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In my previous article we learned some of the types and symptoms of anxiety, we also learned the reactions your body can have to it physically and mentally and why you get it in the first place.In the following article I will walk you through different techniques, methods and medications you can use to lower your anxiety of even make it disappear, although I would suggest the use of natural techniques such as exercise, watching your diet or controlled breathing which did wonders for me, you are free to try some of the medications and herbs.

Breathing Exercises

I have learned over the years the importance breathing has in your physical wellbeing, it not only affects your lungs but it influences your muscles, nerves, brain and many other different areas.By human nature we all change our breathing pattern depending on the situation we are in, if your angry you breath more shallow and heavily, if your relaxed you breath deeper and slower, anxious people tend to take shallow breaths through their chest instead of their stomach disrupting the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

The proper and natural way of breathing is called “diaphragmatic breathing” (stomach breathing), when we are young this is the usual way we breath, it uses the diaphragm muscle (a strong dome shaped muscle) located under our ribs and above our stomach.When we breath in, we push the muscle down, and our stomach moves forward, when we breath out, the diaphragmatic muscle moves back to resting position and our stomach moves back in, there is little or no upper chest movement.

As we get older though, our breathing pattern changes and we start breathing more through our chest, why? we become conscious in our appearance and want to appeal slim, inflating our belly with air to breath properly wouldn’t help, we have to worry about our clothing as well that requires us to stick in our stomach and breath through out chest to look good, sometimes it’s also caused by poor posture but in our case it’s most likely a combination of one of the above plus anxiety.

Exercises

If you ever find yourself angry/enraged these exercises can also help you too, something I always do is notice my normal relaxed breathing pattern, then when I feel angry at someone or something and notice my pattern is changing, I try and force it back to my relaxed pattern and the rage seems to go away like magic.

A simple exercise is to put one hand on your chest and another on your stomach, take a deep breath and let your stomach stomach swell forward, then gently breath out and let it fall back in.After you have tried a few times and got a good rhythm why not mix it up with a bit of meditation? I know it sounds a bit strange, I thought that too but it’s not what you think lol, it’s not like you sit in the Buddha position or anything.

With one hand on your chest and another on your stomach, breath in (through your nose) expanding your stomach as said above and while you inhale slowly count to five, hold your breath and count to five again, then as you exhale also count to five, repeat this for about 5-10 minutes always concentrating on your breathing count and you will get a great rhythm feeling much more relaxed and less anxious.

If you practise this a couple of times a day, what it will do is strengthen your diaphragmatic muscle and eventually it will start working normally.The main thing is to concentrate on the breathing count, you don’t have to count to five, three is okay as well or anything that you find comfortable.If any thoughts enter you mind (which they often do) while your counting, just let them go by and concentrate back on the counting, the thing I love about this method is your tricking your body into being relaxed, cause it can’t be anxious and relaxed (using the breathing pattern) at the same time can it?

Physical Exercise

Physical activities are well known to have many benefits, not only will it help you stay in shape and loose weight, it can also drastically relieve your anxiety levels as it releases the tension from your muscles.It’s usually ideal to use in conjunction with other anxiety therapies (self esteem, assertion..).

Benefits Of Treating Anxiety With Exercise

• Decreases cholesterol, blood pressure and weight.
• People report that they feel good after exercising, LESS stressed, anxious or depressed.
• Improves your circulation, digestion, utilisation of food and elimination processes.
• Exercise triggers feelings of calmness or happiness from a few minutes and sometimes hours afterwards.
• Decreases excess adrenaline in the bloodstream (adrenaline can keep you in a state of constant arousal and vigilance).
• Regular exercise boosts physical fitness and helps control weight, which in turn affects self esteem and how you perceive your looks positively.
• Decreases skeletal muscle tension..it other words it helps increase relaxation and decrease feelings of being uptight.
• It helps regulate sleep cycles leaving you feeling more rested and energetic.
• Promotes a sense of well being.
• Increases energy levels and therefore you are better prepared to tackle the day.
• Helps release built up stress, tension and frustration.
• People who exercise usually make healthier nutrition choices and as we will see below, they play a big role in your anxiety.
• It can aid in taking your mind off your worries by focusing just on the exercise.
• Helps increase concentration and mental alertness.
• It also gives you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

When/How Should You Work Out?

