Written by: Vedant Kulkarni, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Longing to stop worrying and yearning for a carefree, exuberant life? In the next 3-5 min, you will discover practical tips and out-of-the-box solutions to conquer anxiety, worry and uncertainty to take absolute control of the experience of your life!
P.S. Don’t miss out on 'Step 3' for a completely different outlook on anxiety.
Step 1: High-spirit lifestyle
Yes, there is a better way to curb anxiety before it comes, way better than doing mental gymnastics of "ask your fears if they are true" or "tolerate discomfort," when anxiety is already uncontrollable.
When you are cheerful and bubbling with enthusiasm, do fears and anxieties appear in the first place? Nope.
And developing a High-Spirit lifestyle is simple in theory:
Spending time with nature, Exercising regularly,
Sleeping early and adequately,
Avoiding high sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and highly preserved or stale food, Doing what you Love (at least part-time or for some time).
Is it simple in Practice? It depends on whether an exuberant worry-free life is your Priority. And I leave that up to you.
Pro-tip 1: If a High-Spirit Lifestyle is still a dream for you, there's a hack to still derive several of its benefits. Yes, that's by Living with People who live a High-Spirit Lifestyle. Look around, more probably than not, there are people in your society, at the workplace or in your family who are living this lifestyle. And if you spend time with them, they will inflict you with their lifestyle.
Pro tip 2: Say No frequently. Anxiety can also result from taking on too much responsibility, pleasing others at the expense of yourself, or having unrealistic standards for yourself or others. Practice saying no to requests that are beyond your capacity, communicate your needs and preferences clearly and respectfully, and be flexible and realistic in your goals and plans
As cliche as Step 1 might sound, it is the building block for the skyscraper named Worry-free life.
But what if you already have anxiety that interferes with your well-being and is not letting you even sleep and eat peacefully? What if you need more than Lifestyle changes to overcome your anxiety?
Step 2: Killing anxiety without drugs
Yes, below are some amazing ways to crush anxiety without taking anxiety medications and bearing their harmful side effects like fatigue, headache, etc. (some may even lead to depression or the 'paradoxical effect' of worsening the symptoms).
First, let's understand the Science of Anxiety in a jiffy:
Anxiety is caused by an imbalance or overactivation of the ‘Fight or Flight’ system of the body aka the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). SNS is triggered by perceived threat or uncertainty, and influenced by factors such as stress, cold, dryness, or irregularity.
The SNS along with another system (called the HPA axis) controls various stress hormones. If these systems remain Switched On for too long, it can lead to restlessness, fearfulness, nervousness, excessive thoughts and a hoard of other illnesses.
Long story short: We need to bring down our perceived threat in situations where it is not required, by optimizing our environment and our habits to reduce anxiety and stress.
How? Here are 5 highly effective ways
Practice relaxation techniques: Deep breathing, Meditation, and Yoga to help you calm your body and mind and release tension that is commonly associated with anxiety. These techniques can lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension, which are often elevated by stress and anxiety. They also slow down breathing, which can help prevent panic attacks. In short, these techniques help activate the Anti-Fight-or-Flight system in your body to allow relaxation and healing.
Create a warm and inviting environment at your home, especially during the evenings. By incorporating warm and dim lighting, and limiting blue light, you can create an environment that promotes relaxation and tranquility. As the temperatures cool outside, having a cozy and comfortable space indoors will give you a sense of comfort and contentment.
Make sure you listen to soothing music every evening which can do wonders in improving your mood and help reduce overthinking. Avoid cold, dry, light, and stimulating foods such as raw salads, popcorn, coffee, or alcohol. Also, stop using smartphones and other screens at least a few hours before sleeping (and start your day positively by not using your phone at first).
People who we find friendly and safe can make us calm. They can do this without words, just by their face, voice, or even presence. Thus, it is important to reach out to talk with your loved ones and express yourself. Anxiety can make you feel isolated and lonely, which can worsen your condition. Talking, laughing and spending fun time with people you trust can help you vent your emotions, gain new insights, and receive encouragement and advice. You can also express yourself through creative outlets such as art music, or sports in an enjoyable way.
