First of all try to limit coffee as much as possible. Coffee, and other caffeine-rich foods and beverages, are strongly anxiety-inducing, and will increase your nervousness, irritability and general anxiety. Many anxiety sufferers resort to coffee to counteract their fatigue, which is a common symptom of anxiety, but drinking coffee will make it harder to sleep at night. This will simply exacerbate fatigue in the long term. The same goes for alcohol. Many anxious persons use alcohol as a tranquilizer, but in the long term it will increase anxiety levels further, not to mention other health problems associated with alcohol consumption.

A diet high in fat and simple sugars will make anxiety worse. The main fats to avoid are the saturated kinds, such as those found in meat products, butter, and full-fat milk. Choose lean meats whenever possible, opt for low-fat spreads and switch to semi or skimmed milk. Limit sweets and chocolates, and avoid excessive consumption of sweeteners. Instead, have more complex wholegrain carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread, fibre-rich cereals, fruits and vegetables. Natural carbohydrates such as these are rich in vitamins and minerals, and will not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar levels. You should also limit the use of strong spices, as these can add to your tension.

In addition, make sure you are drinking enough water. Headaches, light-headedness and apathy are common symptoms of dehydration, and can make your anxiety worse. Most adults require at least two litres of water daily; more if you are overweight, very active, or live in warm climates.

You should also make sure you diet is rich in magnesium, as this mineral helps to relax tense muscles. Good magnesium sources are whole grains, beans and legumes, and tofu. The amino acid tryptophan also has a relaxing effect on the body; good sources include oats, sesame seeds, and poultry. Yet another important anti anxiety nutrient is omega 3 fatty acids, such as that found in walnuts, seeds, and oily fish. Omega 3 fatty acids can reduce anxiety and depression.

You should combine an anti anxiety diet with lots of physical exercise, at least five times a week for 30 minutes each time. Being active will help to burn off pent-up energy and will help to balance your hormones and neurotransmitters, which are often imbalanced in anxious persons.

One of the popular alternative treatments for anxiety attacks is acupuncture, which involves inserting thin needles into the skin at specific points on the body. Acupuncture can help to promote a healthy energy flow throughout the body and release tension in the muscles. Anxiety patients treated with acupuncture tend to report a general decreased level of anxiety and better sleep.

Some herbal treatments can also provide anxiety attacks relief. Perhaps the most effective herb for this purpose is kava, the effectiveness of which has been documented in scientific studies. However, the Food and Drug Administration has now issued a warning that kava may be toxic to the liver. It is therefore essential that you consult your doctor before using this herb. Two other herbs which can provide anxiety attack relief are ginko biloba and chamomile. Ginko biloba can improve circulation to the brain and is also effective for dementia. Chamomile has many other uses apart from anxiety, including the ability to ease discomfort of digestive issues and for migraines. However, both ginko biloba and chamomile can thin the blood, and should not be used by persons with bleeding disorders.

Quick anxiety attack relief can be achieved by using a breathing technique called belly breathing. To do this exercise, sit comfortably with your legs apart and hands on your stomach. As you inhale slowly, feel your stomach expand and visualize the air filling your abdomen. Hold your breath for two seconds and exhale slowly, again feeling the movement in your stomach. This exercise has a calming effect and delivers oxygen to your body, easing ailments such as headaches.

Music can also be effective in calming you during an anxiety attack. Listen to soft tunes, especially meditation and chill-out music. Music with ambient sounds can also be very effecting for providing anxiety relief. You can also sing to your favourite songs, which releases pent-up energy and will distract you from your worrying thoughts. Dancing is also a great way to channel your energy.

Anxious women will feel tired all the time and physically exhausted. Even if they get a good night’s sleep, they may still wake up feeling tired. Often, they will have problems sleeping and in fact many women with anxiety also suffer from insomnia. Most resort to caffeine to help them get through the day, but caffeine will make it harder to sleep at night, trapping them in a vicious cycle. However, anxious women may feel exhausted even if they have no problems sleeping. This is because the anxiety will cause the body to release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, and this can be draining in the long term.

