Phobias and Fears

Symptoms, Treatment, and Self-Help for Phobias and Fears

Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two—of mice, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But, when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias. The good news is that phobias can be managed and cured. Self-help strategies and therapy can help you overcome your fears and start living the life you want.

What is a phobia?

Barbara’s fear of flying

Barbara is terrified of flying. Unfortunately, she has to travel a lot for work, and this traveling takes a terrible toll. For weeks before every trip, she has a knot in her stomach and a feeling of anxiety that won’t go away. On the day of the flight, she wakes up feeling like she’s going to throw up. Once she’s on the plane, her heart pounds, she feels lightheaded, and she starts to hyperventilate. Every time it gets worse and worse.
Barbara’s fear of flying has gotten so bad that she finally told her boss she can only travel to places within driving distance. Her boss was not happy about this, and Barbara’s not sure what will happen at work. She’s afraid she’ll be demoted or lose her job altogether. But better that, she tells herself, than getting on a plane again.

A phobia is an intense fear of something that, in reality, poses little or no actual danger. Common phobias and fears include closed-in places, heights, highway driving, flying insects, snakes, and needles. However, we can develop phobias of virtually anything. Most phobias develop in childhood, but they can also develop in adults.
If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can’t control your feelings. Just thinking about the feared object or situation may make you anxious. And when you’re actually exposed to the thing you fear, the terror is automatic and overwhelming.
The experience is so nerve-wracking that you may go to great lengths to avoid it — inconveniencing yourself or even changing your lifestyle. If you have claustrophobia, for example, you might turn down a lucrative job offer if you have to ride the elevator to get to the office. If you have a fear of heights, you might drive an extra twenty miles in order to avoid a tall bridge.
Understanding your phobia is the first step to overcoming it. It’s important to know that phobias are common. Having a phobia doesn’t mean you’re crazy! It also helps to know that phobias are highly treatable. You can overcome your anxiety and fear, no matter how out of control it feels.

“Normal” fear vs. phobias

It is normal and even helpful to experience fear in dangerous situations. Fear is an adaptive human response. It serves a protective purpose, activating the automatic “fight-or-flight” response. With our bodies and minds alert and ready for action, we are able to respond quickly and protect ourselves.
But with phobias the threat is greatly exaggerated or nonexistent. For example, it is only natural to be afraid of a snarling Doberman, but it is irrational to be terrified of a friendly poodle on a leash, as you might be if you have a dog phobia.

The difference between normal fear and a phobia
Normal fear	Phobia
Feeling anxious when flying through turbulence or taking off during a storm	Not going to your best friend’s island wedding because you’d have to fly there
Experiencing butterflies when peering down from the top of a skyscraper or climbing a tall ladder	Turning down a great job because it’s on the 10th floor of the office building
Getting nervous when you see a pit bull or a Rottweiler	Steering clear of the park because you might see a dog
Feeling a little queasy when getting a shot or when your blood is being drawn	Avoiding necessary medical treatments or doctor’s checkups because you’re terrified of needles

Normal fears in children

Many childhood fears are natural and tend to develop at specific ages. For example, many young children are afraid of the dark and may need a nightlight to sleep. That doesn’t mean they have a phobia. In most cases, they will grow out of this fear as they get older.
If your child’s fear is not interfering with his or her daily life or causing him or her a great deal of distress, then there’s little cause for undue concern. However, if the fear is interfering with your child’s social activities, school performance, or sleep, you may want to see a qualified child therapist.

Which of my child’s fears are normal?

According to the Child Anxiety Network, the following fears are extremely common and considered normal:

• 0-2 years – Loud noises, strangers, separation from parents, large objects.
• 3-6 years – Imaginary things such as ghosts, monsters, the dark, sleeping alone, strange noises.
• 7-16 years – More realistic fears such as injury, illness, school performance, death, natural disasters.

Common types of phobias and fears

There are four general types of phobias and fears:

• Animal phobias. Examples include fear of snakes, fear of spiders, fear of rodents, and fear of dogs.
• Natural environment phobias. Examples include fear of heights, fear of storms, fear of water, and fear of the dark.
• Situational phobias (fears triggered by a specific situation). Examples include fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), fear of flying, fear of driving, fear of tunnels, and fear of bridges.
• Blood-Injection-Injury phobia. The fear of blood, fear or injury, or a fear of needles or other medical procedures.

Common phobias and fears

Fear of spiders Fear of snakes Fear of heights Fear or closed spaces Fear of storms

Fear of needles and injections Fear of public speaking Fear of flying Fear of germs Fear of illness or death

Some phobias don’t fall into one of the four common categories. Such phobias include fear of choking, fear of getting a disease such as cancer, and fear of clowns.

Social phobia and fear of public speaking

Social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder, is fear of social situations where you may be embarrassed or judged. If you have social phobia you may be excessively self-conscious and afraid of humiliating yourself in front of others. Your anxiety over how you will look and what others will think may lead you to avoid certain social situations you’d otherwise enjoy.
Fear of public speaking, an extremely common phobia, is a type of social phobia. Other fears associated with social phobia include fear of eating or drinking in public, talking to strangers, taking exams, mingling at a party, and being called on in class.

