Preventing Anxiety Attacks

There are several ways to prevent anxiety attacks.

Understand about anxiety – Learning how anxiety affects the body as well as the mind can a first step in your quest to prevent anxiety attacks. Read articles about anxiety and other psychological disorders that are related to it. Find out what are the things you should watch out for, things you should avoid, and what to do in case of an attack.

Avoid unnecessary stressors – Reducing the stress level by avoiding unnecessary stressors can help prevent attacks. Avoid people that stress you out. Learn how to say ‘no’ to invitations as well as overtime when you have other things to do. Do not accept additional work that you can’t accomplish. These may seem very little things but can significantly increase stress level as well as increase the chances of having an attack.

Avoid smoking and caffeine. To those who are susceptible to anxiety attacks, substantial amount of caffeine (from coffee, soda and tea) as well as smoking cigarettes can provoke such attacks even further. It is wise, therefore, to avoid these things as much as possible.

Exercise – has lots of health benefits including the promotion of well-being. It is also proven and effective method to prevent anxiety attack. Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of physical activity – 3 to 5 times a week – is enough to promote a healthy body. Increasing the intensity of the exercise produces more positive effects.

Eat balanced diet – Like exercise, a well-balanced diet is important in keeping the body healthy, resistant to illnesses, and maintain a low stress level. As much as possible, eat natural or organic foods. Avoid processed foods or those that contain preservatives and chemicals.

Learn to become assertive – People with anxiety disorder typically have low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is manifested by passiveness, feeling worthless, feeling of guilt and shame, depressed mood, isolation, and difficulty in school, work, and community functions. Learning to become assertive may involve joining a group, entering into therapy sessions or simply learning to open up to others. It may take a while, but once a person learns how to assert himself, he will carry positive outlook in life which helps prevent anxiety attacks caused by “triggers”.

Practice relaxation techniques – Yoga, meditation, and other breathing techniques can enhance the body’s relaxation response. When practiced regularly, these techniques even expand the feeling of uplifted emotions, happiness, and self-control, which increase self-confidence and self-esteem – significant factors in dealing with anxiety attacks.

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