How to Handle and Control Your Stress and Anxiety

It is a well known fact that the current economic depression has caused a lot of stress to many in the world although how it affects individuals differs from one country to another. According to the American Psychological Association, almost every American experienced the feeling of stress and anxiety at some stages of their lives. Majority of the population are having stress level that is high enough to affect their health and hence their daily lives.

Anxiety, stress and the resultant insomnia are therefore on the rise recently due to the economic problems, and other related issues. Uncontrolled stress could lead to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) that leaves individuals worrying about ordinary events in their everyday lives that other normal people take for granted. They tend to fear unreasonably that something terrible is about to happen to their families, friends, their health, and money issues etc.

Many people are seeing doctors more frequently and have to resort to stress and anxiety medications. You could seek the advice of psychiatrists and psychologists who are trained to diagnose and treat all mental illnesses, including anxiety. The most common type of medication for anxiety is tranquillizers, which act to increase relaxation and allow you to feel calm while also reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety. The doctors would be able to advise you whether this is to be taken as a temporary measure or on a medium to long term treatment.
Although medications could help in many cases, it has its side effects that include liver damage. Hence the importance to know how to handle and control your stress without medication should not be ignored.

This leads to another treatment that you should check out. This is the so-called anxiety behaviour therapy whereby the therapist (i.e. the doctors) will discuss your anxiety, and the triggers that cause you to start feeling anxious. It is important to take note of the factors that cause your anxiety. It is advisable to carry a notebook with you wherever you go and write down everything that is going on around you whenever you feel anxiety is starting to hit you.

With this information the doctor would be able to offer you helpful techniques and guidance on how to control your anxiety in a better, more positive way so that it becomes gradually easier for you to deal with. You would learn to change your thought and behaviour patterns towards the things you worry about and therefore reduces the irrational feelings of fear.

Having said that, you should also look into using breathing technique, exercise and meditation. These have been known to be able to help overcome stress and anxiety and should be included in your regime to compliment your doctor’s treatment.

Whenever you feel anxious or nervous, stop what you are doing and take deep breathes and stop for 5 seconds before exhaling slowly. Repeat this until your feeling of anxiousness or panic passes.

Exercise daily and make sure you get plenty of physical activity at least three times a week whether you are having stress and anxiety or not. While exercising can help keep your body in shape it also produces the so-called “feel good” hormone, endorphin.

Meditate once or twice every day, 15 to 20 minutes each time. The benefits of meditation are manifold. When practicing meditation, your heart rate and breathing slow down, your blood pressure normalizes and your stress dissipates. People with physical limitations would find this easier to practice than strenuous physical exercise for stress relief. Further more, no special equipment is required.

It takes a lot of effort and commitment on the person's part and also his family to make it work. Exercise, meditation, and breathing practices can help you get your stress and anxiety under control and even cure it in the long run. But the determination in continuing this programme is the key to your success.

Copyright © 2009 John Woon (Sung-Liang)
http://stopstress.blogspot.com/