Ever felt your breath quickening, your pulse racing, and your body debilitating? If you’re familiar with these feelings, you’re probably no stranger to anxiety attacks. These attacks are impossible to control and can be disruptive and stressful to experience. If you’ve been struggling to keep your anxiety in check, these tips courtesy of Rooted On The Vine can prevent anxiety attacks in the future.

Find Ways to Reduce Stress

Anxiety is essentially a natural response to a stressful situation. The extra energy needed to overcome a difficulty is then used to focus on the thing causing the stress. Some people have heightened anxiety due to PTSD or other challenging events in their life too. Either way, you’ll need a list of strategies to help keep the stress at bay. Following are habits you can inculcate into your daily routine to prevent anxiety down the line:

• Exercise: Scientists have found that the endorphins released with exercise help promote relaxation and wellbeing. In addition, the increased sense of control over your mind and body may also reduce symptoms of anxiety.
• Meditation: A daily meditation practice consists of clearing your mind and focusing on the present. Try to remove the worries of your day, and instead focus on sounds around you or on each breath. You could also opt for guided meditations designed specifically for anxiety.
• Prayer: Allowing yourself to focus in prayer for anxiety relief can help still your mind.
• Decluttering: A disorganized home space full of clutter will breed negativity and a loss of focus which can contribute to stress. Declutter, organize, and clean your home to promote positivity.
• Nutrition: Instead of focusing on each ingredient and checking if it is known to alleviate anxiety, we suggest focusing on your nutrition as a whole. Ensure you’re getting enough micronutrients, protein, vitamins, and fat – and be sure to practice moderation. Eating too much or too little, particularly fried junk food, can exacerbate anxiety greatly.
• Recognizing triggers: Knowing what causes you anxiety can help you take actions to mitigate stress. This can include learning new coping skills and changing up your habits.

And then it’s all about practicing these habits on the regular! Prevention is all about regularity and consistency, so keep at it to see tangible results with your mental health.

Find Ways to Grow

Having goals and achieving them, be they personal or professional, is an important part of maintaining a healthy life. For instance, you may want to redecorate your house or return to school so you can become a teacher. Any goal you set for yourself should be both valuable and important to you. Look for areas of your life where you have settled, and set goals in those areas to achieve as much as you can.

Take a Second to Pause

We all need the occasional timeout. With modern work environments and hustle culture, most people are always running behind the clock. This can leave very little space to let your mind just be and to clear your head. Whether it’s getting outside for a short walk or meditating, allow yourself to step back from your problems. Bonus points if you can switch off social media or any other distractions that may be jarring your thinking!

Remove the Source of Anxiety

This one’s straightforward – if something in your life isn’t working for you, it’s time to cut it out. Whether it’s a complicated relationship or a chore you particularly dread, it’s as easy as making a (swift) change. If your job is making you anxious, consider a career change.

Around 13% of people will experience panic attacks in their lifetime, Cleveland Clinic reports. It may be reassuring to hear that everybody goes through these feelings at some point in their lives, but it will be more encouraging to know that you can take some easy steps to mitigate occurrences in the future. Be sure to follow these tips to reduce your anxiety to live a stress-free, happy life.

Guest post by Camille Johnson.

Image from Unsplash