8 Best Natural Remedies For Anxiety: Safe and Holistic Solutions

Stressed out over your grades? Or are you anxious about cracking that dream job? Or is your career tension eating you alive? And all you can do is sit on your bed and watch while your mental health deteriorate all because you are too scared to go see a doctor. You are worried that you might get hooked on the antidepressants. All this worrying isn’t really helping your cause but making you more anxious. Well there are plenty of methods to treat anxiety naturally. What are the best natural remedies for anxiety? You may ask. Let’s talk.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is what you would describe as the human body’s first reaction to stress. When your worries become too much for your brain to handle, the brain shoots anxiety signals. What is responsible for this anxiety, you may ask? The answer could be many things: your environment, your brain’s wiring, or maybe even your genetics that’s been passed down to you. Now what exactly does anxiety look like? Well anxiety comes in many different shapes and forms. 

The most common symptoms of Anxiety could be:

• Increased heart rate
• Rapid breathing
• Restlessness
• Trouble breathing
• Trouble concentrating

Now the only logical question that comes to mind is “What are some natural remedies for anxiety and panic attacks?” and “What natural remedies can you take for anxiety?”

Best Natural Remedies for Anxiety

Staying Physically Active

A study conducted in 2021 shows that people who are more physically active are 60% less likely to succumb to Anxiety. As you may already know overthinking can lead to anxiety. Physical exercise diverts your brain from overthinking and keeps your Anxiety at bay. Getting your heart rate high also generates changes in your brain and your body releases something called the feel-good hormones – endorphins and serotonin, which puts you in a good mood and a smile on your face, but if you haven’t been very physically active previously, don’t jump straight into high-intensity training. Start slow and steady with something like mild weight training and work your way up.

Drink less Alcohol 

A 2022 study conducted across 36 years showed that consuming alcohol disrupts your natural ability to sleep and goes on to further diminish your sleep quality over time. Alcohol does impact your Circadian rhythms, and a sleep-deprived body is the perfect host for anxiety. A person under the influence of alcohol may say that they are drinking to reduce their overthinking and anxiety but as mentioned before, they are already under the influence of alcohol. If you have been a regular alcohol addict then giving up alcohol may increase your anxiety for the first few weeks. But as the battle is over and the dust settles you will find yourself in a much better place than before.

Reduce Caffeine Intake

Many people nowadays are addicted to caffeine. At least two cups a day is a must. But what they fail to realise is that caffeine causes and worsens anxiety disorders. People living without panic and anxiety attacks can suddenly develop them due to caffeine. In some cases reducing or completely cutting off caffeine can significantly improve symptoms. It’s high time people realise that Caffeine-induced Anxiety is a real thing. All that being said, a moderate intake of caffeine is not harmful for most people. Everybody needs a little energy spike now and then; the problem is when you get hooked on it. 

Prioritise your sleep

It is general knowledge that an average human should get 6 – 8 hours of sleep per day. But a 2018 survey of 400,000 people showed that nearly a third of adults get less than 6 hours of sleep every day. Sleeplessness always comes with anxiety. How to better your sleep though. Avoide entertainments like TV or scrolling on your phone right before bed. Try to go to bed at a particular time every day. Avoid taking caffeine and nicotine before bed. 

Meditation

We know that one of the main reasons for anxiety is our own thoughts. In meditation you try to focus on the present moment and rid yourself of all the negative thoughts in your head. By doing so you can achieve a kind of peace and this helps lessen your anxiety. The breathing exercises in meditation can also help you calm your nerves.

Get Massages

Getting your body massaged is another brilliant way to blow off some steam and feel more relaxed. Now getting a message daily isn’t very practical but it’s always worth it when you are deeply anxious about something. Massages impact your mind and body in a very good way. After a massage your body always feels relaxed and safe. This feeling of relaxation can keep anxiety away from you.

Herbal remedies

When we talk about natural remedies to treat anxiety we are often referring to herbal remedies. Using herbal remedies for anxiety has its own benefits like fewer side effects and less chance of getting addicted to them. Some such commonly used herbal remedies are:

• Lavender
• Lemon balm
• Chamomile
• Passionflower
• Ashwaganda
• Magnesium

Try Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a healing treatment that has been used by us humans for thousands of years. It involves the use of essential oils extracted from natural plants. It can help improve a person’s health and boost mood. It also helps you calm down and reduce anxiety. 

Some well-known essential oils:

• Bergmot
• Lavender
• Grapefruit
• Clary sage
• Ylang Ylang

Always check the quality of the brand of essential oil before using. These were some of the best Natural remedies for anxiety and stress but serious anxiety and panic disorder require serious treatment. 

When To Knock On The Doctor’s Door?

While natural treatment can help ease your anxiety symptoms some signs can be serious concerns and may require medical help:

• Your anxiety is chronic and it interferes with your ability to perform daily tasks.
• It’s been more than 6 months living with these symptoms 
• You’re experiencing physical symptoms such as a rapid heart rate, difficulty sleeping, stomach problems or chronic fatigue
• You’re avoiding people or social places on purpose
• Self-harm has become an option now and suicidal thoughts have started to creep in

Depression could also feel similar. But anxiety and depression are not the same. So be honest while describing your symptoms to the doctor.  

How Doctors deal with anxiety?

Mental health doctors often prefer CBT for anxiety management. The motto is – if you have a problem, you should talk it out. Now, this talk could either be an in-person talk or an online therapy. For severe anxiety symptoms you should look more into antidepressants and sedatives and consume them only when prescribed by a medical professional. They often use benzodiazepines for anxiety.

Conclusion

All natural remedies for anxiety relief like physical exercise, deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation can help you keep your anxiety symptoms in check but if you see your symptoms getting worse and these natural methods don’t seem to work very well then you should consider contacting a medical professional.