Your body is naturally equipped with a defense mechanism that triggers anxiety, a fight or flight response when faced with threat or danger.
Anxiety is a normal human reaction to challenges and difficult situations.
It's easy to feel anxious when you juggle responsibilities at home, at work, with your family and sometimes, with friends.
A little anxiety is alright, sometimes even beneficial, as it can teach you to plan and perform well as in the case of studying for an exam or practising for a performance onstage.
Anxiety may become a problem when your worry or fear is disproportionate to the situation and prevents you from carrying on with your daily activities.
Stop your worries from turning into an anxiety disorder by following self help anxiety prevention measures.
The following are some self help anxiety tips you can easily do at home: Eat a well-balanced diet Nutrition plays an important role in preventing and reducing symptoms of anxiety.
While food may not cure an anxiety disorder, eating a balanced diet and avoiding or limiting certain foods can help you feel better and improve your mood.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and illicit drugs as these can aggravate symptoms of anxiety such as palpitations, difficulty in breathing and excessive perspiration.
Studies link low serotonin levels and cases of anxiety and depression.
Eating more complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat pasta, whole grains and cereals can increase serotonin levels in your brain.
Other foods that have a relaxing effect because of tryptophan include milk, oats, bananas, soy products, poultry, nuts and sesame seeds.
Relax When the body experiences stress, it produces stress hormones which cause the fight or flight response.
Excessive amounts of the stress hormones can lead to high anxiety levels.
While stress may be unavoidable in your job or at home, taking short time-outs of at least 20 minutes to relax can significantly reduce your overall anxiety.
Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and breathing exercises.
These methods de-stress the mind by teaching you how to focus on a particular idea or action other than what could be causing you stress.
Doing something pleasurable is a good anxiety-reducer as well.
Make time for relaxation to break your anxiety-causing routine.
Exercise regularly Studies show that exercising the body for at least 20 minutes at a time on most days in a week reduces symptoms of anxiety such as worry and depression.
Exercise releases endorphins which are brain chemicals that produce feelings of happiness and well-being.
Furthermore, exercise raises your body's temperature which can have a calming effect.
Gentle exercise is an excellent self-help anxiety prevention measure.
Delegating small tasks, laughing, and interacting with positive people are other ways that also contribute to less anxiety.
Life may not always go the way you want it but you can teach yourself to worry less with self help anxiety tips.