What can i do to overcome anxiety

How to overcome fear and anxiety

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions. It has a very strong effect on your mind and body. Fear and anxiety can last for a short time and then pass, but they can also last much longer, and you can get stuck with them.

Lots of things make us feel afraid. Being afraid of some things – like fires – can keep you safe. Fearing failure can make you try to do well so that you won’t fail, but it can also stop you from doing well if the feeling is too strong.

What you’re afraid of and how you act when you’re afraid of something can vary per person. Knowing what makes you afraid and why can be the first step to sorting out problems with fear.

Manage and reduce stress:

How can we manage and reduce stress? Our free downloadable pocket guide offers you 101 tips: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-tostress.

Because anxiety is a type of fear, the things we’ve described fear above are also true for anxiety.

The word ‘anxiety’ tends to be used to describe worry, or when fear is nagging and persists over time. It is used when the fear is about something in the future rather than what is happening right now.

Anxiety is a word often used by health professionals when they’re describing persistent fear. The ways that you feel when you’re frightened and anxious are very similar, as the basic emotion is the same.

When you feel frightened or seriously anxious, your mind and body work quickly. These are some of the things that might happen:

Your heart beats very fast – maybe it feels irregular
You breathe very fast
Your muscles feel weak
You sweat a lot
Your stomach churns, or your bowels feel loose
You find it hard to concentrate on anything else
You feel dizzy
You feel frozen to the spot
You can’t eat
You have hot and cold sweats
You get a dry mouth
You get very tense muscles These things occur because your body, sensing fear, is preparing you for an emergency, so it makes your blood flow to the muscles, increases blood sugar, and gives you the mental ability to focus on the thing that your body perceives as a threat. With anxiety, in the longer term, you may have some of the above symptoms as well as a more nagging sense of fear, and you may get irritable, have trouble sleeping, develop headaches, or have trouble getting on with work and planning for the future; you might have problems having sex and might lose self-confidence.

Early humans needed the fast, powerful responses that fear causes, as they were often in situations of physical danger; however, we no longer face the same threats in modern-day living.

Despite this, our minds and bodies still work the same way as our early ancestors, and we have the same reactions to our modern worries about bills, travel and social situations. But we can’t run away from or physically attack these problems!

The physical feelings of fear can be scary in themselves – especially if you are experiencing them and don’t know why or if they seem out of proportion to the situation. Instead of alerting you to danger and preparing you to respond to it, your fear or anxiety can kick in for any perceived threat, which could be imaginary or minor.

Fear may be a one-off feeling when you are faced with something unfamiliar.

But it can also be an everyday, long-lasting problem – even if you can’t put your finger on why. Some people constantly feel a constant sense of anxiety without any particular trigger.

There are plenty of triggers for fear in everyday life, and you can’t always figure out why you are frightened or how likely you are to be harmed. Even if you can see how out of proportion a fear is, the emotional part of your brain keeps sending danger signals to your body.

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is when you feel overwhelmed by the physical and mental feelings of fear – the signs listed under ‘What do fear and anxiety feel like?’ People with panic attacks say that they find it hard to breathe, and they may worry that they’re having a heart attack or will lose control of their body. See the ‘Support and information’ section at the end of this booklet if you want help with panic attacks.

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an extreme fear of a particular animal, thing, place or situation. People with phobias have an overwhelming need to avoid contact with the specific cause of the anxiety or fear. The thought of coming into contact with the cause of the phobia makes you anxious or panicky.

How do I know if I need help?

Fear and anxiety can affect all of us now and then. It is only when it is severe and long-lasting that doctors class it as a mental health problem. If you feel anxious all the time for several weeks, or if it feels like your fears are taking over your life, then it’s a good idea to ask your doctor for help or try one of the websites or numbers listed at the back of this booklet. The same is true if a phobia is causing problems in your daily life or if you are experiencing panic attacks.

Face your fear if you can

If you always avoid situations that scare you, you might stop doing things you want or need to do. You won’t be able to test out whether the situation is always as bad as you expect, so you miss the chance to work out how to manage your fears and reduce your anxiety. Anxiety problems tend to increase if you get into this pattern. Exposing yourself to your fears can be an effective way of overcoming this anxiety.

Know yourself

Try to learn more about your fear or anxiety. Keep an anxiety diary or thought record to note when and what happens. You can try setting yourself small, achievable goals for facing your fears. You could carry a list of things that help when you are likely to become frightened or anxious. This can be an effective way of addressing the underlying beliefs that are behind your anxiety.

