The number of people who need an anxiety therapy has increased dramatically since the late 1990s and more and more doctors are seeing patients who complain of anxiety and seek help.  Anxiety has become a significant health problem among adults and by most accounts is getting worse.  This means that there is a rise in anxiety medication use.  Pharmaceutical companies are raking in the cash as doctors write the prescriptions and patients scramble to get the meds.  But is this really the best way?  Is there a better way to manage your anxiety without using mind numbing medications and prescriptions that have unsavory side effects?  Actually, you can manage your anxiety yourself and be drug free.  Before you reach for the drugs, try these five simple things.

Establish a Good Support System

Employ the help of your family and friends to be there for you. Find a couple of people who are close to you who can “talk you down” when your anxiety rises. They can talk to you or just listen when you need them. If crowds upset you, you can have someone in your support system accompany you when you go shopping. This does not mean that you find people to do the things for you that you don’t want to do for yourself. You don’t need enablers, you need support. They should be there to help you, not do it for you. Make sure that you, and they, know the difference.

Simplify Your Life

One of the best things that you can do to ease your anxiety is learn to say no. Don’t overextend yourself. When you have too many things on your plate, you tend to stress yourself out. Make your life as simple as possible. Go to bed early, get enough sleep, eat well, and live simply. Take a look at the things that you are doing right now. What can you do to make your life easier? Can you carpool instead of driving to work? That would give you some time that you don’t have to drive and would save some money. If you have children, you can have them help you with the cleaning and the cooking. Don’t do it all, you can’t.

Take Time for You

Take time for yourself. Take a hot bath, read a good book, or go for a walk. Do things that make you feel relaxed. Make yourself feel good. Eat at least three healthy meals a day, don’t skip meals. It is best if you can eat three meals and two or three healthy snacks a day. Try spacing your meals out about two and a half hours apart. This will keep your blood sugar stable and help to keep you anxiety under control. This is just a simple thing, a simple way to take good care of yourself, but it is so very effective.

Remember to Breathe

Breathing regularly will help keep you stable and your anxiety low. Many people, when they feel anxiety creeping up, will hold their breath or breathe shallowly. This depletes the brain of oxygen as well as the organs, putting your body under stress. This, in turn, will increase your anxiety. Try deep breathing when you begin to feel anxious. Sit up straight, close your eyes and breathe. Breathe in through your nose, deeply, and out through your mouth as if you are blowing out a candle.

Find Self Comfort Techniques

Different people respond to different things and find comfort in them. Some people carry a “worry rock,” a smooth stone that they rub when they feel anxious. Others use emotional freedom technique (EFT) and others meditate. Find out what comforts you and don’t be afraid to use it when your anxiety begins to rise. This will last far longer and have no side effects. You can manage your anxiety yourself.

When it comes down to it, “anxiety therapy” means anything that helps lessen the life changing affects of out-of-control anxiety.  It doesn’t have to be expensive weekly trips to your doctor’s office.  It doesn’t have to be a permanent regiment of medication.  Sometimes, all you need is a guideline to follow, and you can regain your life yourself.

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