Holistic treatment means not just focusing on one aspect of health and wellness, but all of them. This includes physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual health. Oftentimes, treatment for anxiety may focus on the physical and mental health aspects while ignoring the others. However, when a holistic approach is taken, there is often an improved outcome. There are many holistic treatment options when it comes to anxiety.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness techniques help people with anxiety become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Popular mindfulness techniques include:
- Being More Aware: Make a conscious effort to notice what is going on around you and within you. Do this without judgment.
- Acceptance of Feelings: Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling, including anxiety. Do not try to suppress your feelings. Instead, observe and acknowledge them.
- The Mindful Pause: Make an effort to pause between a stimulus and your response. Taking this moment can help to head off anxiety before it begins
- Witness State: This technique involves mentally removing yourself from a situation and viewing it as if you are a third party. The goal is to objectively think about the situation as if it is happening to someone else. This will help you to realize that your feelings of anxiety are unfounded.
- Meditation for Anxiety: Taking time out of your day to meditate and clear your mind can help reduce anxiety.
This is not a complete list by any means. Mindfulness is all about simply being aware of yourself and your feelings. Any technique which promotes this way of thinking should be used.
Relaxation
Relaxation can be extremely effective at treating anxiety. It can help to clear the mind and disperse anxious thoughts. Some helpful relaxation techniques include:
- Breathing Exercises: Deep breathing exercises have been proven to promote feelings of calmness and reduce anxious thoughts. You should breathe in and exhale slowly. Focus on your breath and try to clear your mind.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This technique involves tensing and relaxing muscles one group at a time. It will help you become aware of the difference between muscle tension and relaxation, giving you the ability to induce relaxation when you first feel tension, such as when you begin feeling anxious.
- The 3-3-3 Rule: This technique is very simple and can be done anywhere. It works best when done as soon as you begin having feelings of anxiety. All you have to do is identify three things you can see, three things you can hear, and three ways you can move your body. This distracts your mind, quelling the anxious feelings.
Do not expect these techniques to end your anxiety immediately. Using them properly takes time and practice. Stick with these techniques and soon you will be using them as if they are second nature.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most effective ways of dealing with anxiety. It increases the amount of endorphins in your system, helping to elevate your mood. Exercise also helps give you a sense of control, lowering feelings of anxiety. Then, there is sleep. It is much easier to get enough sleep when you are tired from exercising, and getting enough sleep can do a lot to combat anxiety. According to the American Psychiatric Association, people who engaged in 150 minutes or more of moderate or vigorous leisure time physical activity had 24% lower odds of having anxiety symptoms. Options for exercise include running, hiking, weightlifting, and yoga. However, the type of exercise you choose does not really matter as long as you do it. Even walking for 15 minutes a day can help you to feel less anxious.
Creativity
Engaging the creative part of your brain can help you in expressing or addressing your feelings of anxiety. Any type of expressive arts therapy can work in this way. This includes making music, writing, dancing, painting, or creating any other type of art. All of these can help you to address your feelings of anxiety and express them in a healthy way. Additionally, when focusing on being creative, your mind is occupied, preventing you from focusing on things that cause you to feel anxious.
Time Management
Time management is the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively. This can be accomplished by setting personal deadlines, making a schedule, making a to-do list, and setting certain blocks of time in which to complete certain tasks. Many feelings of anxiety stem from the fear of falling behind, this is especially true with teens and their schoolwork. By engaging in time management techniques, you can ensure that you have the time to accomplish everything you need to. This lowers feelings of anxiety by getting rid of the uncertainty surrounding the completion of schoolwork and other tasks.
Therapy
Of course, one of the most effective ways of treating anxiety is with therapy. One of the most common forms of therapy used for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of talk therapy which involves analyzing thoughts and emotions. By engaging in CBT, therapists can help those suffering from anxiety to unlearn negative behaviors and thought patterns while at the same time learning to use healthier thinking habits and patterns. Therapy takes time, but often has amazing results when it comes to treating anxiety.