According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 4% of the global population currently experience an anxiety disorder which means almost 301 million people have anxiety disorder nowadays. It’s huge, isn’t it?
Let’s see what the symptoms of anxiety are:
- Feeling restlessness
- Irritability
- Fear of impending disaster
- Faster breathing
- Palpitation
- Sweating
- Poor concentration
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Dizziness
- Chest pain
Generalised anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health disorders and according to statistics, young people are more likely to experience anxiety than older ones. And women are more than twice as likely to suffer from anxiety than men. And an alarming thing is that anxiety and depression prevalence increased by 25% globally, since the outbreak of the COVID-19. So, it is imperative for us to be aware of anxiety and deal with it properly.
How to deal with anxiety:
Avoid procrastination: We all are afraid of deadlines, right? When a deadline knocks at our door and we have so many tasks to do in a short time, it feels very stressful. But if we finish our tasks in time, it will help us to conquer anxiety.
Practice positivity: practising positivity has an important role in reducing anxiety. Where unresourceful thoughts cause the fear of impending disaster, practising positivity encourages to deal with it.
Mindfulness and meditation: Mindfulness is an ability to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we are doing. Think carefully, we don’t live in the present because we are always thinking about our past or future events. If we practise to live in the present, we won’t be afraid of our future. We can fully concentrate on our work and surroundings, and it will help to relieve anxiety. Breathing exercise, guided meditation, progressive muscle relaxation are also some useful techniques to overcome anxiety.
Physical health: Body and mind are part of the same system. So, we need to be concerned about our physical health as well. Healthy diet is very useful for that. Magnesium helps muscle tissue to relax. Deficiency of Magnesium, calcium and vitamin B complex can contribute to anxiety. Nicotine and caffeine exacerbate anxiety symptoms. So, they are best to be avoided during stressful situations.
Rest & relaxation: Rest and relaxation helps to relieve anxiety by slowing heartbeat, reducing muscle tension, and calming our mind. Taking breaks between work is also important.
Music: Music can reduce blood pressure and heart rate. It also helps in lowering cortisol level which is a stress hormone. Soothing music, sound of gentle rain, flowing water, and chirping birds are very helpful to get sleep. Beethoven and Mozart are also an excellent choice to reduce anxiety.
Nature: Being in nature doesn’t just reduce stress hormone cortisol, it also helps to boost endorphin and dopamine production which promotes happiness. So, planting trees, walking in the local parks, and spending time in the natural environment will guide us to our inner peace.
Anxiety has some negative impact on our body, mind and our work. We all know that. But is anxiety always harmful for us? Sometimes, it helps, isn’t it? Like, when a deadline knocks at our door, we feel anxious, and it helps us to finish our tasks quickly. So, if we think about it that way, it is quite motivating and encouraging.
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Writer
Atiya Alam Nisa
Intern, Content Writing Department,
YSSE.