Anxiety

Sometimes it can feel like anxiety is ruining your life.  We’ve tried out these tips for managing anxiety – why not let us know if they work for you?

Tips

Singing and music

There is some evidence that singing in a choir is linked to lower levels of anxiety.  Sing along to your favourite tracks at home, or try googling choir near me, to join a group.

If listening to music is more your thing, neuroscientists at Mindlab International have conducted a study to come up with the 10 most relaxing songs.  These are the songs they came up with:

1. Marconi Union: Weightless
2. Airstream: Electra
3. DJ Shah: Mellomaniac (Chillout Mix)
4. Enya: Watermark
5. Coldplay: Strawberry Swing 
6. Barcelona: Please Don’t Go
7. All Saints: PureShores
8. Adele: Someone Like You
9. Mozart: Canzonetta Sull’aria
10. Cafe Del Mar: We Can Fly

Why not listen to some of them on YouTube and see if they help?  Or try these classical tracks recommended by Dr Parrot.

Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises can not only help you get to sleep, reduce stress and improve your mood, they can also be helpful for reducing anxiety.  In particular, we have found that the 4-7-8 breathing technique developed by Dr Andrew Weil is really effective at dealing with anxiety:

First, breathe out completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound.  Then:

• Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds
• Breathe out completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound for 8 seconds

This is one breath: Repeat the above three steps 4 times.

Or, our Dr Parrot breathing exercise is here.

Mindfulness, meditation and yoga

Practicing meditation and mindfulness can give you strategies to help deal with anxiety.  Try our introduction to mindfulness here.  Or, if you prefer something more structured, try joining a yoga class that has a focus on meditation. 

We also recommend reading the Happiness Trap by Russ Harris.  This is an amazing book that helps you to deal with anxiety, stress and depression by using mindfulness and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Research has shown that ACT therapy can help people to deal more effectively with anxiety.

Or why not try watching Mindful Escapes on BBC iPlayer

Talking Therapies and CBT

Talking or psychological therapies can help you to change your thinking patterns.  This can help you to keep your anxiety under control and can help to reduce irrational worries. 

In the UK, you can refer yourself for psychological therapy on the NHS – search for psychological therapy NHS or  IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) to find a counsellor near you.  Or, speak to your doctor to get a referral. 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be particularly useful in dealing with anxiety, as it helps you to understand how it is not the situation itself that is causing the problem.  Instead, it is your thoughts about the situation that are the problem.  Click here if you would like to find out more about CBT to see if it could help you to manage your anxiety better.

Diet

There is a strong connection between gut health and the brain, so you could try changing your diet to see if it helps to reduce your anxiety symptoms. 

To improve your gut bacteria try eating probiotic yoghurts.  Onions, leeks and garlic all contain prebiotics, which help the keep gut bacteria you already have healthy.

A recent review has found that eating plenty of omega 3 fatty acids can help to reduce the symptoms of clinical anxiety (anxiety that has been diagnosed by a doctor).  The study noted that  there was not so much improvement in anxiety for those whose depression had not been diagnosed by a doctor, but it might still be worth trying eat more food with omega 3 to tackle mild anxiety. 

To help improve your levels of serotonin, try eating more of the following foods which contain high levels of tryptophan: eggs, cheese, pineapples, tofu, salmon, poultry, and nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and almonds.

Being anxious puts your liver under pressure.  Eat more asparagus, avocados and cucumber to soothe your liver and your blood, to help your body to deal with anxiety more effectively.  Cutting back on fatty foods, caffeine and alcohol can also help improve your liver function, so unfortunately this is another time when a healthy diet is best

Click here for recipe ideas.

Homeopathy

Although there isn’t much clinical evidence for homeopathy, my friend swears by Bach Flower Remedy: Rescue Remedy.  She uses it before concerts to help to manage her anxiety, and says it really helps. If you would like to try out other homeopathy remedies, this site is a good place to start.

Why not try an App?

The NHS suggests trying the My Possible Self app to improve mental health and wellbeing. Why not give it a try?

Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing)

Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, has been practiced in China and Japan since the 1980s. It involves spending time in a wood each day, and taking in the forest atmosphere. Research has shown that it may lower concentrations of cortisol (the stress hormone), lower the pulse rate, and lower blood pressure. The idea is to take a short stroll through the trees – why not try to fit it into your lunch hour? Remember:

• Leave behind your phone, so you don’t get distracted
• Go where the mood takes you
• Take time to notice little things like an interesting stone or leaf
• Listen to the sounds around you and smell the air

Some thoughts to remember:

“Anxiety is about our overestimation of a threat and underestimation of our ability to cope” – Jean-Claude Chalmet

“Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths” – Charles Spurgeon

Above all, be kind to yourself