• Ideally you should try to work out 4/5 days a week.
• Cardio exercises (sprinting, aerobics..) are proven to be more beneficial as it gets your heart pumping faster.
• It’s always good to add variety into your workouts so you don’t get bored of them.

You should follow a few of my tips in the weight loss article, like start slowly and don’t kill yourself the first few sessions as your body isn’t use to so much activity and you’ll start to get pains causing you to quit, ask a friend to exercise with you for extra motivation.

Relaxation Therapy

The relaxation therapy is something everyone with anxiety should try, anxious people don’t know how to relax and thats one of the big problems they have to face when trying to overcome it.

There’s a book called “The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook” that suggests the best relaxation that makes a difference in dealing with anxiety is the regular, daily practice of some form of deep relaxation.Deep relaxation involves a number of different physical changes including:

• Decreases in heart rate.
• Decrease in analytical thinking.
• Decrease in respiration rate.
• Decrease in metabolic rate and oxygen consumption.
• Decrease in blood pressure.
• Decreases in skeletal muscle tension.

These physiological changes are in direct contrast to the symptoms experienced during the anxiety response of a panic attack, if your body is doing the opposite of what your brain wants it to do (get anxious), then your anxious thoughts will be overwhelmed by your physical relaxed response.

How To Enter Deep Relaxation

There’s a few ways to use it, it’s usually done by a combination of two or more of the following:

• Progressive muscle technique.
• Natural breathing technique.
• Meditation.

I have talked about breathing techniques above, meditation is quite similar to the breathing one but I will write a more detailed article in the future, the progressive muscle technique is the most fun of them all, it basically involves tensing a particular muscle in your body for a short period of time, and then releasing it, eg: tensing your bicep or clenching your hand (in a fist) for 15-20 seconds and then releasing it very quickly will assist in releasing the tension in that muscle area.After that you can move to different muscle groups, you can also do them same groups over and over creating further relaxation in that specific area.

Tips

• Practice for at least 20 minutes per day.
• Find a quiet location free from distractions, phones, tv ect…
• Ensure the room temperature is comfortable, not too hot or too cold.
• Practice at regular times of the day, after you get up, before you eat, before you sleep .
• Always perform them on an empty stomach.
• Assume a comfortable position that supports your entire body, laying down perhaps?
• Don’t wear any tight clothing or shoes.
• Detach yourself from your problems (don’t think about them) and assume a passive state.

Nutrition

What you put in your body can have a direct impact on how you feel physically and emotionally, It is important to be aware of what you are putting in your body and how some foods could actually be increasing your experience of anxiety especially if you have a sensitive stomach. Some of the anxiety you experience may actually be due to particular stimulants you’re consuming, or deficiencies in particular vitamins and minerals. The following information is extremely important in your overall recovery program from anxiety.

Stimulants

• Caffeine: Coffee, tea, alcohol, coke stimulate an adrenal response in your body, which can provoke anxiety, nervousness and insomnia to name a few side effects. They also deplete the body of necessary vitamins and minerals that help balance your mood and nervous system. Recommended dosage is less than 100mg per day (one cup of percolated coffee or two diet cola beverages per day. Less than 50mg per day would be ideal).
• Nicotine: This is as strong as caffeine, it creates increased physiological arousal, vasoconstriction and makes your heart work harder. Smokers tend to be more anxious than non-smokers and tend to sleep worse than as well.
• Drugs: Beware of prescription drugs that contain caffeine and amphetamines, and recreational drugs such as cocaine that increase levels of anxiety and panic attacks in people using them.

Salt

Salt drains the body of potassium, a mineral important to the proper functioning of the nervous system. Salt raises blood pressure that in turn puts a strain on the heart and arteries and hastens arteriolosclerosis. Recommended dosage is around 1gm of salt per day.

Preservatives

There are over 5000 chemical additives in commercial food processing, our bodies are not equipped to handle these, and little is known about long term biological effects. Try and eat whole unprocessed foods as much as possible. Try to purchase vegetables and fruit that haven’t been treated with pesticides and are organically grown.

Hormones in meat

Most commercially forms of meat have been fed hormones to promote fast weight gain and growth. One hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) has been implicated in the development of breast cancer and fibroid tumors.Try to replace red meat, pork and poultry with organically raised beef, poultry and fish such as cod, salmon, snapper, sole, trout.

Msg

MSG from Chinese takeaway should be avoided as it can have a major irritating effect on the nervous system producing the following: headaches, tingling, numbness and chest pains.

