"I was just always panicking. Every time I did anything I was thinking "what happens if this ends in total disaster?""

Neville

• Remember: There is no miracle cure

  The best way to help yourself is not to spend every day trying to rid yourself of how you are feeling, but to be willing to work with t...
  The best way to help yourself is not to spend every day trying to rid yourself of how you are feeling, but to be willing to work with the feelings you have. This is the way to give your mind and body a break. Worrying and fighting your feelings and thoughts just adds to those feelings of anxiety and panic, and keeps you caught in a vicious cycle. Nothing is achieved overnight, but with knowledge comes less worrying and this helps give your mind and body the time and space it needs to recover. You must realise that you have to let recovery come to you, and not spend hours each day chasing it.
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• Enjoy nature

  Step outside and take a walk, go for a bike ride or a swim. Try not to sit around indulging in self-pity at the way you are feeling. Ge...
  Step outside and take a walk, go for a bike ride or a swim. Try not to sit around indulging in self-pity at the way you are feeling. Getting out of the familiar surroundings that you find yourself in every day can refresh your mind and allow it you focus on something other than yourself. This is a very good way of helping your thoughts become more outward instead of inward.
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• The importance of exercise

  Exercise is also one of the best physical stress-reducing techniques available. Exercise not only improves your mental and physical hea...
  Exercise is also one of the best physical stress-reducing techniques available. Exercise not only improves your mental and physical health it also reduces stress. It relaxes tense muscles and can aid sleep. Exercise also burns off all the chemicals related to stress in your body and creates a release for all the anxiety and worry that can build up in your day.
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• Breathing is the key

  Like all 'well-oiled machines' the human body requires fuel to function and this is supplied to us in two forms: food and air. The lung...
  Like all 'well-oiled machines' the human body requires fuel to function and this is supplied to us in two forms: food and air. The lungs and respiratory passages efficiently filter much of the larger impurities out of the air we breathe, but cannot assist us with breathing technique. What must be remembered is that the respiratory system has two functions. Not only does it inhale fresh air, but it also exhales the main by-product of respiration - carbon dioxide. It is very easy during times of stress to neglect correct breathing. Subconsciously, our autonomic nervous system - the part of the nervous system responsible for carrying out the automatic bodily responses like breathing, digestion and brain activity - becomes affected by muscular tension and other stress reactions, altering the breathing patterns we take for granted.
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• What does sitting do to your internal organs and anxiety levels?

  The sitting position compresses the torso and the organs below the diaphragm are pushed upwards towards the chest cavity restricting th...
  The sitting position compresses the torso and the organs below the diaphragm are pushed upwards towards the chest cavity restricting the lungs and heart. If you are overweight, this compounds the problem. Shorter shallower breaths are taken, compromising blood oxygen and blood carbon dioxide levels.
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Talking therapies

Talking therapies are often very beneficial to go thought an addiction or mental illness. Ask your doctor if this could be helpful for...

Talking therapies are often very beneficial to go thought an addiction or mental illness. Ask your doctor if this could be helpful for you.

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Seek help

Although anger often makes mountains out of molehills, sometimes the mountains are really mountains. Some problems are just too big for...

Although anger often makes mountains out of molehills, sometimes the mountains are really mountains. Some problems are just too big for anyone to handle alone. When that's the case, seek help from a parent, counsellor, or other trusted adult to help you find the resolution to your anger.

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Think Positive

When you go to bed at night, and when you wake up in the morning, first thing think about the good things that are happening to you. ...

When you go to bed at night, and when you wake up in the morning, first thing think about the good things that are happening to you. There are always some good things happening, even if small and insignificant.

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Positive affirmations

Start the day with several minutes of positive affirmations. Tell yourself how would like your day to be. Use positive, cheering and mo...

Start the day with several minutes of positive affirmations. Tell yourself how would like your day to be. Use positive, cheering and motivating words.

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Stay busy

Be busy and do something, since activity keeps your mind off your anxiety. When you wake up in the morning, start doing something right...

Be busy and do something, since activity keeps your mind off your anxiety. When you wake up in the morning, start doing something right away, and keep busy all day.

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Set a goal

Set a goal and work every day to achieve it. This action will direct your thoughts and feelings away from worries and anxieties, toward...

Set a goal and work every day to achieve it. This action will direct your thoughts and feelings away from worries and anxieties, toward something more positive and constructive.