Try to learn more about your fear or anxiety. Keep a record of when it happens and what happens.

Exercise

Increase the amount of exercise you do. Exercise requires some concentration, which can take your mind off your fear and anxiety.

Relax

Learning relaxation techniques can help you with the mental and physical feelings of fear. It can help just to drop your shoulders and breathe deeply. Or imagine yourself in a relaxing place. You could also try learning things like yoga, meditation, massage, or listen to the Mental Health Foundation’s wellbeing podcasts at: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ help/podcasts.

Healthy eating

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, and try to avoid too much sugar. Resulting dips in your blood sugar can give you anxious feelings. Try to avoid drinking too much tea and coffee, as caffeine can increase anxiety levels.

Avoid alcohol, or drink in moderation

It’s very common for people to drink when they feel nervous. Some people call alcohol ‘Dutch courage’, but the after-effects of alcohol can make you feel even more afraid or anxious.

Complementary therapies

Some people find that complementary therapies or exercises, such as relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, or t’ai chi, help them to deal with their anxiety.

Faith/spirituality

Whether religious or spiritual, this can give you a way of feeling connected to something bigger than yourself. Faith can provide a way of coping with everyday stress, and attending church and other faith groups can connect you with a valuable support network.

Talking therapies

Talking therapies, like counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, are very effective for people with anxiety problems, including Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which takes you through a series of self-help exercises on screen. Visit your GP to find out more.

Medication

Drug treatments are used to provide short-term help rather than looking at the root of the anxiety problems. Drugs may be most useful when they are combined with other treatments or support.

Support groups

You can learn much about managing anxiety from asking other people who have experienced it. Local support groups or self-help groups bring together people with similar experiences so that they can hear each other’s stories, share tips and encourage each other to try out new ways to manage themselves Your doctor, library or local Citizens Advice bureau will have details of support groups near you.

Some people smoke, drink alcohol and use recreational drugs to reduce stress. However, this often makes problems worse.

Research shows that smoking may increase feelings of anxiety. Nicotine creates an immediate, temporary sense of relaxation, leading to withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Similarly, people may use alcohol to manage and cope with difficult feelings and temporarily reduce feelings of anxiety. However, alcohol may make existing mental health problems worse. It can make you feel more anxious and depressed in the long run. It is important to know the recommended limits and drink responsibly.

Prescription drugs, such as tranquillisers and sleeping tablets, which may have been prescribed for good reasons, can also cause mental and physical health problems if used for long periods. Street drugs, such as cannabis or ecstasy, are usually taken for recreational purposes. For some people, problems start as their bodies get used to repeated use of the drug. This leads to the need for increased doses to maintain the same effect.

Stress is a natural reaction to difficult situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and money problems.

We mentioned earlier that moderate stress could help us perform better in challenging situations, but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems. This can include lower immunity levels, digestive and intestinal difficulties such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or mental health problems such as depression. Therefore, we must manage our stress and keep it healthy to prevent long-term damage to our bodies and minds.

When you are feeling stressed, try to take these steps:

• Realise when it is causing you a problem. You need to make the connection between feeling tired or ill and the pressures you face. Do not ignore physical warnings such as tense muscles, over-tiredness, headaches or migraines.

• Identify the causes. Try to identify the underlying causes. Sort the possible reasons for your stress into those with a practical solution, those that will get better anyway given time, and those you can’t do anything about. Try to let go of those in the second and third groups – there is no point in worrying about things you can’t change or things that will sort themselves out.

• Review your lifestyle. Are you taking on too much? Are there things you are doing which could be handed over to someone else? Can you do things in a more leisurely way? You may need to prioritise things you are trying to achieve and reorganise your life so that you are not trying to do everything at once.

You can also help protect yourself from stress in several ways:

• Eat healthily. A healthy diet will reduce the risks of diet-related diseases. Also, there is growing evidence showing how food affects our mood. Feelings of wellbeing can be protected by ensuring that our diet provides adequate amounts of brain nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals and water.

• Be aware of your smoking and drinking. Even though they may seem to reduce tension, this is misleading as they often make problems worse.

• Exercise. Physical exercise can be very effective in relieving stress. Even going out to get some fresh air and doing some light physical exercise, like walking to the shops, can help.

• Take time out. Take time to relax. Saying ‘I just can’t take the time off’ is no use if you are forced to take time off later through ill health. Striking a balance between responsibility to others and responsibility to yourself is vital in reducing stress levels.

