Other Ways To Deal With Anxiety And Stress
CBD gummies arent the only CBD product on the market that can help with anxiety and stress.
Cannabidiol actually comes in many forms:
- CBD tinctures, which mix CBD into a carrier oil, such as coconut oil, and use a dropper to administer doses
- CBD edibles, which mix the hemp plant product into everything from gummies to mints
- CBD lotions or salves, which are meant to be rubbed directly into the skin.
Just as the type of CBD and the strength of CBD can make a difference in how the compound is experienced, the delivery system also impacts the kind of effects CBD may have. Experimenting with different methods of taking CBD might be helpful if CBD gummies arent working to alleviate anxiety.
Of course, CBD isnt the only thing that can help with stress. A number of lifestyle choices have been identified to help people naturally manage their anxiety levels, including exercises like yoga and walking, mindfulness practices, and therapy. Even simply talking to a trusted friend or confidant or writing out thoughts and feelings can help someone simultaneously process their thoughts and get them out of their head, making more mental space for other things.
The main goal of these alternate methods typically involves helping the person focus on something else, whether it be an activity or even just breathing. Many methods also work by assisting people in expelling any excess energy that might otherwise be used toward fueling anxious feelings.
Healthy Ways To Handle Lifes Stressors
When stress becomes unmanageable, try these evidence-based tools to tackle it in healthy ways.
Healthy ways to handle lifes stressors.
Stressful experiences are a normal part of life, and the is a survival mechanism that primes us to respond to threats. Some stress is positive: Imagine standing in front of a crowd to give a speech and hitting it out of the park. Stressful? Certainly. But also challenging and satisfying.
But when a stressor is negative and cant be fought off or avoided such as layoffs at work or a loved ones medical crisis or when the experience of stress becomes , our biological responses to stress can impair our physical and mental health.
Fortunately, there are many evidence-based tools to help combat the negative effects of stress in healthy ways. They recommend that you:
The Reciprocal Relationship Between Breathing And Anxiety
If you feel stressed or anxious, your body will typically instigate its fight-or-flight response. The brain doesnt differentiate between physical or emotional threats but reacts in the same way, increasing the breathing and the heart rate to get blood to the muscles faster.12 This increased heart rate is to prepare you to tackle a physical threat or run away from it.
Nowadays, we dont often experience these sorts of threats. But, when facing modern-day concerns, the brain will still produce this response.
This increase in breathing, or hyperventilation, causes an upset in the balance between our bodys oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. You may begin to feel lightheaded, as this unbalance reduces the blood supply to the brain, and your fingers may start to tingle. Severe hyperventilation can even result in a loss of consciousness.13
This reaction can increase levels of anxiety, exacerbating the situation. However, learning to control your breathing through simple breathing exercises can reduce stress and allow your oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to return to normal.
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How To Choose Cbd Gummies For Anxiety
When picking the best CBD gummies for anxiety, there are several factors to keep in mind.
Potency
First, youll want to consider the potency of the product. Figuring out strength can be particularly confusing when it comes to CBD productsespecially tincturesas some math is needed to determine how much CBD is in each drop or bottle. Luckily, most CBD gummies are much easier to gauge, with every gummy containing the same amount of CBD. But you should still consider how much CBD you want or need in your routine overall.
Dosage
Dosage recommendations vary by product and by person. You may want to talk to a doctor or other professional before starting a routine, especially if you already take medication or have other health conditions.
Type of CBD
Youll also want to consider whether CBD isolate, full spectrum CBD, or broad spectrum CBD is best for you.
Other Factors
Otherwise, aside from ensuring a brand is doing its best to create a safe product, its important to consider factors like cost, taste, and what type of CBD gummies work best for your routine. Shopping around is the best way to ensure youre getting the best CBD gummies for you.
Turns Out If You Cry On A Plane You Get To Meet The Pilots
I hate flying. People talk about their love of travelling and how excited they get going to the airport. Not me. I get light-headed, shaky, and queasy. My mom is often the unlucky one to sit next to me as I grip her arm during turbulence and yell, I dont want to die like this!
Until I was 17, I loved flying. My parents have a condo in Florida so wed often visit three or four times a year. I never thought Id someday need to be flying on anti-anxiety medication.
On one of my flights back from Florida to Toronto at 17, we experienced really bad turbulence. The kind of turbulence that causes the pilots to tell the flight attendants to sit down.
It seemed to come out of nowhere, but I suddenly had feelings of terror and panic, even though we werent in any real danger.