Agoraphobia (fear of open spaces)

Agoraphobia is another phobia that doesn’t fit neatly into any of the four categories. Traditionally thought to involve a fear of public places and open spaces, it is now believed that agoraphobia develops as a complication of panic attacks.
Afraid of having another panic attack, you become anxious about being in situations where escape would be difficult or embarrassing, or where help wouldn't be immediately available. For example, you are likely to avoid crowded places such as shopping malls and movie theaters. You may also avoid cars, airplanes, subways, and other forms of travel. In more severe cases, you might only feel safe at home.

Signs and symptoms of phobias

The symptoms of a phobia can range from mild feelings of apprehension and anxiety to a full-blown panic attack. Typically, the closer you are to the thing you’re afraid of, the greater your fear will be. Your fear will also be higher if getting away is difficult.

Physical signs and symptoms of a phobia

Difficulty breathing Racing or pounding heart Chest pain or tightness Trembling or shaking

Feeling dizzy or lightheaded A churning stomach Hot or cold flashes; tingling sensations Sweating

Emotional signs and symptoms of a phobia

Feeling of overwhelming anxiety or panic Feeling an intense need to escape Feeling “unreal” or detached from yourself

Fear of losing control or going crazy Feeling like you’re going to die or pass out Knowing that you’re overreacting, but feeling powerless to control your fear

Symptoms of Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia

The symptoms of blood-injection-injury phobia are slightly different from other phobias. When confronted with the sight of blood or a needle, you experience not only fear but disgust.
Like other phobias, you initially feel anxious as your heart speeds up. However, unlike other phobias, this acceleration is followed by a quick drop in blood pressure, which leads to nausea, dizziness, and fainting. Although a fear of fainting is common in all specific phobias, blood-injection-injury phobia is the only phobia where fainting can actually occur.

When to seek help for phobias and fears

Although phobias are common, they don’t always cause considerable distress or significantly disrupt your life. For example, if you have a snake phobia, it may cause no problems in your everyday activities if you live in a city where you are not likely to run into one. On the other hand, if you have a severe phobia of crowded spaces, living in a big city would pose a problem.
If your phobia doesn’t really impact your life that much, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about. But if avoidance of the object, activity, or situation that triggers your phobia interferes with your normal functioning or keeps you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy, it’s time to seek help.

Consider treatment for your phobia if:

• It causes intense and disabling fear, anxiety, and panic.
• You recognize that your fear is excessive and unreasonable.
• You avoid certain situations and places because of your phobia.
• Your avoidance interferes with your normal routine or causes significant distress.
• You’ve had the phobia for at least six months.

Self-help or therapy for phobias: which treatment is best?

When it comes to treating phobias, self-help strategies and therapy can both be effective. What’s best for you depends on a number of factors, including the severity of your phobia, your insurance coverage, and the amount of support you need.
As a general rule, self-help is always worth a try. The more you can do for yourself, the more in control you’ll feel—which goes a long way when it comes to phobias and fears. However, if your phobia is so severe that it triggers panic attacks or uncontrollable anxiety, you may want to get additional support.
The good news is that therapy for phobias has a great track record. Not only does it work extremely well, but you tend to see results very quickly—sometimes in as a little as 1-4 sessions.
However, support doesn’t have to come in the guise of a professional therapist. Just having someone to hold your hand or stand by your side as you face your fears can be extraordinarily helpful.

Phobia treatment tip 1: Face your fears, one step at a time

It’s only natural to want to avoid the thing or situation you fear. But when it comes to conquering phobias, facing your fears is the key. While avoidance may make you feel better in the short-term, it prevents you from learning that your phobia may not be as frightening or overwhelming as you think. You never get the chance to learn how to cope with your fears and experience control over the situation. As a result, the phobia becomes increasingly scarier and more daunting in your mind.

Exposure: Gradually and repeatedly facing your fears

The most effective way to overcome a phobia is by gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to what you fear in a safe and controlled way. During this exposure process, you’ll learn to ride out the anxiety and fear until it inevitably passes.
Through repeated experiences facing your fear, you’ll begin to realize that the worst isn’t going to happen; you’re not going to die or “lose it”. With each exposure, you’ll feel more confident and in control. The phobia begins to lose its power.
Successfully facing your fears takes planning, practice, and patience. The following tips will help you get the most out of the exposure process.

Climbing up the “fear ladder”

If you’ve tried exposure in the past and it didn’t work, you may have started with something too scary or overwhelming. It’s important to begin with a situation that you can handle, and work your way up from there, building your confidence and coping skills as you move up the “fear ladder.”

Facing a fear of dogs: A sample fear ladder

• Step 1: Look at pictures of dogs.
• Step 2: Watch a video with dogs in it.
• Step 3: Look at a dog through a window.
• Step 4: Stand across the street from a dog on a leash.
• Step 5: Stand 10 feet away from a dog on a leash.
• Step 6: Stand 5 feet away from a dog on a leash.
• Step 7: Stand beside a dog on a leash.
• Step 8: Pet a small dog that someone is holding.
• Step 9: Pet a larger dog on a leash.
• Step 10: Pet a larger dog off leash.