Another typical symptom of anxiety in women is dizziness and light-headedness. This is due to the possible lack of sleep and also because when women are worried, they tend to take faster, shallow breaths. This kind of breathing does not deliver enough oxygen to the brain, causing the dizziness. If you feel like this, you should concentrate on taking long deep breaths, which will calm you down and fill your lungs with the much needed oxygen.

Women with anxiety will have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, constipation or stomach burn. Loss of appetite can cause women to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, which is unhealthy and may cause other problems such as nutrient imbalances. On the other hand, some women will respond to anxiety with overeating, especially comfort foods, and this will cause rapid weight gain which is also unhealthy.

Like men, anxious women sometimes resort to smoking and alcohol to ‘calm them down’ but these practices are counterproductive as they actually increase anxiety levels in the long term. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking carry other health risks, and therefore you should limit these as much as possible. A great way to deal with anxiety symptoms is to exercise, as it has been shown that exercise has a balancing effect on the body’s hormones and will help to burn off tension.

Men with anxiety will have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Even if they are very tired, it will be hard to fall asleep and they may wake up just a few hours later, even if they are still tired. Some men will deal with their insomnia using sleeping pills, but this will not be addressing the root of the problem, which is anxiety.

Another anxiety symptom in men is fatigue, which will be partly due to lack of sleep. Another cause of fatigue will be that the body will be constantly releasing stress hormones into the blood as a response to anxiety. A chronic stress response is tiring on the body and on the mind, leading to fatigue.

Anxious men often have digestive issues, including upset stomachs, nausea, loss of appetite, indigestion, stomach burn, diarrhoea, excessive flatulence or constipation. Again, some men will resort to antacids, laxatives or diarrhoea medications, but this will only provide temporary symptomatic relief.

Practically all men suffering from anxiety will be irritable and feel on edge most of the time. They will be feeling fearful most of the time and they will quickly lose their temperament. Even little things can make them upset or cause them to go into a rage, and this can take its toll on relationships.

Anxious men also suffer from frequent headaches, which are a result of constant worrying, stress hormones, lack of sleep, and possibly an unbalanced diet caused by digestive problems. They may also feel quick body temperature changes, will need to go to the bathroom more often and will experience a dry mouth.

Another anxiety symptom in men is respiratory problems, mainly shortness of breath and hyperventilation. Hyperventilation frequently occurs during an anxiety attack, but anxious men tend to have a higher rate of breathing most of the time. Hyperventilation tends to trigger the flight-or-fight response, which will make the person feel even more scared. In addition, rapid, shallow breathing can lead to a shortage of oxygen to the brain, causing headaches.

The symptoms of a nocturnal anxiety attack are similar to those of a normal anxiety attack, i.e. a rapid heartbeat, shaking, sweating, tightness in chest, confusion, extreme fear and panic, nausea, and a feeling of losing control. It is believed that the most common trigger of anxiety attacks at night is a common physical phenomenon called the hypnic jerk. The hypnic jerk is the sudden falling sensation that many people will experience as they are falling asleep. However, in persons who frequently experience anxiety attacks, the brain will think that this jerk is the start of an anxiety attack, and by anticipating the symptoms of such an attack, the brain actually starts a full blown panic attack.

There are some things you can do to control nocturnal anxiety. If you wake up feeling anxious, the first step is to open your eyes and breath in slowly, taking up to five seconds to inhale. Hold your breath for two seconds and exhale slowly over the course of five seconds. Notice the calmness in your body and make sure you are not tensing any muscles. Remind yourself that the hypnic jerk is a normal and harmless experience, and that nothing bad is going to happen to you. Once you overcome the initial anxiety, close your eyes and breath normally.

Although there aren’t things you can do to prevent the hypnic jerk, you can lower your general anxiety levels in your everyday life. Do not take on more work than you can handle, and make sure you find the time to do something pleasurable everyday. Do something relaxing before going to bed, such as taking a warm bath, reading a book, or watching some relaxing television. Limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeine as much as possible and if you smoke, quit. Try to get some exercise whenever you can, even if this simply means taking the stairs instead of the elevator and getting off the bus a bus stop earlier.