• Be mindful. Mindfulness meditation can be practised anywhere at any time. Research has suggested that it can reduce the effects of stress, anxiety and other related problems such as insomnia, poor concentration and low moods in some people. Our ‘Be Mindful’ website features a specially-developed online course in mindfulness, as well as details of local courses in your area: bemindful.co.uk

• Get some restful sleep. Sleeping problems are common when you’re suffering from stress. Try to ensure you get enough rest. For more tips on getting a good night’s sleep, read our guide ‘How to...sleep better’ at: mentalhealth.org.uk/howto

• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Try to keep things in perspective. After all, we all have bad days

8 Effective Ways to Fight Anxiety Without Drugs

Between work, bills, family, and trying to stay healthy, the everyday pressures of life can turn you into an anxious mess. Maybe you were an anxious child who grew into an anxious adult, or maybe you developed anxiety later in life. Regardless of when symptoms began, it’s possible that your mind is in overdrive, and you’re always waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under you.

You’re not alone. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults. Like so many others looking for relief, you may have turned to medication for help. Although antianxiety drugs can ease your anxiety, the serenity can come with a price tag in the form of side effects. Trouble sleeping, decreased libido, jumpiness, and increased hunger are some of the most common inconveniences of treating anxiety with drugs.

The good news is that popping pills isn’t the only way to get your fears and nerves under control. Here are eight simple and effective ways to battle anxiety without medication.

Talking to a trusted friend is one way to cope with anxiety. But there’s something even better than talking: screaming at the top of your lungs. As a kid, you were probably taught not to shout and told to use your “inside voice.” But as an adult, you can make your own rules. So if you’re dealing with pent-up frustrations and anxiety, let it out.

This doesn’t mean putting fear in others so they feel on edge like you. We’re talking about a healthy release of emotions in a controlled environment. The more you fight anxiety, the more overwhelming it can become. Instead, embrace anxiety as a part of your life, and then let it go. Scream at the top of your lungs, punch a pillow, stomp your feet, or pound your chest. Do whatever helps you get it out! One Los Angeles-based yoga teacher even developed a class called Tantrum Yoga that encourages yogis to try these unconventional methods as a way to release emotion that “gets stuck in our bodies and could turn into stress, disease, etc.”

Exercise is probably the last thing you want to do when your mind’s in overdrive. You may worry about post-workout soreness and being unable to walk or sit for the next two days. Or your mind might go to the worst-case scenario and you fear overexerting yourself and having a heart attack. But in reality, exercise is one of the best natural antianxiety solutions.

Physical activity raises endorphins and serotonin levels to help you feel better emotionally. And when you feel better on the inside, your entire outlook improves. And because your brain can’t equally focus on two things at once, exercise can also take your mind off your problems. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity three to five days a week. Don’t think you have to struggle through a painful workout. Any type of movement is good, so put on your favorite jam and move around the house. Or grab a mat and break out into your favorite yoga poses.

A cup of coffee, chocolate, or an ice-cold Coke might help you feel better. But if caffeine is your go-to drug of choice, your anxiety could worsen.

Caffeine gives the nervous system a jolt, which can boost energy levels. But when under pressure, this nervous energy can induce an anxiety attack. Now, the idea of giving up your favorite caffeinated beverage might raise your heart rate and induce anxiety as you read this, but you don’t have to stop cold turkey or give up caffeine completely. It’s all about moderation.

Rather than four cups of coffee a day, scale back to one or two normal-sized cups a day —normal as in 8 ounces, not 16 or 32 ounces. Give it a test run and see how you feel. As you wean yourself, slowly introduce other beverages into your diet such as decaffeinated herbal tea, which can calm your mind and nerves.

With your busy schedule, there’s no time for sleep, right? Some workaholics brag about only needing three or four hours of sleep a night, as if to say, “I’m more determined and committed than everyone else.” But no matter what you might tell yourself, you’re not a robot. Humans need sleep to function properly, so unless you beamed in from some nearby planet, this also applies to you.

Whether you deal with insomnia, purposely limit your amount of sleep, or you’re a self-professed night owl, chronic sleep deprivation makes you susceptible to anxiety. Do yourself (and everyone around you) a favor and get eight to nine hours of sleep every night. Develop a bedtime routine to read a book or do something relaxing before bed. The better prepared you are to get a good night’s sleep, the better quality of sleep you’ll have, which leads to a better morning as well.