• Make a list. Make a list of the frightening situations related to your phobia. If you’re afraid of flying, your list (in addition to the obvious, such as taking a flight or getting through takeoff) might include booking your ticket, packing your suitcase, driving to the airport, watching planes take off and land, going through security, boarding the plane, and listening to the flight attendant present the safety instructions.
• Build your fear ladder. Arrange the items on your list from the least scary to the most scary. The first step should make you slightly anxious, but not so frightened that you’re too intimidated to try it. When creating the ladder, it can be helpful to think about your end goal (for example, to be able to be near dogs without panicking) and then break down the steps needed to reach that goal.
• Work your way up the ladder. Start with the first step (in this example, looking at pictures of dogs) and don’t move on until you start to feel more comfortable doing it. If at all possible, stay in the situation long enough for your anxiety to decrease. The longer you expose yourself to the thing you’re afraid of, the more you’ll get used to it and the less anxious you’ll feel when you face it the next time. If the situation itself is short (for example, crossing a bridge), do it over and over again until your anxiety starts to lessen. Once you’ve done a step on several separate occasions without feeling too much anxiety, you can move on to the next step. If a step is too hard, break it down into smaller steps or go slower.
• Practice. It’s important to practice regularly. The more often you practice, the quicker your progress will be. However, don’t rush. Go at a pace that you can manage without feeling overwhelmed. And remember: you will feel uncomfortable and anxious as you face your fears, but the feelings are only temporary. If you stick with it, the anxiety will fade. Your fears won’t hurt you.

If you start to feel overwhelmed…

While it’s natural to feel scared or anxious as you face your phobia, you should never feel overwhelmed by these feelings. If you start to feel overwhelmed, immediately back off. You may need to spend more time learning to control feelings of anxiety (see the relaxation techniques below), or you may feel more comfortable working with a therapist.

Phobia treatment tip 2: Learn relaxation techniques

As you’ll recall, when you’re afraid or anxious, you experience a variety of uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as a racing heart and a suffocating feeling. These physical sensations can be frightening themselves—and a large part of what makes your phobia so distressing. However, by learning and practicing relaxation techniques, you can become more confident in your ability to tolerate these uncomfortable sensations and calm yourself down quickly.
Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and muscle relaxation are powerful antidotes to anxiety, panic, and fear. With regular practice, they can improve your ability to control the physical symptoms of anxiety, which will make facing your phobia less intimidating. Relaxation techniques will also help you cope more effectively with other sources of stress and anxiety in your life.

A simple deep breathing relaxation exercise

When you’re anxious, you tend to take quick, shallow breaths (also known as hyperventilating), which actually adds to the physical feelings of anxiety. By breathing deeply from the abdomen, you can reverse these physical sensations. You can’t be upset when you’re breathing slowly, deeply, and quietly. Within a few short minutes of deep breathing, you’ll feel less tense, short of breath, and anxious.

• Sit or stand comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Take a slow breath in through your nose, counting to four. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
• Hold your breath for a count of seven.
• Exhale through your mouth to a count of eight, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
• Inhale again, repeating the cycle until you feel relaxed and centered.

Try practicing this deep breathing technique for five minutes twice day. You don’t need to feel anxious to practice. In fact, it’s best to practice when you’re feeling calm until you’re familiar and comfortable with the exercise. Once you’re comfortable with this deep breathing technique, you can start to use it when you’re facing your phobia or in other stressful situations.

Phobia treatment tip 3: Challenge negative thoughts

Learning to challenge unhelpful thoughts is an important step in overcoming your phobia. When you have a phobia, you tend to overestimate how bad it will be if you’re exposed to the situation you fear. At the same time, you underestimate your ability to cope.
The anxious thoughts that trigger and fuel phobias are usually negative and unrealistic. It can help to put these thoughts to the test. Begin by writing down any negative thoughts you have when confronted with your phobia. Many times, these thoughts fall into the following categories:

• Fortune telling. For example, “This bridge is going to collapse;” “I’ll make a fool of myself for sure;” “I will definitely lose it when the elevator doors close.”
• Overgeneralization. “I fainted once while getting a shot. I’ll never be able to get a shot again without passing out;” “That pit bull lunged at me. All dogs are dangerous.”
• Catastrophizing. “The captain said we’re going through turbulence. The plane is going to crash!” “The person next to me coughed. Maybe it’s the swine flu. I’m going to get very sick!”

Once you’ve identified your negative thoughts, evaluate them. Use the following example to get started.

Negative thought: “The elevator will break down and I’ll get trapped and suffocate.”
Is there any evidence that contradicts this thought?

• “I see many people using the elevator and it has never broken down.”
• “I cannot remember ever hearing of anyone dying from suffocation in an elevator.”
• “I have never actually been in an elevator that has broken down.”
• “There are air vents in an elevator which will stop the air running out.”

Could you do anything to resolve this situation if it does occur?

• “I guess I could press the alarm button or use the telephone to call for assistance.”

Are you making a thinking error?

• “Yes. I’m fortune telling, as I have no evidence to suggest that the elevator will break down.”

What would you say to a friend who has this fear?

• “I would probably say that the chances of it happening are very slim as you don’t see or hear about it very often.”

