HAVING ANXIETY PROBLEMS? DO THESE
Oladele Victoria feels nervous and jittery each time she has a presentation to deliver in front of a large crowd. She had tried all she could to contain this nervousness, but all her efforts were futile. Sometimes, she passes out in front of her audience causing her embarrassment. She always felt a knot in her stomach and her forehead and palms get sweaty each time. Sometimes, she feels dizzy and lightheaded. She tried to live through it, but it became more embarrassing as the day went by. Almost every lecturer recognizes her as the lady who couldn't gave her classmates, and this affected her scores and grades in class. The last straw that broke the camel's back was when she stuttered while delivering her Industrial Training presentation. She passed our while on stage. She got home and called her parents explaining her plight to them. They reassured her and told her they would be in her school to take her to the hospital the following day.
The next day, while seated at the doctor's office with her mother, she sweated profusely under AC. After taking history and laboratory investigations, the doctor diagnosed her of having anxiety disorder. Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to control the tears from falling but she failed. Her mother held her hands and rubbed the back of her palms with her fingertips. The doctor further explained that she could overcome it by adopting a change in her lifestyle and diet. She was referred to healthyish, a renowned health and lifestyle coach.
Anxiety is an emotion that is characterized by inner turmoil and feelings of dread over anticipated events or in the face of uncertainty. It is usually the body's natural response to stress. It is a normal reaction that is experienced by every human being, but it becomes a problem when it is over exaggerated and impairs with the individual's day-to-day activities. It is characterized by restlessness, sweating, tightness in the stomach, nausea, lack of concentration etc. These symptoms are usually over exaggerated in anxiety disorders. Further characteristics of anxiety disorder include changes in sleeping pattern, changes in eating habits, nightmares, increased motor tension such as foot tapping or pacing. However, these symptoms can be reduced or eliminated if affected individual makes changes to their lifestyle and diet.
1. Do not skip meals: Skipping meals causes a drop in the blood sugar which leads to jitters associated with anxiety. This worsens an already existing anxiety disorder or in some cases, causes anxiety disorders if meal is being skipped repeatedly.
2. Eat food rich in anti-anxiety properties: This helps to reduce anxiety or prevent anxiety disorders from occurring. Foods rich in magnesium such as green leafy vegetables, foods rich in zinc, liver, beef, egg yolk, foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids like fatty fish are foods that help to reduce anxiety and makes an individual calmer. Also, foods rich in antioxidants like beans, walnut, fruits including antioxidant rich spices like turmeric and ginger are good for reducing anxiety.
3. Engage in regular physical exercise: Mindful movement such as yoga and a daily 30-minute walk help to reduce anxiety. The principle behind this is that it helps to divert attention away from what is causing the anxiety. It also induces the release of certain chemical substances in the brain that are good for controlling anxiety.
4. Have good quality sleep: Poor sleep quality has been linked to development and worsening of anxiety problems. A good quality sleep especially sleeping at night helps to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and causes an individual to feel calmer with improved mood. Individuals who are sleep-deprived have higher likelihood of developing anxiety problems.
5. Manage stress properly: Stress has been found to cause and worsen anxiety symptoms. Managing stressors and how to react to stress will help in alleviating symptoms of anxiety disorders. Engage in stress management techniques such as engaging in a hobby etc.
6. Limit alcohol intake: Anxiety disorder has been linked to excessive alcohol intake as it interferes with certain chemical substances released by the brain that helps in controlling anxiety. Also, alcohol intake disrupts sleep quality and poor sleep quality has been found to be a trigger for anxiety disorders. Therefore, limit intake of alcohol if it cannot be totally abstained from.
7. Abstain from smoking: Just like alcohol consumption, smoking interferes with the brain chemistry and triggers symptoms of anxiety disorders.
8. Limit intake of caffeine: Caffeine causes nervousness and jitters which are signs of anxiety disorders. Continued exposure to caffeine exacerbates these symptoms and worsens anxiety disorders. Removing caffeine from your diet or limiting its intake helps to reduce anxiety symptoms drastically. Substances like coffee and drinks containing caffeine should be abstained from.
9. Have a good social support system: Finally, have a good social support system. Although anxiety can sometimes make an individual withdraw from others and limit social interactions, however, reaching out to close friends and family help individuals to deal with anxiety and overcome anxiety disorders.
Although anxiety is a normal emotion, it becomes a menace when it impairs with the individual's normal level of functioning. With the appropriate lifestyle and dietary changes, it can be controlled.
NB:We are bio individuals which is to say not all size fits all.prioritizing yourself and your journey with the support and guidance of a health coach will further help in your progress and such a person would be able to get detailed information about themselves that could facilitate results.
