Today, according to the World Health organization about 3.6%, that is about 264 million individuals worldwide suffer from anxiety disorders and yet most people dismiss the feeling of uneasiness in the chest and stomach without putting any thought into it. Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness and uneasiness about something with an uncertain outcome. Some amount of anxiety is normal in stressful situations, which means that we all feel a little anxiety occasionally. However, when the feelings are excessive, that becomes an indicator of an underlying disease.

You can control your anxiety and learn to cope with it in a better way. Although, if it worsens seeing a psychologists is recommended. The following are a few tips that will help you control your anxiety:

• One of the known causes of anxiety is stress. A lot of stress can cause anxiety attacks. The trick is to learn to manage your stress. When you find yourself stressing over something, distract yourself with something that arises positive feelings in you, like taking a walk, playing with a pet, painting, listening to music etc.
• When you’re in the middle of an anxiety attack, you should retain your calm. Take long deep breaths and focus on them. Try to relax all the muscles in your body from head to toe while exhaling slowly.
• Limit alcohol intake and quit smoking. As a matter of fact, cut out of any intoxicants. Alcohol alters the effects of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain which worsens the anxiety. Since nicotine creates an immediate sense of relaxation, people often turn to smoking a cigarette while feeling anxious. Nonetheless, this feeling is temporary and in a long term, nicotine increases signs of withdrawal symptoms and more cravings.
• Sleeping enough can help your anxiety on a whole new level. Impaired sleep cycle can heavily worsen an individual’s anxiety and in fact also have life threatening effects on their overall health. Your body requires a certain amount of sleep, in this resting period your body is regaining its energy and balancing out the work you do all day long. Depriving your body from getting good sleep can result in insomnia and anxiety disorders.
• Exercising helps with controlling anxiety. It helps divert your mind and out your energy into your movements. It also decreases muscle tension, lowering your body’s contribution to it.
• Eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Your nutrition’s have a lot to do with how your mind feels. Eating the right type of food in right amounts can make your mind and body feel good.
• Meditation has also proven to be one of the best tricks to make you feel relaxed when you feel anxious. Listening to some music can also contribute towards your anxiety becoming better.