Source: Mood Juice

It’s also helpful to come up with some positive coping statements that you can tell yourself when facing your phobia. For example:

• “I’ve felt this way before and nothing terrible happened. It may be unpleasant, but it won’t harm me.”
• “If the worst happens and I have a panic attack while I’m driving, I’ll simply pull over and wait for it to pass.”
• “I’ve flown many times and the plane has never crashed. In fact, I don’t know anyone who’s ever been in a plane crash. Statistically, flying is very safe.”

A Common Mistake that Makes Your Anxiety Worse

Many people make mistakes with their anxiety. In fact, one of the problems with anxiety is that anxiety itself can make mistakes more likely – because anxiety changes thought processes and feelings in a way that can lead to you to making decisions that are counterproductive for curing anxiety.
Alcohol abuse is a great example. People turn to alcohol to reduce anxiety because it can dull anxiety away, but in reality it actually makes anxiety worse because it replaces your mind's ability to cope with stress. But that is an extreme example. There is actually a single, common mistake that nearly everyone makes that causes anxiety to be worse.

Stop Just "Managing" Anxiety

Most people look for ways to just manage their anxiety – to get through each day with anxiety affecting them as little as possible. But why manage anxiety when you can cure it?

The Most Common Anxiety Mistakes

There are so many mistakes that people make with their anxiety. Many people with panic disorder drink lots of coffee, for example, and coffee can make panic attacks worse. Others try to breathe in more when they're hyperventilating (because hyperventilation makes you feel as though you're not getting a full breath) but that actually makes hyperventilation worse. To learn more about that, take my anxiety test.
But by far the most common mistake that people make with anxiety is moping. In this case, moping is the idea that you need to "be alone." The idea that you need to go home after a tough day at work and just sit and think so that your stress and anxiety get better.

The Problems With Moping

Moping – or some form of moping – is incredibly common. Feeling like you need to sit and do nothing to feel better is a function of anxiety. Anxiety completely drains the body. It makes it hard to want to do much of anything. You feel like you want to be alone, and that you want to go home and "veg out" until you feel better.
Unfortunately, this is a common mistake that has the potential to make your anxiety much worse. Ideally, you need to stay active. You need to be surrounded with friends and try your best to get out there, exercise, and have new experiences. Avoiding those experiences because you want to cope with your anxiety alone causes several issues that make anxiety worse:

• Inactivity – Easily the biggest problem is inactivity. Exercise and staying physically active and moving are extremely important for not only physical health, but mental health as well. Movement and exercise improve hormone function and neurotransmitter production, and drain the body of excess energy that would otherwise cause the mind and body to become more stressed. Moving and staying active in general is crucial to anxiety management, and inactivity from moping makes that much more difficult.
• Uncontrolled Thoughts – Anxiety changes the way you think, and unfortunately that often means that your own thoughts are your worst enemy. Many people don't realize that anxiety and anxiety attacks are often caused by letting yourself sit and think, because the mind eventually starts thinking about negative things. Staying active gives your mind distractions, and distractions provide you with a mental break that can reduce future anxiety symptoms.
• "Giving In" – There is a behavioral reason to avoid moping too. Namely, it essentially lets your anxiety win and controls the way that you react in the future. If you often keep to yourself when you have anxiety, then every time you have significant anxiety your body's reaction is to want to you give in again. It becomes your coping mechanism, and makes it harder to stop moping in the future.
• Social Need – Being around people that you like and make you happy is an important tool for combatting anxiety. Obviously those with social anxiety disorder are at a bit of a disadvantage here, but in general if you can spend time with people and talk to others, you're more likely to find life more enjoyable, and the more you enjoy life the easier it will be to treat your anxiety.
• Happy Memories – Finally, anxiety itself makes you focus too much on the present. One of the strategies to help reduce anxiety is goal setting, specifically because it gives you something to look forward to in the future. Staying active with enjoyable activities provides hope, and hope is important for committing to anxiety treatments.

How you react to anxiety does matter. It can be hard to control, but it matters. Those that push themselves through and try to stay active and distract their mind from these negative thoughts aren't going to cure their anxiety, because anxiety isn't that simple to solve. But they may find that when they finally commit to an anxiety treatment, they're more likely to see the results, because they've put themselves in a position where their anxiety isn't able to control them.
Moping behaviors are not the only mistake people make with anxiety, and it may not even be the worst. But it is an extremely common reaction to anxiety and stress and one that needs to be stopped in order to continue to control anxiety.

Other Anxiety Mistakes

Anxiety mistakes occur nearly every day. It can be hard enough to control anxiety even with the most effective treatment, so when mistakes occur it can really make it challenging to reduce your anxiety – especially without any help. Examples of other common anxiety mistakes include:

• Listening to negative/moping music, rather than upbeat and happy music.
• Purposely subjecting yourself to anxious and stressful situations, like horror movies.
• Spending time with those that are generally negative.
• Taking medications without combining them with a long term treatment.
• Quitting an anxiety reduction strategy when it doesn’t work right away.

The list of anxiety mistakes is incredibly long, because anxiety causes people to focus on far too many negative feelings and emotions that get in the way of better decision making.
I've helped thousands of people making anxiety mistakes every day. I start them all off with my free 7 minute anxiety test. It's a test designed to carefully look at your anxiety, teach you more about it, and direct you to appropriate treatments.

