How to Deal with Anxiety and Worry (A Guide for Generalized Anxiety Disorder)

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

Short-term worries and anxiety are natural reactions to uncomfortable, difficult, or stressful situations.

For example, you may feel worried and anxious about taking an exam, or getting your medical test results or going for a job interview, and this is perfectly normal if your worries tend to pass.

But if your worries are excessive, persistent, affect your life, and have been going on for a while, then you may be suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder display chronic worrying or anxiety, most days for at least 6 months, about a number of things such as work, social interactions, health, and everyday life tasks.

GAD is more common than other anxiety disorders because more people struggle with anxiety in various situations (GAD) rather than in one specific situation (i.e. Social anxiety disorder etc.).

When I was diagnosed with GAD, I had been suffering from anxiety for many years.

Although I was more anxious and worried in social situations, my anxiety was wide-ranging – at home, with my family and friends, at work, while cooking, when calling anyone, on public transport, and so on – and that’s why I was diagnosed with GAD rather than Social Anxiety Disorder.

Characteristics of Chronic Worrying

The main characteristics of chronic worrying include:

Excessive – Chronic worriers worry about all sorts of things and to a great extent, often fearing worst-case scenarios

Persistent – chronic worrying is constant and persistent, having a sense that worries are on endless repeat

Irrational – worries don’t have to be rational, chronic worriers worry about both irrational and rational situations.

Difficult to control – chronic worrying can feel like it’s almost impossible to control

Interfere with your daily life – Chronic worrying usually affects your ability to function in life and complete daily tasks. It can significantly disrupt your work, relationships, social life, driving, and so on.

Long-term – Chronic worrying usually occurs nearly every day for a longer period of time.

- 8 Quick Anxiety Coping Strategies

1. Deep Breathing

When you’re worried and anxious your breathing becomes faster and shallower.

Practicing deep breathing can help you slow down your heart, intake more oxygen, and stimulate the production of endorphins (“feel good” chemical), all of which work to relieve anxiety and make you calmer.

Instructions

Breathe in slowly through your nose into your abdomen and allow your abdomen to expand fully. Now breathe out slowly through your mouth, or your nose, whatever feels more natural. Repeat this 15-20 times or until you calm down.

There are also many breathing techniques that you can use to relax.

I often practice the following technique:

• Breath in for 7 counts
• Hold your breath for 7 counts
• Breath out for 7 counts
• Hold for 7 counts (before breathing in again)
• This is one round.
• Repeat 7 times

Instead of 7 counts/rounds, you can also practice 3, 4, 5, or 9 counts/rounds. Try each variation to see what works best for you.

2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Anxiety causes tension which you can release quite quickly using progressive muscle relaxation exercises.

Instructions

• Aim to work on the following 7 muscle groups: 1) forehead, 2) jaw, 3) neck and shoulders, 4) arms and hands, 5) buttocks, 6) legs, and 7) feet.
• Find a quiet place.
• Lie down and close your eyes.
• Take a few deep breaths.
• Breathe in slowly, then tense the first muscle group for 10 seconds.
• Breathe out, and suddenly relax the muscle group. Do not relax slowly or gradually. It needs to be sudden to help you let go of the tension.
• Relax for 10 – 20 seconds and then start on the next muscle group.
• When you’re finished, take a few deep breaths to help you return back to the present.

3. Go for a Walk

Walking is my favorite quick and long-term anxiety coping strategy. Even a walk as short as thirty minutes can help to slow down your heart rate and relieve anxiety.

Walking also triggers the release of feel-good endorphins, that boost mood and pleasure as well as relieve pain, resulting in a feeling of well-being.

4. Play Relaxing Music

Gentle instrumental music helps to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones and is great for relieving anxiety.

Nature sounds are also calming and you’ll find these often in relaxation and meditation music. So, whenever you’re anxious put on your headphones and listen to relaxing music.

1. Adopt an Anti-Anxiety Diet

It is my experience that adopting an anti-anxiety diet is essential for reducing and managing anxiety.

You consume food a few times a day and if you’re eating anxiety trigger foods, it’s going to be difficult to manage your anxiety even if you are practicing other effective anxiety coping strategies.

You won’t always have to eat an anti-anxiety diet, but it’s necessary to eat the right diet until you get your anxiety under control.

What is an Anti-Anxiety Diet?