After that, flying became harder and harder for me. Each flight I took, I would become increasingly more terrified, even though the flights were routine. I would interpret every noise and movement as a signal that something was terribly wrong and we were going down.
The people sitting near me on the plane did not appreciate my screaming. Id leave the flight feeling like I had just survived a near-death experience.
I became convinced that every time I stepped on a plane, I had to face my mortality. And I am not ready to be okay with dying. Living has been mostly great for me.
Flying on anti-anxiety medication would be the ultimate test of my airplane phobia.
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What Are The Treatment Options For Anxiety Twitching
Treating anxiety is the best way to treat anxiety twitching.
If a doctor thinks your twitching is caused by anxiety, they may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist. They can do a more in-depth diagnosis of your anxiety and help you find the best treatment option.
Treatments for anxiety may include:
- medications, such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications
In most cases, the twitching itself doesnt need treatment. However, home remedies and preventive measures may be able to help.
Plan For Certain Scenarios
Pre-travel anxiety most often stems from the what if aspect of traveling. While no one can plan for every possible worst-case scenario, its possible to have a battle plan for some of the more common ones, such as:
- What if I run out of money? I can always contact a relative or friend. I can bring a credit card for emergencies.
- What if I get lost? I can keep a paper map or guide book and my phone with me.
- What if I get sick while on the trip? I can purchase travel health insurance before I leave or be sure my insurance will cover me. Most insurance policies include access to a list of healthcare providers in different areas of the country or the world.
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Listen To Good Mood Music
Music can have a powerful effect on your mood and on anxiety. They key however is to not just choose songs you like. but also make sure that you are listening to music that represents the way you want to feel. Happy or relaxing music can directly impact your mood and the way you feel.
While many people find it soothing to listen to angry music when theyâre angry or sad music when theyâre sad, the truth is that this type of music will only help you get in touch with those negative emotions. That won’t help you feel better. When you’re trying to stop anxiety, you should listen to music that will help you feel the way you want to feel.
B Vitamins Create Feel
Some of the B vitamins are required for the production of neurotransmitters essential to the ability to relax and maintain a positive state of mind.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is utilized in the synthesis of the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine.
This means that when youre stressed, there is less B6 available to perform its other functions.
For instance, vitamin B6 is essential to the formation of the feel-good neurotransmitters GABA, serotonin, and dopamine.
GABA
GABA is the brain chemical associated with relaxation.
When levels dip low, you may find yourself anxious, overstimulated, and overwhelmed, and youll find it hard to turn off your racing mind.
Serotonin
Serotonin is the happiness molecule.
Low levels of serotonin are linked to negative thinking, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and seasonal affective disorder.
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Dopamine
Dopamine helps you get motivated and stay focused.
A low dopamine level will push you to rely on stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and sugar to get through the day, further adding to your stress.
” Many unhealthy habits that people gravitate to when theyre stressed and anxious alcohol, caffeine, smoking, sugar, and recreational drugs deplete nutrients as well.
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1 is a necessary cofactor for the production of GABA and acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter of memory and learning.
Vitamin B3
Niacin also suppresses inflammation.
Vitamin B5
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Talk To Someone Friendly
Another very effective technique is to talk to someone you like and trust, especially on the phone. Don’t be shy about your anxiety – tell them you feel anxious and explain what you’re feeling.
Talking to nice, empathetic people keeps your mind off of your symptoms, and the supportive nature of friends and family gives you an added boost of confidence. If you’re suffering from a panic attack, it also helps you feel more confident that if something were wrong, you’d have someone that can watch over you.
Spend Time With Friends And Family
Social support from friends and family can help you get through stressful times.
Being part of a friend network gives you a sense of belonging and self-worth, which can help you in tough times.
One study found that for women in particular, spending time with friends and children helps release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever. This effect is called tend and befriend, and is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response .
Keep in mind that both men and women benefit from friendship.
Another study found that men and women with the fewest social connections were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety .
summary
Having strong social ties may help you get through stressful times and lower your risk of anxiety.
Its hard to feel anxious when youre laughing. Its good for your health, and there are a few ways it may help relieve stress:
- Relieving your stress response.
- Relieving tension by relaxing your muscles.
In the long term, laughter can also help improve your immune system and mood.
A study among people with cancer found that people in the laughter intervention group experienced more stress relief than those who were simply distracted (
Try watching a funny TV show or hanging out with friends who make you laugh.
summary
Find the humor in everyday life, spend time with funny friends or watch a comedy show to help relieve stress.