3 Tips to Stop Panic Attacks and Anxiety Cold

Stop Managing Anxiety and CURE It

Millions of people struggle with anxiety every day. Overcoming anxiety is something that takes serious commitment. Most people want to stop panic attacks and anxiety overnight, but your anxiety has been forged through years of experiences, biology, and your own personality. You can't simply turn that off on a whim.
But that doesn't mean there aren't tools that can control your anxiety considerably, and in some cases you may find that these techniques make your anxiety far more manageable. The following are three simple but important things to try to fight anxiety.

Never Accept Failure

It's important to remember that everyone can control anxiety. There are very few one size fits all approaches to combatting your anxiety symptoms. Commit to a method that you're willing to try, and if it doesn't work, move on to the next one.
By choosing a symptoms-based treatment that looks at the specific anxiety problem you experience and recommends a follow up treatment, you'll increase your chances of success.

Quick Methods of Fighting Anxiety

Remember, very few people can cure anxiety in a day. Curing anxiety is a process, and one that you shouldn't expect to reach for a long time, even with the best anxiety treatment. But there are strategies you can try that may speed up the process or reduce your anxiety considerable. They include:

1. Start Running

Priority number one is that you start running or jogging regularly. As long as you're healthy enough for physical activity, regular, daily jogging should be your number one treatment choice.
It may sound silly, but the reality is that your physical energy contributes to anxiety in a host of ways:

• Unused energy can become anxiety and actually create anxious thoughts.
• Unused muscles may become tense and cause more anxiety symptoms.
• Those that don't exercise are more prone to hormonal fluctuations and poor nutrition.

There is a high correlation between those that don't exercise and those that experience anxiety. In addition, beyond the health components of jogging and exercise, there are additional benefits as well. These include:

• Endorphins – During exercise the body releases neurotransmitters that are designed to make exercise easier and less painful, like endorphins. Endorphins also play a significant role in relaxation. By exercising, your mind and body will have a much easier time relaxing.
• Cortisol – Cortisol is a hormone released during times of stress, and it's responsible for many of the symptoms associated with anxiety. Running burns away excess cortisol, causing fewer anxiety symptoms and less long term damage from cortisol release.
• Overall Health – Running also improves every component of overall health. It teaches your heart and lungs to breathe more efficiently. It regulates hormones and improves muscle strength. It keeps your body a type of health that prevents excess stress.

Some studies have shown that regular jogging may be as powerful or more powerful than some of the world's most well-known anxiety medications, all without any side effects. It's something you should already be doing regularly for your own health, and is an absolute must if you suffer from anxiety.

2. Retrain Breathing

Another issue that often contributes to both anxiety and panic attacks is poor breathing. Many people with anxiety suffer from hyperventilation problems. Anxiety and stress cause the body to breathe a little bit faster. They also cause you to focus too much on your breathing, and try to bring it more air than you need.
Hyperventilation is when you breathe out too much carbon dioxide because of these poor breathing habits, and breathe in too much oxygen. Hyperventilation is also interesting because it makes you feel like you're not getting enough oxygen, causing you to breathe in more deeply. Unfortunately, this only makes the anxiety and panic attack symptoms worse.
That's why you should go through a breathing re-training. You can do this through deep breathing exercises, like those learned during yoga. The goal is to slow down your breathing considerably. One method includes:

• Breathe in through your nose for 5 seconds.
• Hold for 2 seconds.
• Breathe out through your mouth for 7 seconds.

There are other types of breathing exercises you can try as well if you'd prefer something more interesting. Performing these exercises for 15 to 30 minutes every day can re-train your body to breathe in a way that prevents hyperventilation, and thus reduces some of the symptoms of anxiety.

3. Check Your Diet

Diet can affect your anxiety levels, although not as much as many people believe. Cutting out oils, trans fats, alcohol and heavy amounts of caffeine are all important. All of these make anxiety symptoms much worse, and the healthier you eat the more likely you'll experience fewer anxiety symptoms. The healthier you are, the better for all of your mental health needs.
But your diet rarely causes anxiety on its own, unless you're low on some very important vitamins and minerals. Check your diet to see if you could be lacking in any of the following vitamins:

• Magnesium
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin D

A deficiency in all of these vitamins may cause anxiety symptoms. Magnesium, for example, is lacking in mover 25% of the diets in the United States right now. Adding magnesium supplements or foods can be extremely advantageous.
You should also make sure that you're drinking enough water. Dehydration can cause significant anxiety and lead to worse anxiety symptoms.
While most people's diets don't cause anxiety, they can easily contribute to it. Make sure that you're eating foods that are rich in the vitamins and minerals you need, and your anxiety may become far more manageable.

Strategies to Try to Cure Anxiety

It's impossible to say whether or not these strategies will provide you with any instant relief. Some people may find that their anxiety becomes so manageable after trying these important techniques that they don't need any additional anxiety treatment. Others find that even though they feel better, they still need help.
As long as you're ready to commit to an anxiety treatment instead of trying one for a few days and moving on to the next, then there are long term strategies that are nearly guaranteed to help you reduce your anxiety.