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Talk your anxiety

Talk about your anxieties to someone you trust. Talking about your anxieties and feelings can alleviate them, and put them in the right...

Talk about your anxieties to someone you trust. Talking about your anxieties and feelings can alleviate them, and put them in the right proportions, provided you talk objectively with a real desire to get rid of your anxiety, or at least reduce its intensity.

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Doing exercise

Exercising your body and staying fit, is a good way to keep fears and anxieties away. You can walk, swim, do yoga, aerobics, or any oth...

Exercising your body and staying fit, is a good way to keep fears and anxieties away. You can walk, swim, do yoga, aerobics, or any other sport.

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Find reasons to laugh

This will bring light and happiness into your life, and drive anxiety away. Watch comedies on TV, be with happy and amusing friends, or...

This will bring light and happiness into your life, and drive anxiety away. Watch comedies on TV, be with happy and amusing friends, or read something that makes you laugh.

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Courage is not the absence of fear

It is feeling afraid but keeping those feelings sufficiently under control to be able to act appropriately. Once we begin to understand...

It is feeling afraid but keeping those feelings sufficiently under control to be able to act appropriately. Once we begin to understand how anxiety disorders work much of the fear of them is removed. When we truly understand the problem we are on the way to recovery.

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Relaxation

Tension and stress often contribute to the development of anxiety. This is why it is always a good idea to find ways to relieve stress ...

Tension and stress often contribute to the development of anxiety. This is why it is always a good idea to find ways to relieve stress and tension before it builds up too much. The best and easiest way to do this is breathing deeply.

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Positive words

Use positive words in your conversation and in your inner talk....

Use positive words in your conversation and in your inner talk.

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Turn off the TV

If watching the news fills you with anxiety - turn off the TV! The world will continue to revolve even if you're not watching it on BBC...

If watching the news fills you with anxiety - turn off the TV! The world will continue to revolve even if you're not watching it on BBC. Limit yourself to one hour a day of news and don't watch anything that may upset you before you go to bed.

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Anxiety will grow if it's not directed into some positive action

Find someone who needs you and lend him or her a helping hand. It will almost always take your mind off your problems and fears. Helpin...

Find someone who needs you and lend him or her a helping hand. It will almost always take your mind off your problems and fears. Helping others is actually a way of taking action and responsibility for your own healing.

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Feelings and emotions fuel and strengthen anxiety

You need to develop some self discipline, and learn to have control over your feelings. You also need to develop some degree of emotion...

You need to develop some self discipline, and learn to have control over your feelings. You also need to develop some degree of emotional detachment.

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Slow down

Many of us are living our lives at a faster pace, perhaps juggling a full-time job with a relationship, family commitments and a social...

Many of us are living our lives at a faster pace, perhaps juggling a full-time job with a relationship, family commitments and a social life. As a result, we feel a constant sense of urgency in our daily lives. This endless feeling of pressure fuels our impatience when we have to wait in a queue or traffic jam, or when the bus or train is late. Instead of stressing about delays, see them as opportunities for welcome thinking or reading.

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Choose low GI foods

Your brain needs a steady supply of glucose (sugar) to enable it to function properly. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect th...

Your brain needs a steady supply of glucose (sugar) to enable it to function properly. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect the brain, leading to mood swings, anxiety and even panic attacks. So try to eat foods that have a low GI (glycaemic index) such as multi-grain bread, porridge, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas and beans.

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Increase your vitamin B intake

An adequate intake of this vitamin is essential for a healthy nervous system as all B vitamins are involved in the control of tryptopha...

An adequate intake of this vitamin is essential for a healthy nervous system as all B vitamins are involved in the control of tryptophan, an amino acid the body uses to make the chemical serotonin, which helps regulate mood. A balanced diet containing meat, fish, eggs, dairy and green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds should supply enough vitamin B for most people’s needs. But if you are not getting enough, it might help to take a vitamin B supplement.

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Plan to take part in a pleasant activity each day

This doesn't have to be something big or expensive as long as it is enjoyable and provides something to look forward to that will take ...

This doesn't have to be something big or expensive as long as it is enjoyable and provides something to look forward to that will take your mind off your worries.

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Exaggerate your greatest fear

Tell your fear to someone else and make sure to be as dramatic as possible, with very descriptive words and emotions. Then, when you’...

Tell your fear to someone else and make sure to be as dramatic as possible, with very descriptive words and emotions. Then, when you’ve told every detail you can think of, start over again. Tell the entire, dramatic story, again with very elaborate descriptions. By the third or fourth time, it becomes a bit silly.

