50 Quick and Easy Ways to Calm Your Anxiety

Whether you're worried about work, home or personal issues, stress and anxiety can take a heavy toll on your mental and physical health. Many serious illnesses are caused in part by stress, and constant worry can leave you feeling worn down, irritable and out of control. So how can you learn to manage your anxiety? While everyone manages their stresses differently, here are a few things to try the next time you're feeling overwhelmed by anything in your life to help you relax and put things in perspective.

General

Try these simple things to ease your anxiety.

1. Exercise. Few things can help relax you more quickly than a bit of vigorous exercise. Whether you kickbox, jog or play a game of tennis, getting your body moving will help reduce endorphins, improving your mood and making you feel better about anything you're worried about.
2. Meditate. When you feel yourself being overwhelmed with anxiety, try taking a few minutes out of your day to clear your mind of your worries and meditate. If you have trouble doing it alone, try using a guided tape or music designed especially for meditation.
3. Breathe deeply. Sometimes just concentrating on your breathing can have a calming effect on your state of mind. Count your breaths and concentrate on breathing in and out deeply.
4. Focus on something else. Fight your anxiety by temporarily shifting your attention to something else unrelated to what you're upset about. You may find that once you're done you feel much better about the situation and are much more relaxed.
5. Talk to others. Connecting with a friend or family member and sharing your anxieties can be a great way to get insight, advice and to alleviate some of your stress by getting support and understanding.
6. Clear your mind. When you are feeling stressed out you can have so much going through your mind that it simply seems overwhelming, only adding to you anxiety. Take a few moments to step back and clear your mind of all of it before starting anything else.
7. Slow down. Give yourself a break and just slow down if you're feeling stressed out. Getting yourself worked up to rush around won't help, so slow down, take a break and let yourself relax.
8. Don't work yourself up. When you're worried about something it's easy to focus on it and get yourself super worked up so that you just want to break down. Stop yourself if you feel that you're getting yourself riled up, and force yourself to calm down and look at things rationally.
9. Let the past go. If you're feeling bad about things that have already happened, take a moment to realize that there's nothing you can do to change these things now. Take steps to begin letting the past go and making positive choices for the future.
10. Count to ten. Sometimes anxiety can take over and make you feel out of control. Take back control by counting to ten, breathing deeply and concentrating on calming down.
11. Be optimistic. No matter what you're feeling anxious about, you can help make yourself feel better by taking an optimistic view of things rather than focusing on all the things that could go wrong.
12. Learn to let go of control. Even the most carefully planned events in life can take unexpected turns. Sometimes the only cure for anxiety caused by these things is to simply give up control and let someone else take over.
13. Look at the big picture. Sometimes things that don't really matter in the long run can get you all worked up in the present. Remind yourself of how your worries will fit into the larger picture of things and it may give you some perspective.
14. Face it head on. If nothing else works, just try facing your worries head on. Many times, things will be easier, better or simpler than you had anticipated and your worries will have been unfounded. 

Diet and Supplements

These tips can help you make some changes or additions to your diet to minimize your anxiety.

15. Limit your intake of caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and can add to any existing anxiety and make you feel worse than you would otherwise. If you're stressed, avoid drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages.
16. Try lavender oil. Some people believe that the smell of lavender has a calming effect. Try lighting a candle or putting some lavender oil on your skin or in a bath to help you relax.
17. Make a cup of tea. Tea, especially green and black teas, contain theanine which is purported to have a calming effect on the mind and body. So boil some water and make yourself some tea to relax.
18. Cook yourself a meal. Getting involved in the process of preparing, cooking, and eating a meal can be a great distractions from a number of stresses. If you're really feeling down, try making your favorite meals or comfort foods.
19. Have a snack. Some studies have suggested that low blood sugar can be a major contributor to anxiety. Make sure your body is running on a full tank by having a healthy snack.
20. Consider herbal supplements.If you're into natural remedies you may want to consider taking some herbal supplements like valerian root, L-theanine, and passion flower.
21. Have some milk. The age old remedy of having a warm glass of milk to relax may actually work. Milk contains tryptophan which can help settle you down and make you sleepy.
22. Enjoy pesto for dinner. Basil has shown to be a very calming herb, so what better way to get your fill of basil than by making a pesto?
23. Indulge in chocolate. Eating a small amount of high quality dark chocolate may help you to relax and will help indulge your chocolate cravings as well.
24. Chew on mints. Mint can help with lowering feelings of anger and nervousness, so have a mint or add fresh herbs to dinner to feel better and smell fresher. 