Interacting with animals, and pets or engaging in gardening can also help alleviate anxiety by providing comfort, companionship, affection, and unconditional acceptance.
These solutions are not only effective but also fun. They can help you tap into your creativity, express yourself, connect with others, and find joy in life.
But yes, all of these take time to show results. They can also be tedious to implement and daunting to be consistent with. Thus, there's Step 3:
Step 3: Anxiety in a new perspective
Anxiety = inability to manage the uncertainty of the future. Will I succeed?
What will people think/judge me if I say/act this way? Will everything go right?
All these anxious questions point toward the future and miss relishing the present moment.
Why? The mind runs wild and untamed.
But what if I told you that there's a way we can train our minds to constantly enjoy the present moment? What if there's a way you can you could get out of an anxious state of mind into happiness, calmness, and bliss whenever and wherever you wished, in almost no time? Curious? Join me on the upcoming masterstroke (It's Free). In there, I also share insider secrets to excellent relationships at work and home and efficiency hacks that can free up your day, so make sure you don't miss it.
But worrying is common and okay, isn't it?
Yes, Anxiety or worry is a normal emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. It can help us cope with stressful situations, prepare for important events, or alert us to potential dangers.
However, when this natural emotion aka anxiety becomes excessive, persistent, or irrational, it can interfere with our daily functioning and well-being. Because we don't The planning about the future itself starts Anxiety can cause physical symptoms such
as a racing heart, sweating, trembling, nausea, or difficulty breathing. It can also make us feel nervous and restless before a crucial performance, and affect relationships, work, school, and leisure activities.
Yes, anxiety is also a big trouble
The World Health Organization (WHO), estimated 301 million people living with an anxiety disorder worldwide in 2019 (Yes, those are pre-COVID-19 numbers). While the American Psychiatry Organization estimates that nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives are affected by Anxiety disorders, making it the most common of mental disorders. In the worse cases, Anxiety also increases the risk of developing depression or substance abuse.
That’s why it’s super crucial to address anxiety before it gets out of hand.
That's why it is super-duper crucial to learn the superhuman skill to tackle worry and embrace uncertainty.
In a nutshell
Anxiety can be disturbing, really disturbing. It's your job to stop it before it gets really disturbing. Yes, you can substitute taking action today by staying busy and ignoring it, only to aggravate it.
The 3 step framework above will help you: transform your lifestyle into a High-Spirited one, make your environment, habits and conversations comforting, and allow you to learn more about how to win over your own mind. But all of this will happen if you start implementing it today!
Start making those little tweaks to your lifestyle bit by bit. Start changing your habits, the environment at home, and your conversations. And if you haven't signup for the webinar to learn more about how you can skip the cycles of worry and stress secure your seat before we reach capacity.
Note: An excellent way to deal with anxiety is reaching out to others, asking how they are feeling, and helping them come out of their anxious state too.
So, If you found insights in this article helpful, share the 'aha' moments you had with your friends and loved ones. Help them too, to learn to take control of their mind and emotions by joining the webinar alongside you.
Thank you for being aware of your anxiety. Thank you for committing yourself to act on it.
Vedant Kulkarni, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Vedant is an internationally acclaimed executive well-being coach, aka 'Friend In Need' for high performers like you, to help you clear the clutter of anxiety, overthinking and depression, take control of your emotions & feelings, and set up a road map to reach the top of your industry. Through his decades of experience and expertise he developed unique short, and effortless meditative techniques which are helping thousands high-performing executives, founders, employees, and artists to reclaim their peace of mind, take their performance to the peak, find love in what they do, and explore deeper secrets of this mind, and the life. Over the last decade, Vedant has guided CEOs, Executive Directors, and Heads of State from across the world, advised the United Nations, and closely worked with the World Health Organization on implementing solutions on mental health & wellbeing.