Drink soda water

Soda water increases the levels of carbon dioxide that helps the body to become balanced when someone is hyperventilating. Soda water also decreases smooth muscle contractions and dilates blood vessels, which allows blood to flow easily around the body.

Some Healthy Anti-Anxiety Food Options

• Stone fruit
• Paw paw
• Spinach
• Brewers yeast
• Wheat germ
• Fish
• Eggs
• Garlic
• Wholegrain cereals
• Celery
• Beetroot
• Onions
• Carrots
• Molasses
• Avocado
• Asparagus

Stress and anxiety are not only influenced by what you eat, but the way you eat also has an effect on you.Any of the following habits can aggravate your daily level of stress:

• Eating too fast or on the run.
• Eating too much to the point of feeling stuffed or bloated.
• Not chewing food at least 15-20 times per mouthful.
• Drinking too much fluid with a meal which can dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes (one cup with a meal is sufficient).

These behaviours put a strain on your stomach and intestines in their attempt to properly digest and assimilate/absorb food. This increases stress in two ways:

• Indirectly through malabsorption of essential nutrients.
• Directly through indigestion, bloating, and cramping.

Nutrients

There is also some nutrients you can try that help decrease anxiety:

Magnesium: Magnesium aids with muscle relaxation, maintenance of the heart muscle, neuromuscular transmission and widening of the blood vessels. A deficiency of it can cause:

• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Cold hands and feet
• Confusion
• Behavioural disturbances
• Anxiety
• Agitation

B Complex Vitamins: B vitamins are basically spark plugs for our body, they help provide energy by acting with enzymes to convert major nutrients such as carbohydrates to energy forms. They are important for the normal function of the nervous system and are helpful in bringing relaxation or energy to individuals who are stressed or fatigued. A deficiency of certain B vitamins will cause:

• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Fatigue

Calcium: Calcium works with maintenance of electrolyte balance, muscle contractions, nerve transmission, regulation of cell division, hormone secretion and bone and teeth formation. A deficiency of it can cause:

• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Heart palpitations
• Depression
• Agitation

Self Esteem Therapy

If you fear getting a negative evaluation or fear that someone will think badly of you, you most likely will have a low self esteem and this fear will be perpetuated. It is of paramount importance to develop a sense of self worth, to like yourself and acknowledge the many important aspects and qualities you have.

Ways To Build Self Esteem

• Take full responsibility for your life, stop blaming others.Blaming your actions on others creates insecureness.
• Consciously generate rational thoughts and feelings of approval for yourself and acceptance in place of old thoughts of inferiority and inadequacy. Be in charge of your thoughts (this is called Cognitive therapy and you can read more about it below).
• Be willing to create a lifestyle that generates, nourishes and maintains sound self esteem (associate yourself with others who have high self esteem).
• Participate in life at the highest level you can, doing the things you like to do.
• Watch what you say, avoid self put-downs, stop being critical of yourself and others (even though sarcasm is funny and I love it, it’s also a negative way of putting others down to hide your own insecurities).
• Keep your awareness (thoughts) focused in the present time instead of living in the past or future.
• See yourself as being self sufficient, don’t depend on relationships.
• Stop feeling guilty and see your mistakes as valuable lessons. See the cause and effect in your behaviour (what produces desirable results and what doesn’t) in place of moral judgments of right/wrong, good/bad, better/worse.
• Positively acknowledge yourself frequently and keep a diary of all your strengths, qualities and accomplishments.
• Invest money in yourself (you won’t give up so easily if theirs money in play), go to seminars, workshops, buy self help books.
• Give yourself permission to do nothing, periodically. Schedule time by yourself.
• Accept others acknowledgments and compliments, don’t invalidate their positive thoughts and feelings about you. Say “thank you” and let yourself enjoy them without embarrassment.
• Avoid comparing yourself to others, see yourself as being of equal worth. Remember our value as human beings is not derived from what we do.
• Stop trying to change others.
• Whenever you have a thought that starts with “I have to…” “I ought to…” I need to…” “I should…” “I better…” change it to “I want to…”, or, “I choose to…”.
• Frequently take deep breaths , discover the benefits and pleasures of breathing fully as mentioned in Breathing Exercises.
• Be willing to laugh at yourself, and with others. Stop taking yourself so seriously.
• Set goals, make plans and look for the opportunities that can help you get the results you want in life.
• Make a list of all the things you like about yourself and add to it everyday.
• Acknowledge others frequently, tell them what you like and appreciate about them (especially your family, partners and work associates)
• Make a list of 10 – 20 things you enjoy the most and make an agreement to do them frequently.
• Be assertive (read the Assertiveness section), speak up for yourself, ask for what you want, express your feelings, preferences and opinions openly and without fear and accept “No” as something normal and okay.
• Be respectful of others feelings and opinions

