Living with high-functioning anxiety is no way to live. When you are in a constant fight-or-flight mode, you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Although the world is a scary place and fear is a natural part of being human, anxiety shouldn’t be the prominent emotion in your life.
Taking proactive steps to deal with your anxiety is essential if you hope to overcome this phase in your life. Reminding yourself that you aren’t your anxiety is the first step to a better life. Once you realize this, you can take active steps to lower your anxiety symptoms, and the following are six of the many ways you can cope with anxiety.
Consider the power of magic mushrooms.
Psilocybin mushrooms are referred to as magic mushrooms for a reason. Researchers have been analyzing this type of fungi and its popular magic mushrooms strains and noting the power psilocin has on reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. In one study, researchers gave 29 cancer patients suffering from anxiety a dose of psilocybin.
Within six months, the patients showed significant improvement with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Although the selling and possession of magic mushrooms are illegal, consumption in private places has been decriminalized in certain states in the US.
Take CBD oil or edibles.
If the psychedelic magic mushrooms are too much for your anxiety and paranoia, consider the non-intoxicating psychoactive CBD. Hemp-derived CBD has less than 0.3 percent THC, so users are not at risk of becoming high or paranoid. Studies show how this cannabinoid can benefit users with various chronic and mental health conditions.
In particular, CBD can lower anxiety symptoms by triggering serotonin release in the body—the natural mood stabilizer regulating anxiety symptoms. CBD can also manage the GABA levels in the brain region, enabling you to handle challenging situations with a calmer demeanor.
Try meditative practices
If you hope to reset your inner state and revert to a time where you were free from negative emotions brought on by anxiety, then meditation is the daily practice you ought to try. Studies show how daily meditation promotes focus, leads to a calmer life, and lowers anxiety.
Meditation teaches you about non-reaction—the ability to remain non-reactive to situations, people, and your thoughts. The daily practice of meditation can teach you how to become an observer of your anxious thoughts without reacting to them. This leads to more anxiety, panic attacks, and symptoms of depression.
Raise your adrenaline
When you are in a constant state of anxiety, you regularly tap into your adrenaline. Your heart rate goes up, and your body is in a constant state of fight-or-flight mode. A healthy way of getting your body used to the right adrenaline is by raising your heart rate for the right reasons through exercise.
Workouts, especially high-intensity activities such as HIIT, boxing, running, jumping rope, or cycling, are all excellent workouts that can raise your adrenaline for the right reasons. In using up your adrenaline daily with exercise, you will feel spent and find less of a physical need to increase your adrenaline through anxiety.
Get out of your comfort zone.
This is a tricky move, as anxiety will make you believe you cannot do anything too scary because you will suffer a panic attack and feel worse. Yet, the best way to cope with anxiety is by facing your fears. You do not have to go overboard with this step. Jumping out of a plane is some people’s way of dealing with anxiety, but most of us can only handle small steps. So if you’re having trouble getting out of the house without suffering a panic attack, consider walking around the block for a first attempt.
If social anxiety is your main issue, try saying good morning to one stranger every day. Getting out of the comfort zone looks different for all of us because your fear looks different from someone else’s. What’s important here is to nudge yourself out of your comfort zone and face fear head-on so that rather than allowing it to overcome you, you can overcome the limitations your mind has set on you.
Accept your anxiety
Finally, it would help if you accepted your anxiety. Although it feels like a burden, your anxiety has its good points. All you need to do is find them. Your fears may have turned you into a more empathic person or a more creative person. Accepting your anxious thoughts rather than denying them is a way of stopping your fears from becoming heightened. Even so, while acceptance is essential, never welcome anxiety into the living room of your mind. Anytime you have an anxious thought, you can acknowledge it, as you would acknowledge passing cars in traffic, without allowing these thoughts to become a part of your life.
Conclusion
Although it feels like it, anxiety isn’t a part of you, only something your body is experiencing at this time in your life. The former points can all help you cope with anxiety, but so can the support of the people you trust. If you feel overwhelmed by your anxiety, share your fears with someone you love. You might be surprised by the practical advice they can give you to appease your worries.
