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!

You Will Need

• A video game
• B-vitamins
• Fish
• The scent of lavender or vanilla
• And some herbal tea
• Brazil nuts