Not all stressors are within your control, but some are.
One way to do this may be to say no more often.
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Stress And Anxiety In Pets
One might not understand what stress and anxiety looks like in an animal, especially if they have not had the pet for too long or if they have never had a pet before, but they can experience stress and anxiety too and one needs to learn the signs and symptoms if they want to help them feel better.
Pets depend on us completely, and they need us to take care of them because they cant tell us when they are stressed out or anxious, which means that if the human doesnt know what to look for, the animal can continue to feel horrible and it can eventually come out in their behavior towards the human.
Some symptoms of stress and anxiety in animals may look like this:
- Try to escape
- Not interacting
- Not being as active as before
It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety in pets if one wants to help them, because unless you do so, they will not feel better.
The Role Of Medication In Anxiety Treatment
When youre overwhelmed by heart-pounding panic, paralyzed by fear, or exhausted from yet another sleepless night spent worrying, youll do just about anything to get relief. And theres no question that when anxiety is disabling, medication may help. But are drugs always the best answer?
Many different types of medications are used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including traditional anti-anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines and newer options like SSRI antidepressants . These drugs can provide temporary relief, but they also come with side effects and safety concernssome significant.
They are also not a cure. In fact, there are many questions about their long-term effectiveness. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, benzodiazepines lose their therapeutic anti-anxiety effect after 4 to 6 months of regular use. And a recent analysis reported in JAMA Psychiatry found that the effectiveness of SSRIs in treating anxiety has been overestimated, and in some cases is no better than placebo.
Whats more, it can be very difficult to get off anxiety medications without difficult withdrawals, including rebound anxiety that can be worse than your original problem.
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Listen To A Relaxing Song
Emmeline Edwards, Ph.D, Director of the Division of Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health, said music therapy can also be a great way to relax wherever you are.
The auditory cortex is connected to other areas of the brain that are connected to our reward system, motor systems, centers for motivation and emotion regulation, Edwards said.
In fact, research shows music can help people dealing with stress-related disorders, mild depression and anxiety.
Magnesium: Natural Anxiety Reliever
Magnesium has been called the master mineral for the role it plays in over 600 metabolic functions in the body.
Its also been called natures Valium because its so good at combating stress and relaxing you.
There is a direct correlation between low magnesium levels and how easily you get stressed out.
The link between magnesium and anxiety is so strong that researchers can induce anxiety in lab animals at will by depriving them of magnesium.
Stress causes magnesium to be excreted during urination, thereby depleting body stores.
One way magnesium neutralizes stress is by binding to and stimulating GABA receptors in the brain.
GABA is a major neurotransmitter that slows down overstimulated brain activity.
Typical signs of a low GABA level include being easily overwhelmed and laying awake at night with racing thoughts.
When GABA is low, it becomes impossible to relax.
Low GABA is associated with numerous stress-related disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Magnesium not only restricts the release of stress hormones, but also acts as a filter to prevent them from entering the brain.
Other ways magnesium can alleviate anxiety is by reducing chronic brain inflammation, removing heavy metals from the brain, and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Keeping your magnesium level in the healthy range is one of the best things you can do to become more resilient to stress and anxiety.
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Vitamins To Help Put Your Stress In Its Place
The term vitamin is thrown around health circles with little regard for its actual meaning. When we use the term vitamin, we arent referring to every pill or dissolving tablet that hits pharmacy shelves. Instead, were referring specifically to an organic compound that our bodies cannot make on their own. These compounds are sourced from the foods we consume and the beverages we drink, and are essential in promoting healthy, well-balanced lives. Below, weve outlined 3 pivotal vitamins that target stress like none other.
The Right Supplement Might Help Quell Stress And Anxiety
Most of us live with a low-simmering level of stress from trying to juggle work and family responsibilities to navigating sudden problems, such as a job loss or health scare. And now, we are all experiencing added stress from the anxiety and unknowns of living in the age of COVID-19. A May 2020 survey by the American Psychological Association found not surprisingly that stress about work and the economy has increased over the past year, especially among parents.
Elevated stress hormones, especially cortisol, can increase inflammation, reduce immunity, and raise the risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, chronic stress can negatively impact every aspect of your health and contribute to a wide range of problems that include:
- headaches
- anxiety
- depression
Stress is a problem we clearly need to address, but what can we do? The good news is that there are numerous strategies that have been shown to be effective for relieving stress, including eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, talking to friends or a mental health professional, and engaging in relaxation techniques and meditation, just to name a few.
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