Anxiety is something that many people find affects their daily lives, and although in some cases that’s only a minor disruption, and it’s only every now and then, for others, it’s much more problematic, and chronic anxiety really can cause issues with living your life in the way you want to. 

It’s best not to just let your anxiety grow and fester because that’s only going to make things worse – it won’t go away on its own. That’s why, as well as getting expert help from a professional, it’s a good idea to have some useful options when it comes to dealing with anxiety and reducing it as much as possible. Read on to find out what you can do.

Know Your Triggers

Unless you have generalized anxiety, there’s going to be a trigger (or perhaps a number of different triggers) that makes you feel more anxious, and once you know what those triggers are, you can work out how to avoid them or confront them – the option you pick is down to you and how you feel you want to move forward, and both are equally valid. 

Although it might be uncomfortable, it’s great if you can pay attention to when you feel more stressed and anxious, and perhaps even write it down in a journal or make a note of it on your phone or computer, for example. After a couple or weeks or so, you can read through your notes, and you should get a good idea of your triggers, after which you can avoid them if need be.

Avoid Caffeine And Alcohol

You might not realize it, but your morning and evening routines could be contributing to your anxiety, and it’s a good idea to change things to ensure that doesn’t happen. What we’re specifically talking about here is caffeine (your morning tea or coffee, for example) and alcohol (your evening glass of wine or bottle of beer).

The issue is that these substances don’t deal with your stress at all, even if they might make you feel calmer for a short amount of time. They actually mask the problem and you might not be able to come up with better ways to deal with your anxiety because of that mask; you might even take to consuming more of these things, which is bad for your health. By avoiding caffeine and alcohol, you can handle your stress a lot more easily for the long term. 

Change Your Diet

The fact is that what you eat always has an effect on your health, both positively and negatively, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to discover that if you want to protect your mental health and be less anxious, what you eat is important there too. 

Ideally, you’ll want to stay hydrated and eat food that contains zinc and magnesium, like oysters and leafy green. Plus, add some ashwagandha supplements to your daily routine, and that will help to reduce your anxiety and boost your positive feelings.