Eating salmon may help your body produce neurotransmitters that reduce anxiety
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How can we calm our brains when anxiety hits? For some people, worry can interfere with daily life, affect their health, and impair their ability to maintain relationships. In these cases, the standard treatment is medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), or talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In addition to these, there are other techniques that may help. Here are five of the best evidence-based strategies.
Confronting Your Demons
Exposure therapy is a type of CBT that encourages people to confront the causes of their anxiety. To cope with anxiety, many people practice “avoidance,” which reduces short-term discomfort but prevents them from learning how to cope with their fears. For example, if a person with social anxiety regularly breaks appointments, they may continue to fear talking to strangers, but if they attend an appointment, they may find that small talk is easier than expected.
Virtual reality helps begin this process in a controlled environment. A meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 703 people found that VR exposure therapy significantly reduced anxiety in people with social anxiety disorder, and this effect was still seen one year later; however, in-person exposure therapy had a stronger long-term impact. Studies have shown it to be effective for many people with anxiety-related conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
Get moving
Many studies have shown that aerobic exercise…