The anti-anxiety diet that helped me reduce and manage my anxiety is essentially a healthy, balanced, and clean diet with a focus on natural, whole foods. It involves,

• Consuming lots of vegetables and whole grains
• as well as fish*, legumes, lean meats*, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

These foods optimize your intake of essential nutrients required for mental health, stabilize blood sugar, and boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects.

If you are vegan you can simply exclude these foods and replace them with fresh organic tofu, seitan, legumes, and other healthy vegan proteins.

What Foods are Avoided on the Anti-Anxiety Diet that Helped Me?

• Foods that are too salty, too spicy, too sweet or too sour
• Processed foods such as refined carbs, sugary foods, snacks and desserts, and cold meats.

Why?

• According to Ayurvedic medicine foods that are too salty, too spicy, too sweet, or too sour can affect your adrenaline levels, and I’ve found that it is best to avoid spices, sour fruits, vinegar, and sugary foods when trying to manage anxiety.
• Processed foods are usually low in nutrients and often contain additives, preservatives, flavorings, and colorings – both of which can trigger anxiety. I eliminated these foods completely for two years until I got my anxiety under control. Now, I only consume them now and again, which is usually when I am out with friends.

2. Limit Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that can make you feel jittery and this feels a lot like anxiety with symptoms such as increased heartbeat, restlessness, irritability, and trembling hands.

Caffeine can also worsen your GAD, cause sleep problems, and even trigger panic attacks.

Studies show that caffeine increases stress-hormones at rest – cortisol and adrenaline – and that levels of these hormones after caffeine consumption are similar to those experienced during acute stress.

If you’re suffering from GAD, I’d highly recommend that you eliminate caffeine completely, or at least cutback.

Caffeine is mainly found in coffee, black tea, sodas, and energy drinks.

Although people’s sensitivity to caffeine can vary in that we have different thresholds for how much caffeine we can tolerate, it is my experience that anxiety and caffeine don’t go together.

I had a big problem with coffee and anxiety, and when I learned that caffeine can worsen GAD symptoms, I stopped drinking coffee for a few years and have only just recently introduced it back into my life but only when I am out socially.

3. Avoid Alcohol and Nicotine

Alcohol can temporarily relieve anxiety, but your anxiety symptoms are likely to be worse as it wears off.

Similarly, cigarettes give a false sense of calm, but nicotine is another stimulant that can cause your anxiety to rise.

4. Get Moving

Exercise is one of the best natural ways of treating and preventing anxiety.

It helps to relieve tension, lowers cortisol (stress hormone), boosts serotonin and endorphins (feel-good chemicals), and can over time change your brain chemistry to make you more resilient to stress and anxiety.

What’s the Best Exercise for Anxiety?

For optimal mental and physical benefits, aim to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days. Ideally, choose an exercise technique that uses both your arms and leg such as walking, running, swimming and yoga.

If you’ve given the above strategies a fair go, but still need help on how to deal with worry and anxiety, it may be time to see a mental health professional.

Though I must stress that seeing a psychologist or a counsellor should not be seen as a replacement for healthy lifestyle changes. Your therapy is going to be far more effective if you adopt healthy habits into your life.

What can you expect when you see a therapist?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often used in the treatment of GAD. CBT is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing your negative thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes that are causing or triggering your anxiety.

It is a time-limited therapy, meaning that you’ll know when your course of sessions will end. Often, the therapy consists of 20 one-to-one sessions, though this can vary depending on your situation.

Medication for Anxiety

Anxiety medication for GAD is generally recommended only as a temporary measure to relieve symptoms at the beginning of the treatment process. Consult your doctor with regards to any medication.

Final Thoughts on How to Deal with Worry and Anxiety?

When I was first diagnosed with GAD I didn’t know how to deal with mental health naturally. Initially I took anti-anxiety medication after which I started seeing a therapist.

It was only when I started doing a lot of research about alternative healing that I made changes to my lifestyle and mindset, which helped me to eventually, I overcame chronic anxiety and worry (GAD).

If I was doing this all over again, I would have done this the other way around, and perhaps I wouldn't have needed to take any medication.

Today, I continue to eat healthily, exercise, spend time in nature, get quality sleep, fresh air, sunshine, relax and think positively, and while I still get anxious now and again in stressful situations, these tend to pass and anxiety no longer controls my life.