How I Calmed Down My Anxiety in One Evening

Would you like to wake up every morning feeling completely calm, relaxed, and confident?
Would you like to cure your anxiety and panic once and for all without it ever coming back?
Would you like to spend more quality time with your family, friends and loved ones, without your anxiety affecting your happiness?
If so, try taking our 7 minute anxiety test to learn the causes and effects of your anxiety.

• Learn whether your mental and physical symptoms are caused by anxiety.
• See how your problems compare with those of the average anxiety patient.
• Understand which factors may be working together to create more anxiety. 

When you succeed in curing your anxiety, you will feel like you have been reborn as a new, happier person. In a few years you'll be able to look back and feel proud of yourself for having traveled such great lengths and achieved a happier you.

A few years ago, I was having severe anxiety issues which had lasted for most of my adult life. I was having problems functioning within normal standards; my normal state of being was a mix of “irrational fearfulness” and “impending doom” and my anxiousness kept triggering all kinds of bizarre symptoms. I did not know much about anxiety disorders back them, except they could get worse until a person goes completely crazy… or so I thought.
Fortunately, I happened to come across some effective tricks that enticed me to keep looking for a natural program towards anxiety relief. I was able to manage my anxiety issues on my own using this program, without having to take dangerous prescription drugs or spending a lot of money seeing a therapist.
I will tell you how I managed to calm down my anxiety in one evening; I clearly remember the night when I first used this tactic: my anxiousness was on the rise, and I felt like I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I decided I might as well try using a combination of advices I'd gathered during my Internet research.
This is a unique combo you won't find elsewhere, and I'm still using it occasionally, when I feel particularly anxious at night time. Try it out and you'll see that it works like a charm!

Stage 1: Cold / hot therapy

The first thing I did was splashing my body with cold water for 5-10 minutes, until I started feeling too shivery and uncomfortable to even think. Then, I took a long, hot and steamy shower, which made me feel remarkably comfortable after the initial chilliness. Coming out of the shower, I noticed I was considerably more relaxed.

Stage 2: Drink herbal teas

From the shower I headed towards the kitchen, to have a relaxing herbal tea. I didn't have any Kava Kava available (which many people regard as the best tea to induce relaxation), so I used some chamomile, which also seemed to work well enough. I mixed no sugar with the tea, mind you: sugar is an anxiety inducing drug, which you should avoid if you want to keep relaxed.

Stage 3: Deep breathing/ relaxation music

After having my tea, I was already starting to feel a little drowsy. I proceeded to lie down in my bed; I played a meditation CD in my stereo, and started doing some deep breathing exercises for about 15 or 20 minutes until I eventually fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I was feeling great! More than great, even… I felt… normal! I couldn't even remember the last time I had woken up so refreshed and peaceful.
You should try using this method, next time you're feeling distressed you can't seem to be able to sleep. Not only it will help keep you from having insomnia, it will also help you feel much more relaxed and content the next morning. Also, when you realize how effective this is, you'll want to keep learning similar tricks, which you can add to your personal anxiety management toolkit.
The perfect house cannot be built from the roof down. I’ve helped thousands of people overcome their anxiety and panic attacks, and I always start them off with my anxiety test before discussing treatment options.
Understanding your anxiety and its probable causes is crucial, because it gives you a starting point – a steady ground from which you can build toward your well-being.
As such, I recommend you take the quiz even if you have already been diagnosed with anxiety.
This 7 minute anxiety test will:

• Help you find out if (and which) of your symptoms are indeed anxiety.
• Break your anxiety problems into smaller, understandable pieces.
• Show in graphical form the causes that make up your anxiety.
• Describe the next step to overcoming your anxiety problems.

10 Ways to Stop Anxiety Quickly

Living with anxiety is never easy. Millions upon millions of people just like you struggle with anxiety daily, looking for ways to find any type of relief. Anxiety control is a long term process – not something that can be completed overnight. But there are ways to fight your anxiety that can be integrated into your life.
If you're suffering from anxiety right now, or you suffer from anxiety often enough that you need immediate relief, try the following anxiety reduction strategies.

 

Permanently Stop Your Anxiety

There ARE ways to reduce your anxiety now. But if you want it to be gone PERMANENTLY, you need to commit to an effective long term strategy.

Tips to Stop Anxiety Now

Living with anxiety can be incredibly difficult. It's important that you don’t allow yourself to live with the symptoms forever. You need to make smart decisions and commit to a long term treatment, in addition to the following ten strategies. If you haven't done so yet, take my free 7 minute anxiety test.

1. Control Your Breathing

Severe anxiety symptoms are often linked to poor breathing habits. Many men and women with anxiety suffer from poor breathing habits that contribute to anxiety and many of the most upsetting symptoms.
Controlling you breathing is the solution – and it's not what you think. Even if you feel you can't take a deep breath, you actually need to slow down and reduce your breathing, not speed it up or try to take deeper breaths. Take more controlled, slower, shallower breaths, using the following technique:

• Breathe in slowly and gently through your nose for about 5 to 7 seconds.
• Hold for about three or four seconds.
• Breathe out slowly and gently through pursed lips like you're whistling for about 7 to 9 seconds.

Repeat this exercise ten to twenty times. This method of breathing will ensure that you're not hyperventilating (a common problem of those with anxiety) and will help to regain the Co2 balance in your body that creates many of the worst anxiety symptoms.

