Removing stress without medication: 10 ways to relieve anxiety without pills

Are you worried, worried, stressed? A familiar story. It is even more familiar that at the same time you are not ready to go to the doctor for some kind of sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs, expecting to cope on your own, without resorting to pills. Found some really working ways for you.

But let's make a reservation right away. In some cases, prescription drugs, psychotherapy and other "heavy artillery" are really indispensable. They may be needed to bring yourself into balance, calm down and find harmony. Such medications are prescribed by a doctor, he will also control how the treatment proceeds.

But in milder cases, you can cope on your own. Collected 10 scientifically proven ways to deal with anxiety. Try them and find the right one for yourself: we are sure there will be one among them.

chamomile

Think chamomile and chamomile tea are nothing more than a placebo? Of course, you should not expect any extreme effect from it, but it really does have sedative properties. The fact is that some of the components that make up chamomile bind to the same receptors in the brain as diazepam. And this is actually a powerful sedative and anti-anxiety. In addition, chamomile contains apigenin, a substance that has been successfully tested in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. After 8 weeks of use, the study participants felt much calmer and their symptoms improved. In general, chamomile is not as simple as it might seem.

Green tea

This drink is familiar to us as a tonic, but it can also help with increased anxiety. Green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can reduce elevated blood pressure and slow heart rate. In addition, there are several studies showing that theanine can also reduce anxiety. In general, try to calm yourself down with green tea, it can really help.

Valerian

Another traditional remedy that we all know about almost from childhood. The good news is that valerian works and really helps relieve anxiety. True, there is one "but": funds containing valerian, at the same time, increase drowsiness, and therefore it is better to take them in the evening, and not before the start of the working day.

Deep breathing

The old sure way for those who want to calm down. Try to take advantage of the experience of the yogis and breathe according to the 4-7-8 method. How it works? Very simple. First, inhale through your nose in four counts (count to yourself), then hold your breath for seven counts, then slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Take a few cycles to calm yourself down right now, or do it as a preventive measure a couple of times a day.

Something tasty

Very often, feelings of anxiety and intense irritability can be caused simply by feeling hungry. Stop and think, maybe you're just hungry? For a snack, a handful of nuts, chocolate or fruit are perfect, choose what you like. It is possible that you will return to normal within 10-15 minutes, the anxiety will go away, and your mood will become much better.

Nutritionists are convinced that, in principle, diet can help control our mood and suppress feelings of anxiety. Pay attention to your diet: There should be enough leafy vegetables and meats in it to provide you with B vitamins and folic acid, a deficiency of which can make you anxious.

Meditation

Try to calm down with meditation? It sounds logical, especially since most Buddhist monks really look very calm. However, we are all still very far from monks, but you can try to meditate. Download any of the many applications on your smartphone and follow the instructions: meditation to calm music will help you calm down and stop worrying. At least a little.

Letter

Not the most popular, but quite working way to deal with increased anxiety. Express everything that worries, infuriates and upsets you in writing. Write down your emotions and your feelings: it is possible that when they are presented in this form, they will become more understandable or less exciting for you, and the very feeling of anxiety will dull.

Aromatherapy

Smells are very important to us. Some are associated with calmness, others, on the contrary, are associated with active actions or become annoying. To combat anxiety, just the first are suitable, for example, lavender.

The scent of lavender helps you to feel less stressed and fights insomnia. However, lavender is far from being a universal option, everyone suits something of their own, try different aromas.

Communication with animals

Spending time with pets and caring for them can also help relieve stress and combat anxiety. And we are talking not only about cats, dogs or, for example, hamsters. A study published in 2015 found that seniors who cared for grasshoppers (!) Were far less anxious than other seniors who didn’t take care of anyone.

Laughter

An easy way to reduce anxiety, which is always with you. Scientists claim that even the “fake” laughter that occurs when people force themselves to laugh helps to calm down and stop worrying. And fake laughter triggers the release of dopamine, known as the hormone of happiness. It fights with cortisol, a stress hormone that increases with anxiety and excitement. The more you laugh, the better your chances of relieving your anxiety.