How to Reduce Anxiety

No need to go through life fretting and sweating. There are easy tricks to calm down quick!

Instructions

: Overwhelming anxiety can indicate a serious mental-health disorder. Consult a doctor if anxiety is interfering with your daily life.
Step 1: Play a video game Play a video game. Researchers have found that a Game Boy eased anxiety in young patients awaiting surgery better than a prescription tranquilizer. Goal-oriented play boosts dopamine in the brain, a chemical linked to positive feelings.
TIP: Munch on Brazil nuts. They’re nature’s top source of selenium, a mineral that soothes the central nervous system during high-stress times.
Step 2: Relinquish control Know your 'no-control zone.' Most things we’re anxious about are completely out of our control, so it’s useless to worry about them.
TIP: Look at something blue. Psychological studies show this color is so calming, it instantly soothes overstressed adrenal glands and slows down anxious brain waves!
Step 3: Get perspective Think of the absolute worst-case, catastrophically bad scenario. This helps put things in better perspective.
TIP: Doodle, especially circles and figure eights: they switch your brain from analytic to creative and help you calm down.
Step 4: Take vitamin B Take a B-complex vitamin. These are the ones that are depleted first when you’re anxious or stressed.
Step 5: Eat fish Eat more fish. Foods like tuna and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which quash anxiety.
Step 6: Avoid low-fat dieting Have the full-fat ice cream! British researchers found that people on low-fat diets are more depressed and anxious, and fat boosts levels of serotonin.
Step 7: Talk it out Call a friend. Talking things out is proven to ease anxiety by triggering the release of oxytocin — a chemical which makes us feel safe and secure.
Step 8: Use aromatherapy Take a whiff of lavender or vanilla. Studies show these scents reduce anxiety more than prescription anti-anxiety drugs!
Step 9: Repeat a mantra Give yourself a mantra to repeat when you’re anxious; this will alter your brain waves so you’ll feel in control.
Step 10: Try herbal remedies Try an herbal remedy: lemongrass, chamomile, and dandelion all calm the central nervous system.
Step 11: See a doctor If nothing helps, see a doctor. Over 21 million Americans have some form of anxiety disorder, including Drew Barrymore and David Beckham.
FACT: Simply switching your screen saver or desktop wallpaper to a calming image, like a waterfall, can ease your anxiety in an instant!