxiety is overtaking us, we should seek professional support. We should not compare ourselves with other people or wait for crises to be more serious.
The psychologist will be the one to help us understand and not repress our emotions related to this disorder. In addition, the causes and how the seizures are manifested will be evaluated, as well as possible medical treatments depending on the severity.
Don’t just hide
If you have an anxiety disorder, the last thing you should do is hide. What happens to you is very common and can be treated, so you should put the shame aside.
Your mental health is important. Prioritize, think of yourself, and don’t hesitate to ask for help before it’s too late. Your happiness and your quality of life will thank you.