2. Talk to Someone Friendly

Effective anxiety reduction is often about distraction, since your mind can be your worst enemy when you have severe anxiety symptoms. A very effective technique is to talk to someone you like and trust, especially on the phone. Don't be shy about your anxiety – tell them you feel anxious and explain what you're feeling.
Talking to nice people keeps your mind off of your symptoms, and the supportive nature of friends and family gives you that added boost of confidence. If you're suffering from a panic attack, it also helps you feel more confident that if something was wrong, you'd have someone that can watch over you.

3. Try Some Aerobic Activity

During periods of anxiety your body is filled with adrenaline. Putting that adrenaline towards aerobic activity can be a great way to improve your anxiety. That's because exercise has numerous advantages for controlling your anxiety symptoms:

• Exercise burns away stress hormones that create anxiety symptoms.
• Exercise tires your muscles, reducing excess energy and tension.
• Exercise releases endorphins which improve overall mood.
• Exercise forces healthier breathing.
• Exercise is a healthy distraction.

Aerobic activity, like light jogging or even fast walking, can be extremely effective at reducing the severity of your anxiety symptoms, as well as your anxiety itself.

4. Find What Relaxes You

There are already things in your life that relax you. Don't avoid them and try to fight it out. Instead, do the activities as fast as possible. For example, if you find that a warm bath is relaxing, don't wait to take the bath. Jump in the bath, light some candles, add a few nice scents, and jump inside. Whether it's a bath, a shower, skipping stones at a park, getting a massage – if it works, do it right away, rather than let yourself become overwhelmed by your anxiety.

5. Consider Kava

Kava (also known as Kava Kava) is an anti-anxiety herb that many believe is one of the most effective, natural ways to control anxiety. You'll want to talk to a doctor before taking kava as it can interact with other medications and alcohol, but kava has nutrients known as kavalactones that are very effective at regulating the way you experience anxiety, and promoting greater levels of relaxation without any addiction risk.

6. Learn How to Trick Your Anxious Thinking

Anxiety doesn't come out of the blue. When you have anxiety attacks, it's often because your mind has a tendency to spiral into negative thoughts – often without your control. Sometimes you can control this anxiety by keeping these thoughts at bay, and learning to dismiss triggers that cause you anxiety.
For many, this is easier said than done. But there are many different strategies you can try that may be effective. These include:

• A Question Checklist – When you feel severe anxiety, have a checklist on hand of questions to ask yourself about that anxiety experience. The longer the checklist, the more you'll find that your thoughts become more realistic. Questions that you can use include:
  • Is there a reason to believe something is wrong?
  • What evidence is there that something is wrong?
  • Is there a chance I'm blowing this out of proportion?
• Affirmations – Affirmations are not for everyone, but those that do use them find them to be very beneficial. Affirmations are things that you say to yourself to make yourself feel better. These include:
  • I’m okay. This is just anxiety and I will get over it.
  • I have a great life and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
  • My anxiety won't control me.
• Getting Used to Physical Symptoms – Many of the thoughts that affect anxiety are not thoughts per se, but reactions to physical experiences. This is especially true if you experience panic attacks, where a physical sensation can trigger severe anxiety and panic. By getting used to the symptoms when you're not experiencing anxiety, your mind stops associating them with your panic attacks. Examples include:
  • Dizziness – If feeling dizzy causes a panic attack, spin around in a chair and let yourself feel more dizzy.
  • Rapid Heartbeat – If a rapid heartbeat causes panic attacks, run in place as fast as you can until your heartbeat speeds up.
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The latter is known as "exposure therapy" and there are countless ways to create exercises that will habituate you to your panic attack triggers.

7. Listen to Good Mood Music

Every little thing matters. That's why even if it sounds like it won't make a tremendous difference, listening to your favorite music can have a powerful effect on your anxiety. They key is to not just choose songs you like, however. The key is also to make sure you're listening to music that represents the way you want to feel. Happy or relaxing music, not just any music.
The reality is that music does affect emotions. So while many people find it soothing to listen to angry music when you're angry or sad music when you're sad, the truth is that this type of music will only help you get in touch with those negative emotions. They won't help you feel better. When you're trying to stop anxiety now, you should listen to music that will help you feel the way you want to feel.

8. Let it All Out

Anxiety is interesting, because it tends to get worse when you try to fight it. It's not clear why that occurs, but most likely the stress that your body goes through in order to control the stress of anxiety only makes it worse, as does the effort it takes to try to not feel your natural feelings.
So rather than have any desire to stop your anxiety, an interesting coping strategy is to go overboard embracing it. I like to call it the "going crazy" technique. When you're feeling anxious, find a place that you can be alone and go nuts. Yell at mirrors. Scream. Punch pillows. In a way, make fun of the things you wish you can do. Have a bit of fun with it, but also let out all of your emotions. Throw stuffed animals. Flail your arms and jump around. Let yourself feel like you're letting out all of your emotions, and then some, to the point where you feel a bit silly, and then keep going with it.
This lets you embrace the anxiety and not try to fight it, while also giving you an opportunity to hold it back. It's best to make sure no one is around, and don't break anything important to you, but as long as what you're doing is safe it can help you feel quite relaxed.