Anxious people are afraid of not being liked by someone so they change and become something their not just to be liked by that person, lets put it in a analogy: Imagen you own the best new Honda there is…it’s fast, lean and has an awesome body kit with a sweet interior design (that smells like new leather).The problem with having a Honda is your going to find people who don’t like Honda’s and like Toyota’s instead, you can try to make it look like a Toyota but it’s going to appear like a second hand one because deep down it’s always going to be a Honda and even if you succeeded at making it look like a Toyota your going to find people who don’t like Toyota’s and like Ford’s instead, so what would you rather have (or in this case be), the new best Honda or a second hand Toyota?

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective way of understanding how you think and therefore feel.In psychology it is sometimes called cognitive dissonance, it’s a way to help your development in exploring your underlying belief patterns that result in negative, irrational and unhealthy thoughts.It then allows you to explore your thoughts and replace them with more useful ones in order to manage your emotions more effectively.

Damn that sounds complicated huh? A simpler way to put it is to think of your mind as a bag or suit case that over time has collected many beliefs, thoughts, memories and past experiences.Some of these thoughts and beliefs are helpful, and some others are not causing you discomfort.Cognitive Therapy assists you in examining what your carrying around in that suitcase, then helps you remove the speedos (bad thoughts), and replace them with briefs or three quarters (good useful thoughts) that help you gain control over your emotions and behaviour.

Cognitive behavioral therapy works based on the following theory: Beliefs leads to Thoughts leads to Emotions leads to Behaviour .

An expert in cognitive therapy is Albert Ellis, in his book he identified 10 major beliefs, which tend to emerge commonly in people who live with anxiety.

• I must be loved or liked and approved of by every person in my life.
• I must be completely competent, make no mistakes and achieve all the time if I am to be considered worthwhile.
• Some people are bad, wicked or evil, and they should be punished for this.
• It is dreadful, nearly the end of the world, when things aren’t how I want them to be.
• My bad feelings are caused by things outside of my control, so I can’t do anything about them.
• If something might be dangerous, unpleasant or frightening, I should worry about it a lot.
• It’s easier to put off something difficult or unpleasant than it is to face up to it.
• I need to depend on someone stronger than myself.
• My problem was caused by some event in my past, so that’s why I have it now.
• I should be very upset by other people’s problems and difficulties.

Do any of those beliefs/thoughts sound familiar? Every one of the above beliefs is unhealthy and are commonly found in people who live with Social Anxiety Disorder. If you can change your unhealthy beliefs and thoughts and replace then with more healthy, rational and realistic ones, you can therefore change your emotions (Anxiety) and hence your behaviour (avoidance/drug and alcohol dependence etc).

Cognitive Therapy helps you to take control of what you think and believe, and helps you to look at situations for what they really are more realistically and rationally.When you do, you often realise that there is not really anything to fear as you previously thought, and as a result your anxiety diminishes. When you gain control of your thoughts and emotions you are then in a position to make choice about how you respond to situations.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is suggested to be one of the best ways to overcome your anxiety.To master something in life it is necessary first to think about it, and then actually practice doing it. Remember when you first started to learn how to drive, the more you practiced the better you became. This is the basis of exposure therapy. You actually need to go into the situation and think about it in a different way, implement the other skills and knowledge you have to mange your anxiety (eg:cognitive therapy), and then reflect on how it went.

When you feel anxious, it is suggested that you go through it firstly in your mind (realistic thinking/skills of cognitive therapy), and then go and secondly, put yourself in the situation that you fear. This part is called exposure therapy.

If you continue to avoid situations because you are feeling anxious, it only makes it harder to overcome your anxiety. When you avoid doing something, you often convince yourself that there is a very good reason why you are not doing it. If you continue to avoid situations, no amount of thinking about it in another way will actually help you overcome your anxiety in the situations. The more often you do something, the easier it becomes each time (again back to the first few driving lessons).