At Home

For stresses at home, give these suggestions a try.

25. Light a scented candle. Certain scents can have a calming effect on your state of mind. Try a candle scented with lavender or a another smell like chocolate or baking cookies that may help you relax.
26. Indulge yourself. Whether you enjoy a glass of fine wine or soaking in a long bubble bath, take time to indulge in some simple pleasures to soothe your anxieties.
27. Take a shower or bath. The hot water and relaxing sensation of a shower or bath can help wash away your anxieties and help you feel better.
28. Get a massage. Seek out a professional or get your spouse to give you a massage. It can help relieve some of the physical and mental symptoms of stress.
29. Do something you enjoy. If you love to browse bookstores or take long walks in the park, take some time out of your day to do these things. You'll have fun and spend some time away from your worries.
30. Work at some simple chores. Doing some work around the house like sweeping, washing the dishes or gardening in the yard can be a great way to relieve stress, get things done and ease your mind.
31. Lay down. One way to get your anxiety under control is to take a short nap. Sleep will relax you and give you a chance to take your mind off of things.
32. Watch a funny movie or comedy routine. Laughter really can be the best medicine sometimes, especially when it comes to dealing with stress. Pop your favorite movie into the DVD player or turn on Comedy Central to have a few laughs and forget your troubles.
33. Write in a journal. If you can't find someone to talk to or just want to privately vent, try writing in a journal. It can be a great way to organize your thoughts and get your bottled up emotions out.
34. Do some yoga. Yoga can help both your mind and body by helping you stretch your muscles and concentrating on your breathing.
35. Go for a jog. Jogging can help you get some exercise which will relax you and will get you outside in the sunlight and fresh air.
36. Research your problems. If you just can't get your mind off of your troubles, trying researching how you can work around them, overcome them or deal with them through books, the internet and chatting with others.
37. Read a book. Try picking up a book to help you escape to another place and concentrate on a fictional character's problems rather than your own.
38. Spend time with a pet. Playing with, walking or just enjoying the company of a pet can be a great way torelax. The love and affection pets provide can be a great stress reliever, and you'll get to spend time with something you love.

At Work

Work can be a stressful environment, but you don't have to suffer from constant anxiety with these suggestions.

39. Take a break. While it may seem counterintuitive when you're stressed out at work, taking a break can have a beneficial effect on your mental state. Take a few minutes to get away from your desk and the source of your stress.
40. Go outside. Sunlight is a natural mood booster, so getting outside and away from your desk can be a great way to lift your spirits.
41. Take a walk. Getting a little exercise and even getting outside of your cubicle can really help alleviate stressful situations. Walk around your office, take a trip to get a drink or anything else that will give you space and room to think.
42. Create a plan of attack. When you're faced with an overwhelming and anxiety-inducing situation, you can help yourself by working to create a way to deal with the situation. Sit down and write out how you plan to get through it, step by step.
43. Avoid coworkers who may make it worse. Some people just love to feed the flames of stressful situations. If you have a coworker like this, make sure you steer clear of them until you've had a chance to calm down.
44. Put on some relaxing music. If you're sitting at your desk, put on some headphones and let yourself be relaxed by your favorite tunes.
45. Step back. Sometimes situations seem impossible to deal with at first. Give yourself some time and space to step back from the situation to view it objectively so you can figure out how to deal with it and calm down to think clearly.
46. Don't rush. Even if you have a million things to do at work that are stressing you out, rushing won't help: it can actually make you even more stressed. Slow down and do your work right the first time so you won't have to go back and fix errors you made from rushing.
47. Ask for help. If you really just have too much on your plate at work don't be afraid to ask your coworkers for help. Projects have to get done one way or another and it can help to get things done as a team rather than having all the stress just on you.
48. Read something funny. Take a break from your work to have a laugh. Laughter can help alleviate all the stress that's causing your anxiety.
49. Talk to your coworkers. Getting your feelings out to someone you work with may help you find new ways to cope, create solutions or just help you relax.
50. Talk yourself through a situation. Believe in yourself and know that you can get through a situation, and you're likely to be much less stressed. Give yourself a pep talk and talk your way through anything you need to do to help reduce your anxiety.

