Anxiety Disorders

Preventing Anxiety

There are things you can do to prevent stress-related anxiety from becoming overwhelming. A healthy lifestyle with adequate sleep, proper nutrition, and regular exercise is a good start. Eliminating caffeine may also help. Also try the following:

• Identify situations that make you anxious and seek out ways to make them less intimidating. Take a public speaking course, for example.
• Avoid potentially dangerous ways of coping with anxiety, such as smoking and using alcohol or other drugs.
• Try relaxation techniques, like yoga or meditation.
• If you can link increased anxiety with your monthly period, ask your healthcare professional about premenstrual disorder (PMS) and what you can do to manage it. Reducing your intake of salty foods and increasing your calcium intake may help to decrease PMS symptoms.
• Talk about the things that make you feel anxious with someone you trust.