Ron Rapee author of the “Overcoming Shyness and Social Phobia” book has the following suggestions when engaging in exposure therapy.

• One step at a time: Don’t jump in the deep end first.Take a small step and work you way up to the most uncomfortable situations.
• Stay in the situation: Try not to leave if you suddenly feel anxious. Rather, implement some of the other techniques such as rational thinking, focusing, breathing and relaxation.Of course, if you absolutely have to leave then do, but it’s suggested to return back and go at it again as soon as possible.Alternatively, try and back away a little bit, instead of leaving the situation completely.
• Repeats: Doing something once can be interpreted as a fluke! The more often you do something, the more you will start to feel more comfortable (the more techniques you implement, the greater the ability you will have to control your anxiety).
• Ups and Downs: These are a part of life, and some days you will have good days, and others will go badly.Try not to beat yourself up on the not so good days by engaging in negative self talk.Rather, accept it for what it is, a not so good day!! Go back to the drawing board and set your goals a little lower until you are feeling stronger and more confident again.
• Be aware of avoidance:Try and be aware of all your avoidances.By not doing something that you fear, you are only making it harder for yourself.Avoidance is only an excuse and keeps your fears going.If you have engaged in some anxiety education, you will be more aware that it is you who is controlling your anxiety, so it is you who can decrease and manage it as well.It just takes some practice (and patience). It is also important to try and be aware of subtle avoidance when overcoming high levels of anxiety, e.g.You might go to a party ,and talk to only a few people you know well, avoiding meeting new people or you might travel 10 km’s to go to a shop rather than visit the shopping center 1km from your home.

Assertion Therapy

Assertion is the ability to communicate your thoughts, opinions, needs and feelings in an open, direct, honest and appropriate manner. People who have Social Anxiety Disorder often find it difficult to relate assertively as they do not believe they have the right to speak up or voice their own opinion. In any recovery program it is important to learn the skills of assertive communication, and believe that you have the right to say what is important to you.

What is Being Assertive About?

• Feeling good about yourself and valuing yourself.
• Believing that you have the right to express your opinion and get your needs met.
• Respecting the rights and needs of other people.
• Having the ability to express yourself with others, rather than holding everything inside.
• Being a bit selfish and putting your needs above others when necessary, not being a push over.
• Having the ability to choose how to respond to people and different situations according to your needs.

Relating Styles

The way you communicate is part of your general style of relating. There are three styles of relating that are important to understand. Passive, Aggressive and Assertive. We will look at each one in detail.

Passive: People who relate in a passive manner often find it hard to take action to meet their own needs, often putting others needs before their own, or relying on others to meet their needs. People who relate in a passive manner often become resentful to others, hurt and angry as they believe they don’t have the right to have a vote in conversations or opinion. Many people who live with an Anxiety Disorder relate to others in a passive manner creating a low self value/esteem.

Aggressive: Some relate aggressively usually believing that they know what is best for others. They often attempt to control others without taking other peoples needs into consideration. As with relating in a passive manner, relating aggressively is usually associated with low self esteem.

Assertive: People who relate assertively are able to recognise and express their feelings, thoughts, needs and opinions in an open and appropriate manner, as well as being able to listen to the needs, opinions and feelings of others. When you are assertive, you can choose how to relate to people and situations rather than continuously acting passively or aggressively, believing you don’t have any choice. When you can make choices how to relate, and are satisfied with those choices you will feel in control rather than resentful or angry. When you are assertive you don’t need the approval of others, and believe in your own opinions. You are very clear about what is important to you while taking into consideration what is important to others. You’re more likely to compromise and negotiate in situations as well as take responsibility for your own actions. As a result you will tend to develop a high self esteem and feel good about the choices you make, as well as have more control over your life.Being assertive will help to decrease high levels of anxiety and thats the whole point of this exercise isn’t it?

Medication

Anxiety levels can differ from person to person therefore, on the road to recovery, different people may require different treatments. Some may gain benefits from some of the simple DIY therapies above, some others need professional guidance or holistic recovery programs, while others may require a combination of both professional guidance and medication. Medication does not cure symptoms of anxiety, it will only assist to decrease the anxiety symptoms while you are taking the medication. It is always recommended therefore that if you are taking medication to also engage in some other therapies that will on the long run give you a new perspective on the things your feared.