You may also like Relaxation Music

3 Inspirational Techniques To Get You Meditating

We all know sitting down to meditate is quite a chore. Especially if we don’t do it right. It can be frustrating, boring and mundane. Where are the results we all so expect? Where is that promised spiritual transcendence?

Before I dabble on, let me tell you that the benefits of meditation are numerous and everlasting. All that’s required from you is a little patience and dedication. I am going to outline 3 simple tips and metal hacks you can use to get inspired and meditate.

First Technique :- Sound

Whenever you are feeling a little lethargic to start meditating chant a little mantra. Not in your head but aloud. Start slow and raise the vibrations. Make it a simple mantra – I like to use “Shreem.” It’s the sound of the Goddess Lakshmi and when chanted with a bit a passion it raises your body’s frequency gives you a much needed jolt. You’ll begin to feel relaxed, your mind starts to settle and you get this sharp desire to meditate.

Chant slowly and raise the decibels are you keep chanting. Take your time, chant for about 5 minutes or until you begin to feel your mind and body relax. At this juncture you can continue with your regular practice.

Second Technique :- Yoga

Do a little stretching. A few plank poses or downward facing dogs. Just stretch your body a bit to help unwind yourself. That initial fatigue will dissipate when you get your body moving. It will increase the blood flow throughout your body and relax you physically – which is a precursor to a good meditation sitting.

It does not have to be long – about 10 minutes of stretching will suffice, just so you get in the flow. After a few poses sit down in your regular meditation posture. You will find yourself naturally going into a transcended state.

Third Technique :- Diet

This is intended for longer excursions but controlling your food intake dramatically increases your ability to meditate longer and better. There are certain foods made to raise your energy and frequency that will naturally prompt you to meditate. It’s best to avoid starchy, heavy and oily foods as these will weigh you down both mentally and physically.

Drink plenty of water and start your day with a healthy breakfast . I like to eat scrambled eggs and spinach. When you start your day with a healthy breakfast, the rest of your meals will follow suit. As a result, you will have nourished your body and mind, enabling you to eagerly anticipate and enjoy your meditation. The experience is greatly enhanced as well.

Incorporation

Sometimes I use a combination of all 3 techniques which allows for one stellar meditation practice. If you are just starting out and need some inspiration I suggest you employ the technique that works best for you and build a dedicated practice from that. When you progress in your meditation, you’ll soon begin to realize you naturally and seamlessly incorporate the above techniques in your daily life.

Pranayama- Breathing Exercises

Pranayama is a traditional system of yogic breathing exercises. Pranayama can be practiced on its own or as a preparation for other meditation exercises. The aim of pranayama is to control our breathing and thus help to control our thoughts. If we practice pranayama in the correct way, we can bring peace and purity into our inner system. If we practice pranayama sincerely it can help improve our concentration and improve our physical health.

"Prana" means life breath. "Yama" means control. Pranayama is the systematic effort to regulate our breathing.

In pranayama there are three basic stages of systematic breathing. The first stage is inhalation; this is called puraka. The second is retention, where we hold our breath; this is called kumbhaka. The final stage is exhalation; this is called rechaka. When we breathe in we can repeat silently puraka. When exhaling we can repeat like a mantra kumbhaka.

1) Anulom Vinulom

How to do it: Hold your right nasal of your nose with your thumb of your right hand, breathe in from left. Now close left nasal with middle and ring finger opening your right nasal and breathe out from the right nasal. Now breathe in from the right nasal. Now close the right nasal and open left and breathe out and in from left nasal. and keep continuing the same procedure again and again.

Duration : You should do it for atleast 10 minutes upto 1 hour maximum

Benefits : heart, high Blood Pressure, bent ligaments, sinual fluid reduced, parkinson, paralysis, neural related, depression, heart blockage, vat-cuf-pit, arthritis, cartilage, migraine pain, asthma, sinus, allergy etc.