People who have social anxiety attacks will avoid social situations as much as possible and only relax when they are on their own. Even if the people around them are familiar people, they may still feel pressurized and self-conscious. Particularly stressful situations arise when the person with a social phobia will have to interact with someone of authority, such as bosses at work. In these situations, the sufferer will experiences a rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, shaking, sweating, excessive blushing and difficulty speaking. The more these feelings kick in, the more anxious the person gets, aggravating the anxiety.

It is estimated that social anxiety attacks occur in about 15 million Americans at any given year. This condition is not very well understood by the general public and by many health professionals, and in fact social phobias tend to get misdiagnosed. This makes it harder for persons with social anxiety to get help, and they may not even understand what’s going on with them. To complicate matters, symptoms of social anxiety vary a lot in different individuals. For example some may be excessive self-conscious about a particular body part (e.g. their ears or neck), others may be self-conscious of writing in public for fear that others will see their hand shaking. However, all socially anxious people will know that their fears are irrational, and that others are not truly judging them all the time. Yet, they still continue to experience the fear and anxiousness.

Treatment for social anxiety attacks is generally via cognitive-behavioural therapy, and individuals can experience rapid improvement in their condition in just a few sessions. In these sessions, individuals are thought a number of strategies on how to deal with their anxiety. For example, they are thought how to identify and challenge their negative thoughts, which are the main contributor of their anxiety. By using a logical approach to evaluating negative thoughts, it is possible to replace them with more realistic and positive ways of feeling about a social situation.

It is also helpful to look at your lifestyle and make sure that you are getting enough sleep and that you make time for activities you enjoy. It is also important to limit caffeine and alcohol as much as possible, and to quit smoking.

During an anxiety attack, a child will experience intense fear, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, trembling, sweating, and a strong fear of losing control. Such attacks can hinder a child’s relationships, academic progress and social development.

If your child has anxiety attacks in response to particular situations (e.g. going to a party), you should be careful to downplay any future such events; in other words, do not make a big deal out of them or become too excited about them. Talk about these events as if it’s just another day.

Make sure the child has a healthy diet which is not high in sugars, sweeteners, salt or fat. Children should not be getting any caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Ensure that their diets are rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and starchy wholemeal carbohydrates. The main fluid sources should be water and semi-skimmed milk.

Anxiety can result if the child is not having enough sleep at night. In turn anxiety often makes it harder to sleep, trapping the child in a vicious cycle. Make the sleeping environment as comfortable as possible, free of noise and light. Use black-out curtains if the child is sensitive to light.

It is extremely important that children are physically active. Kids are full of energy and if they spend all their free time in front of the television or playing computer games, they will have no ways to channel their energy and this will manifest itself as mental and physical tension. In addition, sports will help in the child’s social development. Obviously, pick a sport that the child likes, as making them do an activity which they dislike is counterproductive.

If the child has anxiety attacks to particular situations, try to explore the roots of such fears. Often they will be the result of early childhood trauma. For example, if the child had a near-drowning experience, they may develop a phobia of not only the sea, but water in general. In this example, having a bath can trigger an anxiety attack. A child psychologist can help your child explore the roots of their fears and will help them to overcome it.

Valerian is a very known herb among insomniacs, as it is helpful for promoting restful sleep. However, it is also efficaciously for anxiety, as it has a calming effect. In addition, many people suffering from anxiety will have sleep problems, and in this case valerian will be especially useful. You should take valerian about an hour before bedtime and it may take up to three weeks for you to start noticing its beneficial effect. Valerian is available as capsules and as tea and liquid extracts. This herb should not be taken with other medications or with alcohol.

Kava is another popular herb for anxiety, but recently the FDA has issued a warning that this herb may cause liver injury. If you are thinking of using kava, you should consult with a doctor first. Kava root has traditionally been made into a beverage, but is now also available in capsule and liquid extract forms. It shouldn’t be taken with other medications or with alcohol.

Passionflower has been used for a long time as a folk remedy for anxiety. It is relatively fast acting and works as a natural sedative. Passionflower should not be taken with other medications or sedatives.
St John’s Wort is often used in persons who suffer from both anxiety and depression, as this herb seems to have a potent anti-depressive effect. In fact, in some countries it is prescribed more often than standard antidepressants, as it has fewer side effects than modern medicines. St. John’s wort can also be bought over the counter in tablet or teabag form.