Types Of Medications

Medications for anxiety generally fall into four categories: MAOI’s, SSRI’s, SNRI’s, and Benzodiazepines.

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors: MAOI’s were the original antidepressant medications developed. They require careful medical management and can be quite dangerous when mixed with certain foods or medications. Therefore, the patient must follow strict dietary and medical guidelines.They work by inhibiting the breakdown of neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine within the nerves, in turn allowing the storage levels of these chemical messengers to rise thereby decreasing levels of anxiety.

Some common side effect include: Headaches, tremors, sweating, delayed orgasm, dry mouth, weakness, trouble sleeping , upset stomach, constipation, weight gain, dizziness, memory problems, fatigue.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: Currently, SSRI’s are the most popular antidepressant/anti anxiety drugs. They work by having a selective effect on nerves that use serotonin as a transmitter by restoring serotonin levels at the synapses thereby decreasing anxiety levels. The are more widely used due to the fewer side effects they have compared with other antidepressants. Some side effects may occur at the beginning of treatment, however often pass as treatment progresses.

Some common side effect include: Nausea, drowsiness, delayed orgasm, dry mouth, insomnia.

Serotonin & Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors: SNRI’s are slightly different to SSRI’s in that they work to balance the levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain. These chemicals affect your mood, appetite, sense of well-being, motivation, and sleep. Balancing these levels is an important step in reducing your anxiety, related depression and overall sense of well being.

Some potential side effects include: nausea, dizziness, sleepiness, delayed ejaculation, sweating, dry mouth, nervousness, insomnia, anorexia, and constipation.

Tranquillisers: Benzodiazapines include such drugs as Xanax, Rohypnol (more for insomnia) and Valium. They can have a strong calming effect almost immediately after you take them, however the effect only lasts a short time. This makes them highly addictive, and if taken for a few weeks they can lose there effectiveness thereby requiring higher doses for the same effect. Long term usage can result in severe withdrawal symptoms. Funny enough, some of the most common withdrawal symptoms are anxiety, nervousness and trouble sleeping.

Herbs

There are many natural supplements available that have been used throughout the centuries to treat anxiety.Your naturopath or nutritionist will be able to advise you further in finding herbs for anxiety.Some of the popular ones include:

Kava: Kava (Piper methysticum) is one of the main anti-anxiety herbs. It has a very quick calming effect on the nervous system with an uplifting, euphoric feeling. It is also a muscle relaxant and mild sedative. It is specific for anxiety, tension, stress, irritability and insomnia. Kava is very good for people whose mind races at high speeds such as my own.

St. John’s Wort: St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a gentle sedative which also has a calming effect on the nervous system with restorative properties as well. It is specific for mild depression, anxiety, tension and irritability. It works by increasing the level of neurotransmitters in the CNS such as serotonin and dopamine.

Neither one of the above should be used with medical anti-depressant drugs.

Damiana: Damiana (Turnera diffusa) is a good nerve tonic which also has a restorative property. It can have a good calming effect and is also specific in cases of mild depression and anxiety. Damiana is also well known for its aphrodisiac properties (which you might enjoy with a girl :P).

Scullcup: Scullcup (Scutellaria lateriflora) is a relaxing and gentle sedative for the central nervous system. It is very good for nervous tension and for nervous exhaustion plus neurological and neuromotor problems.

Verbena: Verbena (Verbena officinalis) is a relaxing nervous system tonic which is indicated for a wide range of nervous disorders including nervous exhaustion and stress.

Passionflower: Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is a non-addictive sedative that relaxes the nervous system. It is especially helpful for nervous disorders such as heart palpitations, anxiety, convulsions, epilepsy, insomnia, and stress.

Withania: Withania (Withania somnifera) is an ayurvedic herb most commonly called Ashwaghanda. It is a very good tonic herb that is especially helpful for debility, and nervous exhaustion due to stress.

Thank god I finished, ironically writing this article was the one causing me anxiety lol, I have a few friends that being the macho guys they are, refused to try any of the suggestions on this page, at the end some of them did and reported an increase in their self esteem, a calm, relaxed attitude and general sense of well being.I always advise the use of at least four or five different techniques mentioned above (cognitive, assertiveness, breathing, relaxation, physical exercise) as it works best in conjunction.

Have you got any personal techniques you use to overcome your anxiety that you’d like to share in the comments?

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