Coping with Anxiety

Regardless of attributes of courage and presence of mind, as a human being, it is understandable that you cannot help but worry from time to time, particularly in this day and age, when the media tends to continually harp on the painful aspects of national and international events, such as the devastating terrorist attacks around the world, fears of new attacks and the possible use of biological weapons, such as anthrax, as a result of which, you are likely to lose sleep, experience bad dreams, fear of traveling, loss of appetite, or overeating. Uncontrolled anxiety may tend to exclude appropriate thoughts and actions and, perhaps, affect your health. But there is a way to help keep anxiety in check:

If at all possible, try to abstain from listening to news that are more or less reported in the same vein, everyday. This is not to say that you should remain uninformed, but, rather, watch and hear news without becoming addicted to the monotony of reporting by the media. You can, in a sense, be selective as to what kind of news you allow into your daily life.

You should limit your consumption of caffeine and other stimulants. These can increase anxiety, make you jittery, and affect the normal pattern of restful sleep.

You must be particularly careful about using drugs in order to reduce anixety, abstain from alcohol, and try to curtail the intake of tranquilizers, sedatives, or other mood-altering drugs. These can only provide temporary relief.

There are some relaxation techniques that you can practice, such as placing the tip of your tongue against the ridge, just behind your upper front teeth and let it stay there throughout the whole exercise.

Exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.

Inhale deeply through your nose to a count of 4, with your mouth closed.

Hold your breath to a count of 7.

Exhale through your mouth to a count of 8, again making a whoosh sound.

Repeat the entire cycle three more times for a total of 4 breaths.

The exercise can be done in any position. When seated, your back should be straight.

Work with plants. It is refreshing and relaxing.

Discuss your fears. Talk to family and friends, coworkers and neighbors, as well as your spiritual leader.

These are some of the methods that you can use to control your fear and anxiety. It takes practice and at first may seem ineffective, but persistence can eventually work in your favor.