Your plate is only so big, and if you overwhelm yourself with everyone else’s personal problems, your anxiety will also worsen. We’ve all heard the adage, “There’s more happiness in giving than receiving.” But nowhere in this sentence does it say you should sit back and let others infringe on your time.

Whether you’re driving someone around on errands, picking up their kids from school, or lending an ear about their problems, you’ll have little strength to care for your personal affairs if you spend almost all your energy caring for others. This doesn’t mean you should never help anyone, but know your limitations, and don’t be afraid to say “no” when you need to.

If anxiety causes nausea, the thought of eating food is as appealing as eating dirt. But skipping meals can make anxiety worse. Your blood sugar drops when you don’t eat, which causes the release of a stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can help you perform better under pressure, but it can also make you feel worse if you’re already prone to anxiety.

The fact that you need to eat doesn’t justify stuffing just anything in your mouth, so this isn’t an excuse to overindulge in sugar and junk food. Sugar doesn’t cause anxiety, but a sugar rush can cause physical symptoms of anxiety, such as nervousness and shaking. And if you begin to obsess over a reaction to sugar, you could have an out-all panic attack.

Incorporate more lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats into your diet. Eat five to six small meals throughout the day, and avoid or limit your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Sometimes, anxiety is due to feeling out of control. You can’t always be in the driver seat of your life, but you can take steps to identify your triggers and cope with circumstances that cause anxiety.

Does the thought of going into a social situation or meeting new people make you want to jump off a bridge? As everyone at a party engages in exciting conversations, maybe you see yourself holding up the wall and counting down the seconds until you’re put out of your misery. You drove with friends and can’t leave, so you spend the entire night looking like the punchbowl attendant. It’s this fear that makes you decline invitations and sleep through the weekends.

But what if you had an exit strategy in place before leaving the house? For example, instead of carpooling with your party animal friends, you could drive yourself. This way, you can leave if your anxiety starts to build and you can’t handle another minute of awkward interactions. The more in control you feel, the less anxiety you’ll have.

Other than the words on this page, what are you thinking about right now? Are you worried about a meeting you have next week? Are you stressed about meeting your financial goals? Or maybe you’re obsessing over whether you’ll be a good parent — although you have zero kids and have no plans to conceive in the near future.

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’ve just uncovered part of the problem. Like many others with anxiety disorders, you have trouble living in the moment. Instead of worrying about today, you’re already thinking about tomorrow’s problems. And depending on the severity of your anxiety, you might be stressing about yesterday’s mistakes.

You can’t control the future, and you can’t borrow a time machine and change the past, so here’s a thought: Take each day as it comes. Not to say you can’t be proactive and head off problems. But don’t put too much focus on what has been and what will be that you create anxiety for yourself. Mindfulness and meditation are rooted in living in the moment and have been proven to ease anxiety. Try practicing for a few minutes a day and increase the duration over time. The best part? You can do it anywhere: in bed, at your work desk, or even on the commute home.

Anxiety is a beast, but it is possible to win the battle without medication. Sometimes, overcoming worry and nervousness is simply a matter of modifying your behavior, thoughts, and lifestyle. You can start with a drug-free approach, and then speak with a doctor if your symptoms don’t improve or worsen. These drug-free, antianxiety tactics can even help you complement your medication regimen. Do what works for you, and know that anxiety does not control your life.

4 tips on how to overcome anxiety and start living — Work.ua

Key ideas from Dale Carnegie's book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. They will help to cope with any experiences.

This feeling prevents us from moving forward, building a successful career and destroys our health. And its name is anxiety. We are afraid of personal and work conflicts, financial turmoil, public speaking. And sometimes it doesn't matter if the problem is really as big and irreversible as we think.

Do you know the universal recipe for getting rid of anxiety? He is not. But in order to live 100%, work productively, achieve success, you need to decide for yourself whether fears and anxieties control you, or you take them under control. This can be done in different ways.

Work.ua chose 4 main ideas from Dale Karenga's book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. The author offers a number of practical tips that you can use today, in the dynamic world of the 21st century, that will help you throughout your life.

1. Live in the "compartment" of today

If you want to rid your life of worries, you must distinguish between the past and the future. Carnegie invites every person to cultivate the habit of living in the “sealed compartment” of today, living in the present without regrets about yesterday and worries about tomorrow. Otherwise, past experiences and thoughts of hope will create anxiety and worry.

