Foodnhealth.org explains how to create a healthy future through the importance of self-help, meditation, and exercise when recovering from Anxiety Disorder.
When recovering from anxiety with therapy and/or prescribed medication, it is important that you work towards building back a healthy lifestyle for your future. Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist describes anxiety as “a conflict within a person’s inner-self, due to the suppression of particular feelings, experiences that are too disturbing to live with.” Although disorders such as anxiety were not always been considered as an illness before the 19th century, it can be argued that even our latest ancestors would still have experienced feelings of anxiety at some point within their lives.
What is anxiety?
According to the UK’s mental health organization, anxiety is to feel “anxious, worried or fearful in certain situations” however, it becomes more troublesome when “continuous feelings of anxiety impact your ability to carry out life as normal,” this could indicate you have an anxiety disorder which needs medical attention.
The feeling of anxiety is a completely normal feeling to experience at any age and for any gender. However, it is important to notice the signs of developing an anxiety disorder, particularly in women as they are, according to the American Psychiatric Association, more likely than men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
What are the main symptoms of an anxiety disorder?
- Constant fear
- An overwhelming sense of worry
- Overthinking the simplest of tasks
- Socially isolating yourself on purpose
- Avoiding conflict
- Chest pains
- Increased heart rate
- Trouble sleeping
If you or someone you love suffers from any of these symptoms, and you are concerned you or somebody else might be developing an anxiety disorder, please seek medical help.
How to structure a healthy future when recovering from anxiety
Recovering from anxiety can be a strange time because you are slowly re-introducing and re-enforcing habits into your life, which you have probably avoided for a long time. When recovering from any mental illness, it is important to look at your future as a prompt to help yourself get better.
Here are several ways anyone with an anxiety disorder can help structure a healthier future:
Talk to people
Particularly if you have a social anxiety disorder, it is recommended that socialization plays a role in your recovery. As said by sociologist Davis Kingsley “socialization makes it possible to fully function as human beings”, which is fundamentally true as humans need social interaction to keep sane. When engaging in regular social interaction, you are setting yourself up for a happier, more positive life because as you share experiences and learn from people, you are adding to your personality and values.
Not only that but when you are recovering from an anxiety disorder, it is a good idea to talk to your loved ones more than you used to, by informing them about how you are feeling each day, you can become closer to those around you.
Get out of the house when you can
Often when people have anxiety disorders, they tend to seclude themselves whenever they can, because there is an overwhelming sense of safety and protection when you are at home. However, being stuck inside all the time is not good for your physical health just as much as your mental health, which is why doing little things can help to structure a healthier future.
Try new experiences
It is easier to say no to something and turn it down, than to go out and do it, especially if it is something you have never done before, such as going to a new café with your friends or traveling out of the city. Unfamiliar territory can be extremely scary and daunting to those with anxiety disorders, which is why it is a promising idea to slowly try to push your boundaries. Perhaps take a friend’s child (or your own) to their pediatric dentist asheville nc appointments as a way to challenge yourself to do something new.
Practice meditation and positive thinking
According to Healthline, research suggests that meditation and mindfulness are generally highly successful in reducing feelings of anxiety. Not only that, but research also links meditation to having a better night’s sleep, which is promising for anyone who suffers from an anxiety disorder as insomnia is a common symptom.
Here are a few ways you can practice meditation and positive thinking:
- When you feel particularly anxious, listen to relaxing sounds such as the sound of waves crashing against rocks, rain patting on a window, or the crackling of a campfire.
- Try complimenting yourself each day.
- Buy an adult coloring book and some pens to help take your mind off your anxiety, as this will help you de-stress.
- Remind yourself to take one step at a time, and that you can have a healthy future if you implement little useful steps each day.
Add exercise to your daily routine
The benefits of exercise are proven to seriously help an individual’s mental health. According to Public Health Reports, the psychological benefits of exercise include confidence, emotional stability, mood, and well-being, which are all features that can all be reduced when you have an anxiety disorder.
Expectedly, the thought of forcing yourself to go for a 5k run to someone who is recovering from an anxiety disorder is not appealing. Regular short walks are a fantastic way for anyone who has the anxiety to venture outside, without pushing themselves too hard to begin with. Try walking different routes so that you become more familiar with your surrounding area, you might find a pretty garden to walk by or a shop you did not know existed – it will all help you to feel more comfortable trying new things.
Take up a new hobby to distract yourself
Whether it is drawing, painting, or learning how to cook, it is an innovative idea for those recovering from anxiety to keep occupied as much as possible. Take time to mind map what your interests are and any potential hobbies you may want to explore, as this is a healthy way to keep yourself and your mind happy and content.
Allow yourself to feel
This is the most important way to structure a healthy future when recovering from an anxiety disorder. When you suppress your emotions and get angry with yourself for feeling anxious, scared, or worried, it only makes your symptoms of anxiety worsen and last much longer. To properly help yourself recover from or live with an anxiety disorder, you need to accept yourself and by doing that, you must accept your anxiety disorder. Once you do this, your symptoms may not feel as harsh and overwhelming, which will make them easier to manage while you are still in recovery.
References:
https://www.britannica.com/science/anxiety
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610616/
https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/conditions/anxiety-disorders/what-is-anxiety/
http://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-symptoms#symptoms
https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/chapter/4-1-the-importance-of-socialization/#:~:text=As%20this%20example%20indicates%2C%20socialization,we%20could%20not%20have%20socialization.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation#9.-Improves-sleep
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1424736/pdf/pubhealthrep00100-0085.pdf
