Self Management of Anxiety Disorder.

Anxiety is the feelings that get developed within us with or without any stress leading to panic attacks, mind racing, unable to control our thoughts, feeling of restlessness, sleep disturbance (insomnia) etc.

Few tips on how to manage anxiety?

ü  With or without any stress mind start racing. Allow your thoughts to flow freely and notice it. It comes and goes. Do not try to control it, controlling leads to more stress.

ü  Allow your mind to relax when some thoughts start coming to your head. Do deep breathing exercise right from the belly for at least ten times allowing muscles to relax from the head to the toes.

ü  Follow either a soothing music or the direction given by friend or from recorders for relaxation whenever you feel uncomfortable. This will allow your mind to relax completely.

ü  Every thought that comes to your mind is created by yourself. Therefore you can control it. This is developed within you; no external force can change it. You have to change it by yourself.

ü  If you cannot go to sleep just relax. Close your eyes and let things happen on its own. Do not try to force your brain to go to sleep or read or watch television. This will force your brain to be more awake. Allowing your brain to calm down completely by not forcing any thoughts will allow it to relax on its own. This happens for number of times but with practice you can do it.

ü  Do regular exercise to make your body tired so that you get proper sleep.

ü  Do regular meditation and relaxation to completely relax your mind and to be free from stress. Whenever you feel stressed immediately go for short meditation or relaxation exercise.

ü  Do not bother about small pain, body ache etc that happens in our body. Once we put our focus there we feel more stressed. These are especially the stressors which lead panic attacks and anxiety. Just think these are nothing serious that is going to harm you. They will come and go. Some are the side effects of the medicines that you take which will go with time.

ü  Our mind is a complicated organ which controls the whole body functions including our thinking, behavior etc. Unless we can control it allowing the free flow of ideas for thoughts to come and go, we will be forcing the ideas into the brain leading to the stress that leads to various anxiety disorders.

ü  Therefore proper relaxation and mindfulness training is very important to calm our mind. Also engaging in other activities like games, watching television, movies, gardening, walk, going to gym allows our mind to deviate from dragging with unwanted thoughts leading to constructive things making you feel relaxed and calm.

                 (Peer counseling with Dr Joy).