Mistakes Made During Self-Treatment of Anxiety
Not everyone can afford to see a therapist for their anxiety which can mean that they use more natural remedies for treatment. While it is good to use your own methods at home to help treat your anxiety, you need to make sure you are using the right methods. If you are taking care of your anxiety the wrong way, you could end up making it worse.
One thing you should try not to do is push away your feelings of anxiety. The more you try not to think about something, that will only make you think about it more. You could be studying for an exam and cannot stop thinking about failing. Trying hard not to think about something will make you think about it more. Instead of avoiding these thoughts, acknowledge them and observe what you are feeling. Tell yourself that while what you are feeling is unpleasant, you know that it will pass. This will help you focus more on relaxing instead of being scared that your anxiety will make an entrance again.
While you should not try to push away your anxiety, you should also not let it succumb you. Do not tell yourself that there is nothing that you can do. There are many methods to lessen your anxiety symptoms such as deep breathing. Just sit still and breathe deeply where the tension is felt the most. If you feel your heart beating really fast, aim at your chest. If you hands are shaky, aim at your hands. You will feel much more calm and relaxed this way.
You may feel like by taking care of others, it will help you take care of yourself. The truth is that worrying too much about other people’s problems and spending too much time making sure that they are taken care of does not leave enough room to take care of yourself. It will leave you full of headaches worrying about everyone’s next move and not your own. These can mean not showering, eating a balanced meal, or sleeping well. You should not have to back out of your responsibilities to others as helping others will make you feel useful and happy. That does not mean that you should not practice self-care. Start every day doing something for yourself such as taking a shower, brushing your hair, applying deodorant, making a balanced breakfast, and going to sleep at a decent hour for seven to eight hours.
Others may not want to take medication for their anxiety because they do not want to feel any sort of dependence on a pill to function well. They may also feel that medication is for the weak-minded. The truth is that admitting you need to be on medication is not weak but a bold move. There are very helpful medications out there for anxiety such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants, beta-blockers, etc. There is nothing wrong with admitting that you need medication to better assist you. The medication will not cure your anxiety but it will help keep you under control and you will notice a big difference in your mood.
Remember that treating anxiety does not mean using one method will fix everything. It is not as simply as fixing one thing about you to be a solution to your anxiety. You may think that if you do yoga for a few times a day only that all of your anxiety symptoms will be gone. Anxiety is a serious mental health condition which means it needs to be taken seriously. You may need to combine a bunch of methods together like not only yoga but doing more things to make you happy, medication, therapy, exercising, a support system, etc. You also need to get to know your anxiety more. This can mean that at the end of the day, evaluate how your anxiety went on a scale of one to ten. By keeping track of it, you will be able to see if you are improving your symptoms and being open to alternative methods if what you are doing for it now is not making much of a difference.
It is possible that you think doing any treatment will create big results in anxiety improvement. That is only true if you are utilizing your changes consistently. This does not mean that if you do yoga whenever you have a chance means that you anxiety will get better. You need to make a routine to commit to your changes. Tell yourself that you will do yoga three times a day, exercising for at least half an hour, and taking your medication during the times you are supposed to. Continue with these lifestyle changes for at least three months and see if it makes a difference.
A big factor in anxiety involves constantly thinking about the future. You feel like you have an idea about what the future will be like and that things will not go well. You should know that it is impossible to be able to predict the future. Only try to control what is in your power than what is outside of it. Think only about the present moment so that you will realize that everything is fine. If your methods for treating your anxiety are not working, do not be afraid to seek help from a professional to better evaluate your anxiety and help you figure out what to do.
At Enlightened Solutions, we are here to help you remember that life can be full of happiness and enjoyable moments, once we learn how to manage our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Call us today: (833) 801-LIVE.
