Overcoming Anxiety Without Medication
Natural & Herbal anxiety remedies are better than pharmaceutical medications for treating anxiety disorders. Pharmaceutical drugs are great if you want fast relief from the symptoms of this condition, but they may also cause adverse side effects that can worsen and lead to other medical problems. According to experts, natural remedies such as diet changes, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and aromatherapy are the best ways to treat anxiety because they do not cause any side effects. Here you will find some of the best natural remedies for overcoming anxiety without medication. This short guide will teach you how to make use of natural and herbal remedies to improve your mental and physical well-being.
Change Your Diet
The first thing that you must do in order to relieve and prevent anxiety is to change your diet. Foods that are high in caffeine or sugar makes you feel agitated and restless, which leads to mental anguish. Foods that contain preservatives are also known to cause anxious behavior and worsen symptoms. Avoid eating food products that are laden with caffeine, sugar, or preservatives to reduce anxious thoughts and feelings
Foods to Avoid:
- High-sugar foods – Some of the dietary products that are contain large quantities of sugar are pies, cakes, cookies, candies, dried fruits, drink powders, soft drinks, jams, spreads, chocolate, ice cream, and French fries. Avoiding these high-sugar products can prevent symptoms of this condition.
- High-caffeine foods – Foods that are high in caffeine can also cause anxious feelings and sleeplessness or insomnia. Try to avoid chocolate, cocoa beans, guarana berries, coffee, and soft drinks because these are high in caffeine.
- Foods with Preservatives – Food items that contain preservatives are also known to cause anxious behavior so it is best to avoid them. Some of those that contain preservatives are fruit juices, pickles, soft drinks, potato chips, canned meat, sausage, ham, bacon, pastries, fruit pies, cheese, and sour cream.
Now that you know which dietary products to avoid, you must know what you can eat to reduce symptoms. According to experts, those that are rich in calcium, magnesium, and B complex vitamins are great for reducing and preventing anxious behavior. Some examples of these healthy food items are whole grains, leafy greens, dairy products, and lean meats. These can make you feel more relaxed and calm.
Foods to Eat:
- Whole grains – whole grains are high in B complex vitamins that promote a generally positive state of mind. Some of the whole grain food stuff that you should include in your diet are popcorn, oatmeal, whole grain bread, wild rice, and brown rice.
- Leafy greens – Leafy greens can also fight the anxiousness because they are high in magnesium. The best leafy greens are cabbage, broccoli, spinach, turnip greens, collards, and kale.
- Lean Meats and Dairy Products – The calcium in lean meats and dairy products calm your nerves. Some of the foods that contain calcium are lean beef, chicken, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, skim milk, low fat yogurt, and whole milk.
Change your Eating Habits
Changing your eating habits can also put you in a better state of mind. Not chewing food enough before swallowing, overeating, rushing through meals, and skipping meals may put extra stress on the body and increase the chances of experiencing feelings of anxiousness. If you find yourself eating too fast and rushing through your meals, slow down and chew your food completely. Learn to follow your body’s signals. For example, if your body is telling you to stop eating because it is full, then stop eating even if there is still some food on your plate.
Learn Relaxation Techniques
You can also overcome anxiety naturally by learning some relaxation techniques. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing exercise are some of the relaxation techniques that you can do to overcome this condition. The easiest technique to learn is the deep breathing exercise. To relax through deep breathing, slowly inhale deeply then exhale while focusing on the air as it moves in and out the body. Yoga is another relaxation technique that helps clear the mind and body of negative energies. Self-hypnosis and watching guided imagery recordings can also put you in a relaxed state of mind. Staying calm during stressful situations and learning to relax even if things go wrong can ward off negative feelings.
Buy Aromatherapy Candles or Oils
Take Herbal Remedies
Most health foods stores sell herbal remedies for overcoming anxiety without medication. Herbal remedies for this condition may be in the form of teas, tinctures, capsules, or tablets. When you use an anti-anxiety herbal remedy, make sure that you don’t exceed the recommended dosage in order to prevent negative side effects. Some of the most popular anti-anxiety herbal remedies are catnip, hops, chamomile, lemon balm, black cohosh, California poppy, winter cherry, rhodioloa rosea, St. John’s Wort
Acupuncture Therapy
Acupuncture can also a recommended natural treatment for easing anxious feelings. This treatment involves the insertion of needles into parts of your body in order to establish harmony between your body and mind. Auricular acupuncture is the most popular treatment that is used to treat this condition. In auricular treatment, the needles are into the outside of your ears. This balances your brain’s neurotransmitters and produces a relaxed and comfortable feeling. Auricular treatment takes 20 to 30 minutes. Other treatments such as body acupuncture can also ease feelings of anxiousness. Experts recommend that you undergo full acupuncture treatment which consists of a combination of auricular and body acupuncture as one of the most effective natural anxiety solutions.