2. Think the worst, but try to improve the situation

Imagine a person working in a company whose management does not appreciate him. He has to work overtime. He is sure that if this is not done, he will be fired. This destructive thought gives rise to others: “If I don’t work overtime, I will be fired. I have a young wife, I will not be able to support her and pay housing bills, and we will lose a roof over our heads.”

Let's assume that this is how it will be. But so what? Will a person never find another job? Of course he will! It may take some time, it may not be his dream job. But he will be able to earn money and provide for his family. Or maybe the situation that has arisen will motivate you to start your own business.

If you have a problem that is causing you concern, use the magic formula from Dale Carnegie :

Before putting yourself in a "prison" of feelings about some life situation, determine the most terrible scenario.
Realize that there are no hopeless situations.
Come up with an action plan to improve the current state of affairs and move on.

3. Keep busy

It's always easier for us to get lost in work, but we have time after work, and that's the most dangerous time. When, it would seem, you can enjoy your vacation and feel happy, we are overwhelmed by anxiety. We think that we chose the wrong career path, it seems to us that the phrase accidentally thrown by the boss had some kind of hidden meaning, and colleagues discuss our appearance behind our backs.

One of the most common causes of anxiety is lack of employment. So Carnegie advises:

Keep busy. It's the cheapest medicine on earth - and one of the most effective

What to do:

Plunge headlong into a project that you have long wanted to bring to life.
Listen to audiobooks, read books.
Attend trainings and seminars.
Go in for sports.
Find a hobby.

This way you not only get rid of negative thoughts, change your attitude towards others, but also become more productive, understand what you really want.

4. Do not concentrate only on your person

Anxious thoughts overcome a person when he is too concentrated on his "I" . But this does not mean that you need to completely forget about yourself in order to defeat anxiety. You just need to turn your attention to the people around you. For example:

Consciously spend time with family, be with them, and not fly in clouds of anxiety.
Spend more time with friends, communication and new acquaintances.
Do good deeds, help people.

You may find these tips familiar and simple. But wait for the results from their application, and you will be convinced that they will justify themselves with a vengeance. The only thing that needs to be done here and now is to decide to reshape your thinking and set it in a positive way. Then you will finally stop worrying and start living!

How to cope with anxiety: 7 ways to help ‹ GO Blog

Anxiety is an emotional state caused by the expectation of danger or threat. While fear is a basic human emotion associated with the instinct of self-preservation, and appears directly at the moment of danger.

The terms "fear" and "anxiety" are not synonymous, but they can be used interchangeably when it comes to situational anxiety (state at a given moment in time).

In the normal state, the self-preservation function prompts action, but there are also moments of apathy when anxiety intensifies.

We will tell you how to cope with anxiety on your own and determine its level in yourself.

Read more: "9 Proven Ways to Beat Procrastination"

How to Measure Anxiety

American psychologist Charles Spielberger studied more than 117 signs of human anxiety and created a scale to determine its level. His "assessment of the level of anxiety" is divided into situational and personal. Situational is responsible for the state at a given moment in time and the influence of external circumstances - for example, self-isolation. Personal - character of a person.

To determine "your level" of anxiety, you can take a test of 40 short questions.

What causes anxiety

The main factors that provoke increased anxiety in us are loneliness, problems at work, problems in relationships, health, environment and all sorts of conflicts.

Our lifestyle also has a great influence. For example, we are more likely to experience anxiety states if we are constantly on the phone or watching the news on TV. Digital progress has certainly made our life faster and better, but we pay for this comfort with an additional level of stress, new fears and complexes due to the large flow of news.

Try to minimize the number of hours spent on the Internet. Go outdoors, read, do yoga, cook, cross-stitch, build LEGOs – there are so many more options than you might think.

Stages of anxiety

– Waiting alarm. People who foresee the most unfavorable of all possible situations suffer. Such anxiety can appear at certain moments or haunt a person constantly.

– Anxiety in the form of phobias is associated with certain situations and objects. For example, fear of loneliness, spiders or darkness. May be a clinical case if expressed in the form of panic attacks.

- Neurotic anxiety. This form of anxiety is the most serious and is found in many psychological diseases: hysterical, schizoid. There is a pathological level of fear here that destroys a person's mental health.

The whole planet is now in fear of waiting due to the incessant flow of news and uncertainty. "Fear of waiting" or "free fear" is formed due to the information flow in which we are constantly immersed. The tools that help to cope with situational anxiety, which has no connection with clinical cases, will be described below.

False alarm

Feelings of fear are easily confused, so before we talk about how to get rid of anxiety, we will learn how to identify it.

