According to statistics from futurity.org, around one in every 13 people suffers from anxiety. While this can affect individuals to various degrees, most of those who are afflicted will find that it impacts their daily life on some level. 

This can range from being inconvenient and upsetting to absolutely debilitating, which is why it’s handy to have some coping mechanisms in place. Helping to make living with anxiety easier, these can range from medication through to meditation, deep breathing, or changes to your diet. 

Here are five options you might find it useful to explore.

Regulate your breathing 

It may sound like it has no hope of working, but lots of people find that regulating their breathing can go a long way toward bringing their anxiety back under control. While some people swear by fancy techniques, experts say it doesn’t matter how do you it, so long as you focus on inhaling and exhaling steadily in and out. This helps to slow your mind and calm your racing heartbeat, so you feel better able to function when your anxiety strikes.    

Try the three-three-three rule 

Regulating your breathing eases the physical symptoms of anxiety, but it also works by giving your mind something to focus on, which the three-three-three rule can help with. It’s incredibly simple to apply. All you need to do is look around the room and list three things you see, followed by three sounds you hear. Finally, move three different parts of your body, whether it’s your toes, fingers, or arms. This will help to center you when feelings of panic set in, bringing you back to the present moment.

Avoid sugar 

When we’re stressed, our bodies seek something sweet to eat. This is because we’re looking for a short-term way to make ourselves feel better, but chocolate is not the answer, and can actually do more harm than good. That’s because eating excessive amounts of sugar is likely to worsen feelings of anxiety, so opt instead to either drink a glass of water or nibble on something high in protein, as this will provide slow-release energy that your body can use to recover and recalibrate.    

Try CBD

While the options we’ve outlined above can be good for alleviating anxiety attacks, lots of people are of the opinion that prevention is better than cure. If you’re among them, it might be worth looking into CBD oil. Non-intoxicating, cannabidiol has been shown to have antianxiety, antipsychotic, and antidepressant effects, as outlined by this article on sativa vs indica strains. As a result, many believe it lessens both the frequency and severity of anxious feelings and thought processes.

Speak to your doctor about medication

If you’re really struggling to get a handle on your anxiety, don’t be embarrassed to approach your GP. There’s lots that they can do to help you get on top of your issues, from psychological treatments through to medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These can be prescribed on either a short-term or long-term basis to make living with an anxiety disorder much easier.  

Isn’t it time you got on top of your mental health issues and made every day living more enjoyable?