Ginko Biloba is used for a variety of ailments, including dementia, cardiovascular problems and anxiety. It appears to be able to improve circulation to the brain, enhance mood, and acts as a natural antidepressant. However, it appears to thin the blood and therefore should not be used by persons with bleeding disorders or users of anti-coagulants such as warfarin.

Another anxiety herb is chamomile. It’s most common use is perhaps to ease discomfort in the digestive tract, but it is also helpful for anxiety, insomnia, migraines, and menstrual disorders. Chamomile is generally used as an infusion and like ginko biloba appears to have a blood-thinning effect and therefore should be avoided by persons on blood-thinning medications.

Learning some relaxation techniques can be very helpful for stopping an anxiety attack dead in its tracks and for lowering general anxiety levels. Slow, controlled breathing is a simple relaxation technique. Simply sit down comfortably and inhale slowly through your nose, visualizing the air moving in and to your lungs. Feel you chest expand and relax all your muscles. Next, exhale through your mouth, visualizing the air coming out. Doing some breathing exercises for a few minutes every day can go a long way for controlling your anxiety.

Another technique is the use of imagery. Simply close your eyes and think about a place or situation that you feel is very calming. You may imagine sitting on the grass near a river, hearing the splashes of the water and feeling the breeze on your skin. Or you may imagine being at the beach watching the sunset. Whatever the scenario, make it as detailed as possible. Use imagery whenever you feel anxious about something or simply schedule some time each day to visualize calming scenarios.

It is equally important to avoid doing things that increase your anxiety levels. Limit caffeine, alcohol and nicotine as much as possible, as these worsen anxiety. If possible, avoid situations which cause you to feel stressed and do not accept more work/responsibilities than you can handle. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to do activities that you like and get at least seven or eight hours of sleep every night.

Try to get some exercise on most days of the week as physical activity is a powerful tool for overcoming anxiety. It will help to relax your muscles, burn off mental and physical tension, and it will release hormones (endorphins) that naturally calm you down and make you feel good. This effect is often called ‘the runner’s high’.

There is also some evidence than alternative treatments such as hypnosis and herbal supplements containing kava, valerian and passionflower, can be helpful for overcoming anxiety.

Find a way to distract yourself. When you are feeling anxious, and perhaps feel that you may get an anxiety attack, engage your brain with something else. Have a conversation with someone, watch a movie attentively, do some mental arithmetic, work on a word puzzle, try to remember the words of song, draw, notice as much details as possible about the people around you, etc… The key thing is to stop thinking about whatever you are thinking and focus on something else.

Exercise. Exercise is a great anxiety-buster. It helps to burn off physical energy, will soothe out tension in your muscles, will distract you from thinking about your problems, and will cause the body to release chemicals called endorphins which have a calming and euphoric effect. Do some push ups, skip rope, go for a jog, hit the weights, do a round with the punching bag, or participate in a sport.
Eat healthy, mood-boosting foods. This does not mean chocolate, cake or coffee. Rather, go for healthier options which have been shown to boost mood, brain function, and are protective against a number of ailments. Examples of such foods are all fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, berries, legumes, low-fat yogurt and soy.

Slow down your breathing. As anxiety kicks in, breathing generally goes up. However, fast breathing actually makes anxiety worse. Instead, you should consciously slow down your breathing, and concentrate of taking deep breaths. Belly breathing can be especially calming – put your hands on your stomach and let it expand when you inhale and contract when you exhale.

Don’t think too far ahead. Although it can be useful to plan ahead sometimes, you shouldn’t obsess too much about the future and the problems which may crop up as these may never materialize and it can be very disruptive to your life. Concentrate on the present and tackle problems one at a time.
Look for beauty in everyday life. If you’re stuck in a bad traffic jam, look up at the clouds. If you’re walking in a very busy street, look at the flower in that small garden. Whenever you have the time, go to places which have a calming effect, such as a park or beach. However, you can find beautiful and calming things everywhere if you look for them. Too many people concentrate on the negative and fail to see the positive.