Fighting Anxiety the Natural Way

Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health problems in Singapore. This disorder can be in different forms, such as post traumatic disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

While medications to treat anxiety are proven and tested solutions, there are also numerous natural, do-it-yourself remedies to calm down anxiety attacks. So next time you are too tense to cope, try these natural options for relief.

1. Green Tea: Research shows that green tea helps calm down rising blood pressure and heart rate; therefore, reducing anxiety. In a study, anxiety-attacked subjects were much calmer during a test when they took 200 milligrams of green tea beforehand.
2. Lemon Balm: Lemon balm has been around for centuries and is used since the middle ages to ease anxiety and stress, as well as help induce sleep at night. While it’s generally safe, it’s not recommended to take too much of it as it can make you feel anxious. So drink moderately and start with small doses.
3. Exercise: Exercise is good for the overall health, including the brain. Therefore, it can be a powerful antidote to anxiety and depression. If you exercise at least three times a week, you’ll feel healthier and have better self-esteem.
4. Chamomile: If you’re experiencing another jittery moment, a cup of chamomile tea can greatly help to calm you down. Some properties of chamomile have the same effects to the brain as drugs like Valium.
5. Lavender: The overwhelming—but safe—lavender aroma can be an anxiety antidote. In one study, students inhaled lavender oil before taking exams have lesser anxiety, although some of them said that the scent made them feel fuzzy during the exams.
6. Holding Your Breath: Not to the point you turn yourself blue! We mean yoga breathing. It is an effective way to lower anxiety and stress for one reason: because you can’t breathe deeply and be anxious at the same time. So when you feel panicky next time, inhale, hold your breath for eight seconds, and then slowly exhale through your mouth.

Feeling uncertainty is part of life, and that’s what makes us feel anxious at times. The important thing is to know how to calm yourself down and live with life’s risks in order to cope up with anxiety disorder.