Do you feel like you could be having a far better social life, if anxiety didn’t plague you day in and day out? If you have been neglecting your friends and family because of anxiety, then read this article. You don’t have to feel left out any longer, the following tips can help you.

Avoid leaning on drugs or alcohol to treat your anxiety, as this will only lead to other problems. Anxiety should be treated professionally, or dealt with in a manner conducive to your well being. In addition, relying on substances to get over anxiety will cause you to become addicted and even worsen your anxiety.

Find a visual or aural anchor that makes you feel calm or relaxed. Try to choose something abundant and ever-present, such as clouds or water. When you feel anxious, look to the sky or play a soothing track of flowing water on an mp3 player. These anchors can give you a focal point when you feel anxious and head off a full-blown panic attack.

Choose a calming mantra that you can repeat to yourself when you feel anxious. Short, simple phrases work best, although some people prefer to chant a soothing sound. Select a mantra that is personally meaningful and that you can recall quickly. Repeat the mantra as often as needed, either in your head or out loud, if you are alone.

Positive interaction is a must when you are going through rough anxiety. Helping others is a great cure for anxiety. Find a neighbor or a friend who needs a helping hand, and watch it work wonders for how you feel. There is no better medicine than helping other people in times of need.

If outside events contribute to your anxiety, reduce or eliminate how often you watch the news or read the paper. Let yourself get caught up on major current events each day, but don’t saturate yourself in negative news that will create bad feelings.

Eliminate negative vocabulary from your speech. Just using negative words, can bring you down and when you feel down, you are more likely to have an anxiety attack. Replace those negative words with words of encouragement or simple positive words. Use them in your conversations, as well as, your inner chatter.

Start keeping a diary. Some people keep stressful thoughts locked in their heads and need to find a way to let go of them. When you’re able to get out all of these things into a journal then you’re able to think about what’s going on more clearly. This works a lot better than thinking about the past and future all the time.

Stay busy; the more you have to do, the less time you will have to think about what might be bothering you in your life. You will be able to then set some time aside to figure out your issues, without constantly having to worry about them throughout the day.

Exercise is a great way to reduce your anxiety. When you work up a sweat at the gym or outdoors you just feel better about yourself. The more you get in shape, the less anxiety you’re prone to have as well. Consult with a doctor to see if your body can take some exercise, and then, get to it.

Exercising can alter your brain chemicals. Exercise can bring up the low level of serotonin in your system. Whether you walk the dog, go to the gym, whatever it is, the two chemicals dopamine and serotonin are produced at higher levels. This results in lower anxiety and lower depression as well.

Work on keeping your mind in present times. A big problem that is common to those who suffer from anxiety is that they focus on past issues or future problems. This is a quick way to feel worried or overwhelmed. Minimize anxiety by focusing on the present and stop thinking about other things, for a moment.

When you begin to feel overwhelmed, or anxious, give yourself a time-out. Do some yoga, play pleasant music, learn techniques to relax, or get a massage. Taking a step back, and regaining your composure should stop the attack in its tracks, before it turns into a full blown anxiety attack.

Regular exercise is imperative if you suffer from anxiety. Exercise can help to relieve stress, which in turn reduces the symptoms of anxiety. Aim to exercise about half an hour most days of the week for best results.

Coffee is a drink that you should try to avoid or limit at all costs in the morning and night. If you require energy, eat a piece of fruit instead of consuming coffee. Coffee contains a lot of caffeine and the heat from this drink can raise your anxiety level.

Go ahead and feel a bit more comfortable about yourself and your future. You can rest assured that your anxiety will be gone shortly. Remember, the battle can’t be won in a day. It takes a little time to get rid of anxiety, but if you’re patient, then the results are very rewarding.

Anxiety Need Not Control Your Life: Five Tips was originally published on Spring