Too much cortisol, anyone? Our cavemen brains flick into flight or fright as a way to be alert and survive potential danger. However, these days more and more people are suffering from anxiety and anxiety-related illnesses.
So the question becomes, how do you get rid of your anxiety?
Redditors, i.e. the people who are contributing to the Reddit platform, are the people you meet every day. Think of your neighbour, your pharmacist, heck, even your local bookstore lady. This means they are human, and being human means that chances are pretty high that they too suffer from anxiety.
The great thing about this is that Reddit contains many success stories telling us how people are coping with their anxiety.
These methods range from consuming intoxicants to taking a walk in nature. Or you can do what u/Captain_Frying_Pan did – climb a tree at an outdoor party to get away from people and then remain hidden until all of the guests have gone home.
We’ve compiled 20 methods from Redditors across the globe who shared how they get rid of their anxiety:
Working On Your Inner Self
Sometimes being anxious is a sign that you are aware, consciously or subconsciously, that something is not quite right.
Redditor u/loki0111 agrees and believes that if they are feeling anxious, it means that they have lost control of some aspect of their life that needs immediate attention and correction.
Another way that Redditors get rid of their anxiety is by keeping the mind focussed and busy on a specific task or activity. The downside of this, says u/bigtec1993, is that you can’t always stay busy without burning yourself out.
Many Redditors who suffer from anxiety also suggest trying meditation. u/cheetosnfritos suggests downloading an app called CALM. It offers guided meditation with relaxing ambient background noises.
Another Redditor has found that by blocking out all external influences through putting their phone on aeroplane mode, wearing an eye mask and noise-cancelling headphones, and lying down and following the instructions from the CALM app, the session becomes a lot more relaxing, and afterwards, you feel amazing.
A popular meditation to release the body from anxiety is a body scan. This is a mindful meditation where you focus in a systematic way on various parts of your body to notice the sensations without judgment. Be aware of any heat, pressure, discomfort, or tingling sensations – accept them, and then move on to the next part of your body.
u/FabulousPainting loves to practice body scan and personally believes it is the best meditation.
Another activity that many Redditors recommend to get rid of anxiety is to book yourself in for a relaxing massage treatment. u/airzen believes that any kind of massage helps to relieve the body from anxiety. The reason this works so well is that your body releases many neurohormones (hormones from the nervous system), which results in your feeling less anxious and more relaxed, and centred.
Hobbies and Activities
Hobbies and activities are a fantastic outlet for people, and studies have shown that spending time every day on a creative activity will result in a more positive attitude.
Here are six everyday activities that Redditors agree on to get rid of anxiety:
1. Dance
Swinging those hips or hip-hopping to music you enjoy is not only good for getting fit and losing weight, but u/iamnotahorcrux90 enjoys dancing because it loosens you up and gets rid of tightness. So if you need to close those curtains, pump up the volume and get funky to release the tension in your body.
2. Weightlifting
This is another physical activity that sends your brain messages to release endorphins, your feel-good hormones, into your body.
u/roxxiwarhol enjoys weightlifting to get rid of anxiety. “When I start to get that right pain in my chest, I load on the weights and put more physical pressure on my body than my brain, and by the time I’m done, I’m too knackered to panic.”
3. Stretching
Waking up in the morning and enjoying a deep, long stretch feels amazing on tired muscles.
u/meekli suffers from muscle tension due to anxiety. By stretching and pushing through short bouts of cardio, the anxiety is reduced to a more manageable level.
4. Gardening
Gardening is always good for stress release. Just being around plants reduces your anxiety levels.
u/pricklypear11 says that when her anxiety is high, her husband tells her to go outside and stick her hands in the dirt! She says, “I like gardening and yard work too, and I always come back to the house SUPER happy and more relaxed. Our skin can absorb the nutrients in the soil and improve our mood.”
5. Reading
A study conducted by the University of Sussex proved that reading for only six minutes would lower your heart rate, lower muscle tension, and reduce stress levels.
Reading is a distraction, and as u/youngkernel says, it keeps your mind from the things that are bothering you.
6. Pottery
u/TurtleBucketList enjoys playing with the clay, and it is not about the end product; it’s about the process, which is a soothing sensation.
Mental Health
Sometimes, you simply need to make minor adjustments to your daily life, and you will notice your anxiety levels will be reduced.
Stop watching the news. Media is hugely biased and will tell a story that sells – and unfortunately, that story is usually about war, crime, and other depressing events. By not watching the news, you are already reducing your exposure to stressful events.
u/N9242Oh finds that by not watching the news, they can turn their attention to themselves. They say – You appreciate the little things more. Whereas before, all the nice little things meant nothing because it feels pathetic in the context of what’s going on in the big wide world.
In addition, try cutting out caffeine. Caffeine does not cause anxiety, but if you are prone to it, then caffeine can exasperate the symptoms.
ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, or brain massage, is trending on platforms such as TikTok. u/snowbell78 found relief with ASMR when she stumbled onto a YouTube video while looking for relief from her anxiety. She realised how calming it was after only a few minutes, and by the end of the video, her headache was almost non-existent.
u/hiccupiu prefers to cuddle with pets. Besides the soft fur and adorable faces, u/hiccupiu’s cat would notice when he was hyperventilating, gently bite him on the arm or leg while purring.
“It’s grounding and gets me out of my head. It’s just so, so sweet, and I love her so much.” They say
More and more hospitals are starting to allow visits from patients’ pets as the hospital staff can see the lift in mood and positivity rise in the patients.
Temperature Changes
Some Redditors agree that by engaging with either hot or cold substances, their anxious sensations will dissipate.
u/obvom recommends submerging your feet into hot water for fifteen minutes without any distractions, while a psychologist recommended to u/jewel_toned_coyote the diver’s reflex. She fills a bowl with iced water and puts her face into it. It’s almost like a shocking system, but both of these methods help the respective person with their anxious feelings.
Scents
Certain scents trigger reactions in specific parts of our brain and set off a reaction in our bodies, such as feelings of calm or energisation.
Certain aromatherapy oils reduce stress and anxiety more than others. These include:
- Chamomile.
- Bergamot orange.
- Clary sage.
- Lavender.
- Lemon.
- Neroli.
- Rose.
- Ylang-ylang.
u/Cataphlin adds a mixture of lavender, clary sage, and geranium in a diffuser and finds this works wonderfully. This one is stimulating, so she prefers to use it during the day when she doesn’t want sedative effects. She suggests using this in conjunction with some relaxing music you can easily find on YouTube to create a beautifully chilled atmosphere.
Recommendation: My Incense Waterfalls The best aromatherapy product in Australia for mental calm and clarity
Besides aromatherapy oils, nature is just as powerful. u/happy_cannasseur visits the local botanical gardens and enjoys the natural scents, which she finds powerfully uplifting.
So, How Do You Get Rid Of Your Anxiety?
Life is exciting; life is fun – but sometimes, even our best days can be thwarted by episodes of anxiety. We hope these ideas answer your question – How to get rid of anxiety?
Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If your method of relieving your anxiety is no longer working, try something different.
If you do try any of these methods and find that you are still struggling with anxiety, it is advisable to contact a professional therapist for further advice.
Tell us how you manage your anxiety in the comments below.
