It’s a normal facet of life to feel some anxiety. However, if anxiety takes over all aspects of life, it is important to regain control. Luckily, there are various ways to combat anxiety. The advice in the following article will let you better manage your anxiety and put it behind you.

When you are suffering from an anxiety attack, you may be tempted to self-medicate yourself with prescription drugs or alcohol. This is the last thing you should do. It may seem to work well for a while, but it can cause long-term problems with drug addiction and alcoholism.

If you are experiencing a serious anxiety, or panic attack, you should remember to breathe properly in order to calm down. We need to remember that our bodies are like machines, and taking proper breaths is what fuels them properly. Remember, to lengthen your exhalation, in order to relieve your anxiety a bit more.

A consultation with your doctor is a very good idea if you, like millions of other people, are dealing with persistent anxiety. With new medications and treatment advances, you can take advantage of many new ways to treat anxiety. So take time to consult your doctor in order to know what type of treatment you must do.

Begin your day with a few minutes of positive affirmations. Tell yourself how you want your day to go. Make sure you are using cheerful and motivating words when applying this method. This can help your day go a lot better, which can minimize your anxiety throughout the entire day.

Therapy, in conjunction with keeping a journal, can really help you when dealing with your anxiety. It can help you realize what the anxiety is stemming from and you can then talk to your therapist about it. Talking to others and discussing your problems is always a good idea.

Pay close attention to your breathing when you feel overcome by anxiety. You will experience a shortness of breath which can later become varied and erratic. It’s easy to forget how to breathe properly when you’re anxious. Your body relies on a consistent supply of oxygen so you have to remember to breathe. When you’re suffering from an anxiety attack, try your best to focus all your attention on your breathing.

If you have a small snack that is high in protein right before you go to bed, you will help your body keep steady blood sugar in the night. Many times your panic attacks and anxiety will happen in the middle of the night. The cause of this is often low blood sugar, so a snack will help you stay asleep.

When you are having an anxiety attack, it is a good idea to splash your face with cold water. Many people have heard this, but they may not do it because they think that it is not going to really help them. Actually, it causes what is known as a dive reflex, and it sends a message to your brain to tell your body to slow down.

Help others whenever you have a chance. If you see someone that needs help, ask them. You may also find an opportunity to help out family and friends by simply asking them if they need anything. This will keep your mind off of anxiety and will help you feel better about yourself.

Get some exercise. Most people are aware that exercise is good for the body. What they may not be aware of is that exercise is equally good for the mind. In addition to being a healthy outlet for stress, exercising releases chemicals in the brain called endorphins, which are the feel-good chemicals responsible for the well-known runner’s high.

Learn how to release anxious feelings with the help of emotional releasing techniques. Learn The Sedona Method or the Emotional Freedom Technique. These methods help you get to the root of your anxiety, and keep releasing it until you are completely relaxed. The information on these methods is either free or low-cost and can be found through a web search.

Reward yourself, if you do things that have a positive impact on your life, in your work or someone else’s life. Giving yourself the proper acknowledgement for minor accomplishments will lead to greater success in your life. When you begin to see the positives about yourself, you begin to diminish the negatives.

Set a specific time for worrying and thinking about doubts. Firmly tell yourself that you are not permitted to dwell on these issues until the designated time arrives. Set aside an hour to focus on these issues. When you’re near the end of the schedule, try going back to not focusing on it again. Scheduling in this way can be a very effective means of controlling anxiety in your life.

If you are having anxiety about one particular thing, ask a friend to exaggerate the issue to epic proportions. Although this may seem counter productive, after a few times of making up crazy stories about what may happen, it starts to sound really silly to anyone who is listening to it.

An approach to reducing anxiety that many find helpful is to explore the effects of many natural, organic beverages. Chamomile tea, for example, is an enjoyable beverage that many claim reduces stress and helps alleviate anxiety. Try it, and see if it works.

Have a mantra to repeat when you are feeling some anxiety. When you start to feel anxious, repeat this mantra until you begin to calm down. This will help you deal with those feelings before they get on top of you and you have a full blown anxiety attack.

Sugar can have a very detrimental effect on your body as the day wears on, so you should try to limit consumption at all costs. Stick to sugar-free food and drinks and refrain from eating candy, if you desire a snack. Eating healthy can improve your bodily function and minimize anxiety.

As noted previously, mild levels of anxiety are just normal facets of life. However, if anxiety is crippling you to the point of impairing functionality in life, you must get ahead of it. The information that you read in this article will allow you to finally take charge of your anxiety.