1. It makes our body function better.

2. It tells body to make right hormones.

3. It gives you more control over your thoughts.

4. Stress levels stay down or low.

5. Helps you get rid of depression.

6. Helps you get rid of anger.

7. Helps to bring your desires under control.

8. Helps control on your tongue which loves to eat junk food, you will be able to say no to bad food choices.

9. Helps to get rid Headaches & Migraine pains.

Kapalbhati

How to do Kapalbhati?

It is very easy to practice for everyone. The primary thing is to breathe in normally and breathe out forcefully so as to influence the organs of the abdominal area.

Sit in a comfortable asana with normal breathing. Inhale normally and exhale forcefully. Also keep the body easy and relax, don’t feel like stress. As a beginner, the force should be very low as per the body strength. Continue this practice till you can perform comfortably. Whenever feel tired take a break with normal breathing and then resume. Optimize your practice to make “one stroke per second”. The ideal frequency for the kapalbhati is once per second.

Abdominal area also makes inward and outward movements and considerable force is applied to the Manipura, Svadhisthana and Muladhara Chakra. That is very helpful for Kundalini Jagran.
In the beginning the practitioner may feel little pain in the abdomen and back because of new strain to the body, which disappears after some days.

Kapalbhati Duration

A new practitioner should try for 3 – 5 minutes per day. The body gains more stamina as days passes. After 1-2 months, practitioner can perform five minutes in single stretch. Practice should be increased up to 10 – 15 minutes daily after 2-3 months.
Patients suffering from acute and chronic diseases must practice for 15 minutes at least along with  precautions.

Kapalbhati benefits

·                     Balances three dosas of the human body. These are vata (wind/spirit/air), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm). Disorder of these three is the root cause for unhealthy body.

·                     While doing kapalbhati, if practitioner  concentrates at the ‘Mooladhar Chakra’, the ‘Kundalini’ power starts awakening.

·                     Kapalbhati improves concentration power in children and adults simultaneously. It makes the face Lustrous and attractive.

Kapalbhati Pranayama cures

·                     Diseases which are hard to control by medicines like asthma, respiratory troubles, allergies, sinus, etc.

·                     Diseases of heart, lungs and brain are permanently cured.

·                     Kapalbhati completely removes blockages in arteries and controls cholesterol.

·                     Obesity, diabetes, flatulence, constipation, acidity and diseases pertaining to kidneys and prostate glands etc. are completely cured.

·                     Women diseases like uterus cysts, breast cysts, cancer cysts or any type of cysts in the body  are permanently dissolved without any surgery.

·                     Parkinson’s Disease, Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatitis-B is permanently cured with devoted practice.

·                     It removes snoring problems and cures sinusitis completely.

·                     Swami Ramdev ji maharaj claims to control ‘Cancer’ with kapalbhati and anulom-vilom. Even he has proved with some patients in his ashram in India. According to him, any disease can be cured by the combination of Pranayama practice.

·                     Kapalbhati  is the best solution for weight loss without any side effects. If it is practiced 15-20 minutes daily, along with yoga diet control chart, the weight can be decreased by 4-8 Kg. per month very easily.

·                     Excess ‘Hair Loss’ is controlled by including kapalbhati in daily routine.

·                     Depression is cured, as mind becomes stable, happy and peaceful which removes negative thoughts automatically.

 

Precautions

·                     Women should avoid kapalbhati pranayam during periods and pregnancy.

·                     Patients with severe heart problems should not do with force and they must practice under a experienced yoga teacher.

·                     Blood Pressure patients should avoid doing with force in the beginning.

·                     In the summer season, if the temperature is very high, it is prohibited for over five minutes.

·                     In the beginning, any pranayama practice must be done under experienced yoga teacher’s training.

here are some links for healthy lifestyle must read:
The 3 week diet for reducing weight
Reduce fat Easily
The Fat burning kitchen

Tips for Choosing Between Meditation Techniques

Meditation techniques are not all the same!

