No. 4
– Lifestyle Changes for Reducing Anxiety.
In addition to medication and
thinking/behavioural changes, making changes to your lifestyle can help you
deal with anxiety and its effects. So, how you live your life day to day, week
to week, etc., has an impact on your overall wellbeing. Developing and
sustaining a healthy lifestyle can contribute enormously to keeping you in good
physical and psychological condition.
Healthy in the above context means looking
after your physical health, which includes diet, exercise, environment,
personal activities, etc.
Diet
According to research carried out over the
last twenty years, a good diet can positively help with anxiety disorders. This
research has identified that some foods can create more stress and anxiety
whilst others can create feelings of calmness.
The principle of a good diet is relatively
simple. Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast and ensure you eat three healthy
meals a day, with plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods.
Caffeine is well known for triggering panic
attacks so you should examine how much you are consuming each day. Caffeine is
contained in coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa and soft fizzy drinks, such as cola.
Caffeine increases the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain and this has
the effect of making you feel alert and awake. This state is similar to the
release of adrenaline when you are faced with stressful triggers (fight or
flight!) and caffeine has a tendency to keep some people in a state of tension
and arousal. Even decaffeinated drinks contain a small amount of caffeine so
don’t let this fool you. A word of caution, reducing caffeine intake,
particularly if you consume a lot, some people might experience withdrawal symptoms,
such as headache and fatigue, so it is advisable to phase the reduction slowly
over a few months to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal.
Nicotine is a strong stimulant and contrary
to popular belief, contributes to anxiety rather than help it. Many people who
are anxious have cigarettes to calm their nerves and whilst, initially, there
may appear to be a short term calming effect, it actually increases the heart
rate and thus can actually lead to additional anxiety and panic attacks and
causes problems with sleep patterns.
Sugar is needed by the body in order to
help with survival, it is our energy source but it is the naturally occurring
sugar, glucose, that is required rather than the manufactured and refined sugar
found in honey, white and brown sugar and sweets. The main factor at play is
the rate at which glucose is broken down by the body and then used as energy.
Most carbohydrates, such as some breads, potatoes, fruits and pastas contain
starches that are slowly broken down to form glucose. The refined sugars,
however, are quickly metabolised and overload our body, which can result in
diabetes and then hypoglycemia, which strongly resemble the symptoms of panic
attacks and anxiety. By cutting out as much refined sugar from your diet can
help reduce the chances of hypoglycemia. Start eating more whole grain breads,
brown rice and pasta, fruit (but not fruit juices) and vegetables. This will
assist your resilience to stress as this can create blood sugar swings which
can increase anxiety.
In today’s modern society there is a
culture of eating food on the go, at the desk or on the train. But this creates
rushed eating and reduces the chance to really chew your food. If food is not
chewed properly it is not digested properly thus depriving yourself of the
nutrients contained within the food and the goodness these can provide for your
body. Rushing your eating also means that your stomach does not tell your brain
that you are full and, therefore, there is a tendency to overeat. By sitting
down to eat your meal and giving yourself the time to eat it properly gives
your body time to absorb those important nutrients and allows time for your
stomach to signal to the brain when you are full.
In terms of changes you can make, here is a
simple list:
- Eat more vegetables and fruit
- Make sure you eat 3 balanced meals a day and never skip breakfast
- Chew your food
- Drink lots of water, at least 8 glasses per day
- Eat more whole foods
- Eat more fish, particularly oily fish, and less red meat,
- Reduce your caffeine intake
- Reduce your intake of refined sugars
- Give up smoking
Exercise
More
Exercise has shown to be one of the most
effective ways to reduce stress and anxiety. It is very beneficial to both
physical and mental health. Exercise programmes can:
- Help with sleep patterns
- Improve digestion
- Reduce depression
- Improves circulation
- Helps metabolic rates and reduces levels of adrenaline in the blood
- Creates endorphins which raises your sense of well-being
One word of caution, you should always
consult your doctor if you haven’t exercised regularly for some time.
Aim for a minimum of three sessions per
week of physical exercise lasting 20-30 minutes each session. Aerobic exercise
is the best for reducing anxiety and panic attacks and this exercise requires
you to use your larger muscles and is the best for improving cardiovascular
condition by delivering oxygen to your tissues, muscles and cells. Aerobic
exercise could be running, walking, swimming, squash, cycling, aerobics, dance,
etc.
Activities
It is entirely possible that your anxiety
may have taken precedence over activities you used to enjoy and wanted to enjoy
but could not. Instead of allowing your anxiety to rule in this way, take the
lead and generate some ideas about what activities and hobbies you can take
part in despite your problems. How about making a list of what you would like
to do again or would like to start doing. Build time into your daily and weekly
schedule to allow yourself to create a better balance in your life between work
and play. The key here is to convert these ideas into action rather than just
thinking about it. Set yourself timescales for when you are going to start
these activities or hobbies and stick to it. You’ll be amazed at how these
activities will take your mind of your anxieties.
Time
out for yourself
Sometimes we are so busy looking out for
other people or dealing with work we can forget that we have needs ourselves
and that we can be forgotten. Simple things such as a hot, foamy bath with
candles and soft music can really let the anxieties disappear. Give yourself a
treat or take care of yourself on a daily basis and have a few extra treats
when you have done well or at weekends after a long, hard week. These treats
need not be expensive; they may be watching a good movie, playing your
favourite music, reading a good book, or just watching the television.
Changing your lifestyle is an important
part of recovery and managing your anxiety. The benefits of a new healthier lifestyle
is not only going to help you manage your anxiety and stress better, but the
other health benefits far outweigh any excuse you may have to not wanting to
make these important changes.
Next Chapter: How yesterday can help your
tomorrow.
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