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Distract yourself

Work on a word puzzle or watch a movie instead, and surround yourself with people as much as possible....

Work on a word puzzle or watch a movie instead, and surround yourself with people as much as possible.

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Write twin letters

Compose a love letter to your object of feet-chill [or fear]. Celebrate all of the reasons you fell in love with him/her/it in the firs...

Compose a love letter to your object of feet-chill [or fear]. Celebrate all of the reasons you fell in love with him/her/it in the first place. List everything positive you can think of, and nothing negative. Now write a missive. Vent all of your worries about the situation, and try to make a case against moving forward. I’ll bet you can’t come up with a single true deal-breaker, but giving your worries some air will feel good.

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Sweat

Bike. Walk. Swim. Run. I don’t care what you do, as long as you get that ticker of yours working hard. You don’t have to be trainin...

Bike. Walk. Swim. Run. I don’t care what you do, as long as you get that ticker of yours working hard. You don’t have to be training for an Ironman to feel the antidepressant effect of exercise. Even picking the weeds and watering the flowers has been shown to boost moods. Aerobic exercise can be really effective!

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Break the day into minutes

I don’t have to think about 2:45 pm when I pick up the kids from school and how I will be able to cope with the noise and chaos when ...

I don’t have to think about 2:45 pm when I pick up the kids from school and how I will be able to cope with the noise and chaos when I’m feeling this way, or about the boundary issue I have with a friend–whether or not I’m strong enough to continue putting myself first in that relationship. All I have to worry about is the very second before me. If I am successful at breaking my time down that way, I usually discover that everything is fine for the moment.

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Use visual anchors

You can look up to the clouds. They can calm down in traffic or whenever you feel anxious. Or, for example, the water has calmed you do...

You can look up to the clouds. They can calm down in traffic or whenever you feel anxious. Or, for example, the water has calmed you down, as well.

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Tell yourself you are a confident and worthy person

Social Anxiety can make someone feel less confident about who they are. To overcome that aspect of Social Anxiety tell yourself every d...

Social Anxiety can make someone feel less confident about who they are. To overcome that aspect of Social Anxiety tell yourself every day that you are a great, confident, and worthy person. This will help build your mindset to overcome Social Anxiety.

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Practice Public Speaking in front of a mirror

Social Anxiety can also occur when a person has to speak in public. One way to deal with Social Anxiety when it comes to Public Speakin...

Social Anxiety can also occur when a person has to speak in public. One way to deal with Social Anxiety when it comes to Public Speaking is to practice in front of a mirror. When you practice speaking in front of a mirror it will definitely help you cope and deal with your Social Anxiety.

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Medication

Medication won’t cure anxiety but it will help to keep it under control. Some carry side effects of drowsiness, irritability and poor...

Medication won’t cure anxiety but it will help to keep it under control. Some carry side effects of drowsiness, irritability and poor concentration, and some may be addictive in too high a dose, so consult your doctor.

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Confront Your Fear

During an attack you experience a whole range of frightening symptoms, and worrying thoughts may go through your mind. Confront your fe...

During an attack you experience a whole range of frightening symptoms, and worrying thoughts may go through your mind. Confront your fear – if you don’t run away from it, you have the chance to discover that nothing is going to happen.

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Triggers

Is there anything triggering your anxiety? Think about when and where you are most likely to have an anxiety attack, then move to try a...

Is there anything triggering your anxiety? Think about when and where you are most likely to have an anxiety attack, then move to try and eliminate any negative influences in your life.

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Make notes

When you have an anxiety attack, make some notes about what you’re feeling, why, when, where and for how long. Then you have somethin...

When you have an anxiety attack, make some notes about what you’re feeling, why, when, where and for how long. Then you have something to show your doctor before the feeling dissipates and you find it difficult to explain again.

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Spend some time with horses

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy has been shown to work! If you like animals then maybe horses can have the same effect on you. It helps g...

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy has been shown to work! If you like animals then maybe horses can have the same effect on you. It helps gain confidence, impulse modulation, social skills and trust, all of which can help to reduce your anxiety

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Channel it

Anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing. In small doses it is designed to keep you on edge in order to function better in high pressure ...

Anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing. In small doses it is designed to keep you on edge in order to function better in high pressure situations. Channel your anxiety into performing better and producing better results in everything you do.

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