There are situations when we do not distinguish between emotions, so the so-called "false alarm" is formed. In this case, the first thing psychologists can advise is to learn how to isolate anxiety from a large stream of other emotions. Observe for yourself - in what situations you are overcome by anxiety. Divide these situations into those in which anxiety is justified and those where it is not.

For example, you are on a bus and as you approach the bus stop, you are overtaken by a feeling of anxiety. On the one hand, this may be due to fear that you will miss your stop, or a sense of shame, as it is embarrassing to ask the driver to stop the car.

Or another example, you want to ask a question to the teacher in class, but you are afraid to raise your hand. This fear may arise from self-doubt and the expectation that classmates will laugh at you.

Sometimes anxiety is born from some other feelings, such as shame or insecurity. Realizing this and overcoming it, you no longer have a reason for concern, and with it the state of anxiety disappears.

Read more: “How to stop being shy and get rid of the language barrier”

How to cope with anxiety

Detail

Alarm often occurs due to uncertainty in actions and feelings. First, try to find out what causes anxiety. For example, you are worried about being fired from your job. Before you panic, look at the facts: look at the state of the market and the area in which your company operates, evaluate the workload at work now and predict the task plan for the next month. And this applies not only to work, but to any area in which you feel anxiety.

Usually this exercise helps to see the true picture. If you understand that while everything is under control, you can exhale, if not, proceed to your detailing. Write out a detailed plan of action that will help you avoid uncertainty and tell you how to act in any situation:

Write down what skills you have and where they can be useful. For example, being an illustrator or photoshop, having a driver's license and owning a car, copywriting skills, etc.
Edit your resume and prepare some cover letters to the employer about yourself.
Form your own range of services, from the most preferred activities to the least interesting.
Leave a list of potential employers to whom you can offer your services. The bigger, the better.
Write to them!

The work done will help you feel more confident and have a plan for coping with a crisis.

Sometimes anxiety arises from the conviction that we will not be able to cope with this or that action. A visual picture of your skills will always help to believe in yourself. When you read your list, you will realize that you can achieve a lot, despite the circumstances.

Read also: “4 things on your resume that will help the employer to choose you”

Use exposure therapy

A complex combination of words with a simple meaning - a meeting with your problem "on the forehead." It is important to understand that this is NOT a fight against a problem. The point is to acknowledge the existence of anxiety, not to get rid of it completely.

Don't ignore things that make you feel anxious. For example, to move up the career ladder, you need to learn English, but you haven’t opened your textbook for three days and you constantly scold yourself for it. This lowers your self-esteem and increases your anxiety about your success at work and in life.

Give yourself a full day of rest without worries and self-criticism. Imagine that this is an official vacation or vacation. And then gradually get down to business: you can start with one page of English text per day or a five-minute video. Gradually, you will accustom your body to the load and develop a habit.

Keep a sleep schedule

It is during sleep that growth hormone is produced, which is responsible for the restoration of our body, including the nervous system. Especially if we go to bed before 12 o'clock at night.

The BBC TV program Trust Me I'm a Doctor, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, did a little experiment on the effect of sleep on our psychological state. The study involved people who are distinguished by "strong sleep". During the experiment, the participants were given conditions: in the first three nights they had to sleep for 8 hours, which is the norm, and the next three nights - for 4 hours. Every day, the subjects answered questions that helped determine changes in their psychological state, behavior and emotions. The results showed that after two nights of sleep deprivation, negative emotions began to predominate in the subjects, as well as an increase in distrust of others and aggression.

The study also shows that insomnia is not always the result of mental disorders, sometimes it is lack of sleep that provokes the appearance of psychological problems.

Switch

It is important to periodically switch from one activity to another - for example, from physical activity to mental activity. So, when you go in for sports, there is a restoration of brain functions due to the supply of oxygen. And with mental stress, the muscular system is restored by improving blood flow in the muscles.

A simple alternation of work and study with a little physical activity will improve the functioning of the body's metabolic processes, and at the same time speed up the restoration of the nervous system, contributing to its strengthening.

Meditate and breathe

Meditation and breathing are sure helpers in overcoming psychological instability. A Johns Hopkins University study found a relationship between meditation practice and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. The team of researchers found that the effect of meditation is comparable to the effect of depressants - in this case, being a more useful solution to the problem, as it does not cause side effects. Meditation also helps to switch the work of the brain and focus on yourself, and not on the "noise" around.

Breathing techniques are equally beneficial: they improve blood circulation and help to speed up the overall metabolism.

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