The first step is to recognize that not all meditation techniques are the same. The various meditation practices engage the mind in different ways. Vipassna, also commonly (and perhaps loosely) known as mindfulness meditation, emphasizes dispassionate observation and, in its more philosophical form, the contemplation of impermanence, sometimes focusing on the interconnection between mind and body. Zen Buddhist practices are likely to use concentration, whether directed at one’s breath or at trying to grasp a Zen koan. The Transcendental Meditation technique uses effortless attention to experience subtle states of thought and ‘transcend’ by use of a specialized mantra. Christian Centering Prayer uses a word of worship to stimulate receptiveness to God. And this is only a small sampling of the variety of practices commonly lumped together as ‘meditation.’

Different techniques have different aims, employ a variety of procedures and naturally produce different results. In determining which technique among this wide variety of practices might best suit your purposes, start by asking yourself what you want out of meditation, and how much time you’re willing to give it. Some meditation programs emphasize regular or twice-daily practice over time to gain maximum benefit and evolve to higher stages of personal growth, while other practices are intended for an occasional inspirational boost or to chill when you’re stressed.

Another question to ask yourself: do you want a meditation practice that comes with a religion, philosophy or way of life? Many practices, such as Buddhist and Taoist practices, are interwoven into a conceptual world view that’s an intricate part of the practice-whether it’s an approach that contemplates the cosmos and human mind as inseparable elements of a single order, or a world view that strives to get beyond all dogma and see the world as it truly is, it’s still another mentally conceived world view. Other practices, such as the form of mindfulness meditation now popular in the West, or the Transcendental Meditation technique, are secular in nature and can be practiced without embracing any particular philosophy, religion or way of life.

Are you seeking to achieve inspiration and insights during the meditation experience? Meditations that fall into this category are contemplative techniques. They promise greater depth of understanding about the topic being contemplated and help the intellect fathom various avenues of thought. These types of meditations can be pleasant and emotionally uplifting, especially if there is no straining or mind control involved. Often these practices are performed with the guidance of a CD, instructor or derived from a book.

How much time do you have?

Another consideration is how much time it takes to master a particular meditation technique. Some meditation practices require many years to master and to achieve their stated purpose-or even get a glimpse of the goal-while other practices may take only a few months or even a few minutes to produce intended results. For example, relaxation CDs can have an immediate, soothing effect-it may not be nirvana, but in some cases relaxation is all that’s promised. If you don’t have the patience to persist in a practice that takes many years to attain success, it makes sense to choose a technique that requires less or no effort.


Meditate for Relaxation


If it’s relaxation you want, research shows that the body’s relaxation response can be induced in many ways-even by just sitting with your eyes closed and listening to soothing music. Because of the intimate connection between mind and body, the deeper you go in meditation and the more settled your mind becomes, the deeper is the state of rest for the body.  Easy listening meditation CDs that don’t require much active engagement on the part of the mind-especially ones that do not use guided voice instructions that keep the mind engaged in the realm of meaning and contemplation-may be your best bet if you want some mild relaxation and a little emotional fulfillment.

If you want really deep relaxation, you need a meditation practice that takes you to the deepest, most transcendental level of your Self. 

I could never sit like that!

A practical consideration: do you need to sit in a prescribed position to do a particular meditation practice? The popular image of a meditator in leotards sitting cross-legged in full lotus position may have you thinking, “I could never do that.” Don’t be discouraged. Even if you are unable to sit like a pretzel or for an extended period without back support, there are meditation practices that do not require any particular position and are best practiced in your most comfortable easy chair. Some forms of Zen and mindfulness are even practiced while walking!


Selecting a teacher

Do you need a meditation instructor or guru? That may depend on the depth-or height-to which you aspire. The higher meditative states are not so readily achieved by instruction techniques learned from a book or CD. The very act of reading and self-instructing can interfere with your innocence and ability to get beyond the active, surface levels of the mind. This requirement for innocence during meditation is beautifully underscored in the classic little book entitled, “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” by Shunryu Suzuki. It can be a challenge to be innocent when you’re simultaneously playing the roles of expert teacher and diligent student.


Deliberate and Jump within!

The bottom line: assess your personal needs and strength of intention to incorporate meditation into your life. Be realistic about your abilities and the requirements of the practice. Do your homework-most meditation programs have a Website. And if you know someone practicing a type of meditation that interests you, ask for a personal testimonial. Evaluate the claims and the scientific proof behind those claims if there is any. Check the track record of the teacher and the organization. Then join the millions who are turning within to change themselves and the world.