9. Make Love

"When I get that feeling, I want… sexual healing."
It's not a myth. Sexual intercourse can be incredibly calming. It is a distracting physical activity that releases endorphins and helps you feel more relaxed and less tense. If you have someone special in your life that understands that you're suffering from anxiety and is willing to share in some lovemaking in order to help you experience some relief from that anxiety, the two of you should come to some type of understanding that allows you to release some sexual energy, and possibly improve your relationship in the process.

10. Living in Today

Finally, simply learning to live for today can impact your anxiety. One of the most important things that psychologists and counselors teach those with anxiety is: "Okay, you're anxious. So what?"
Those with anxiety often start to focus too much on how they feel and their worries about the future. Each day becomes trying to live with anxiety instead of trying to live in general. Learning to embrace the idea that you have anxiety and trying to live a great and exciting life anyway is important.
And what's interesting is that if you can learn to finally have that mindset – to let yourself experience the fear and try to live the life anyway – you will find that your anxiety tends to dissipate with it. It's not a cure, but it's close.

Stopping Anxiety Forever

There isn't a rapid cure for anxiety. The fastest ways to cure anxiety are simply there to manage it, and while you can stop anxiety fast, there isn't a magic cure to cure it forever in an instant.
But there are strategies that can greatly improve your long term outlook, and there are ways to cure your anxiety forever. They take a commitment, but they're highly effective at relieving your anxiety permanently.
I've helped thousands of people overcome their anxiety using proven techniques that work in both the short and long term. To start, take my 7 minute anxiety test now. It's the only way to get the help you need.

How to Prevent an Anxiety Attack Before it Hits You

  Anxiety attacks may occur at any time in any place. They're anticipatory – meaning, you can often feel an attack coming before it completely hits, often you'll feel a great deal of distress leading up to the attack before it peaks about 10 minutes in and slowly fades over the course of the next few hours.

During those first early moments when you know an attack is coming, it's not uncommon to do anything you can to try to stop it – only to find that you still have the attack anyway. The good news is that there are several strategies you can use to try to prevent an anxiety attack. We'll explore these strategies in this article.

 

Notes About Anxiety Attacks

There are several important things to know about an anxiety attack before it hits you. The first – and possibly most important – is that your own fear of an anxiety attack increases your risk of an attack.
This is the part that so many people struggle with. That's why you have to take my anxiety test now before moving forward, to give you a better understanding of how these attacks affect you.
Your own fear of getting an anxiety attack is one of the main reasons that you get these attacks. That's because your fear does three things:

• It causes you to become over-sensitive to your body, because you pay attention to the way you feel in order to guess when an attack is coming.
• It causes you to experience more regular anxiety because your fear creates a constant source of worry. That anxiety also makes you more prone to attacks.
• It causes your anxiety to create anxiety symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat and hyperventilation. These sensations make you feel like an attack is coming, which then makes it more likely for an attack to come.

Think of anxiety attacks like a cascading reaction. Often the biggest issue is the way you react to them. You feel a change in your body, like an increase in heart rate. You then get really nervous because you believe an attack is coming. This nervousness increases your anxiety and floods your body with adrenaline. It causes you to breathe faster, which causes more symptoms, which causes more nervousness… and so on.
It's so important to realize that most anxiety attacks are really the response you have to what you expect to happen. Knowing this can't always prevent an attack, but this knowledge will help you with your treatment strategies.
The second thing to note is that your focus shouldn't be on completely preventing the attack – at least not at first. At first, your goal should simply be to reduce the severity and frequency of the attacks. Panic attacks are hard to stop right away, but if you weaken them they become less scary, which in turn will make it easier for you to prevent them.
Finally, one of the biggest issues with anxiety attacks is the fear that something else is wrong; that you have some medical issue, and the anxiety attacks aren't anxiety attacks at all. That's why even though it's likely you're suffering from an anxiety attack (especially if you've taken my anxiety test), you should still always see your doctor to rule out any other conditions and calm your mind.
But note: seeing a doctor will never ease your mind 100%. Anxiety attacks can make it too easy to convince yourself the doctor missed something. Never expect seeing a doctor to calm you completely over your own health. Health anxiety is a common symptom of those with anxiety attacks.

How to Prevent Anxiety Attacks When You Feel Them Coming

You feel your heartbeat increase. You feel a cold chill go down your spine. You feel your anxiety increase dramatically. You know that an anxiety attack is coming. What can you do?
Remember, anxiety attacks are often the result of your own reaction. They get worse the more you focus on them and the more you fear them. That's why, when an anxiety attack is coming, you need to try to do any or all of the following:

Find a Suitable Distraction

The more you can "get out of your own head," the weaker your anxiety attack will be – if you have it at all. Of course, this is easier said than done. In the early stages of an anxiety attack, you're likely focused and noticing every little change in your body, and all of them are likely to cause you significant stress and discomfort.
But somehow you need to stop focusing on it as best you can, and that's where an effective distraction comes in. Finding a good distraction can be difficult. Here are a few examples of things that work for some people:

• Calling Someone via Phone – It is very hard to stay in your own mind when you're on the phone with someone. You have to think of what to say, you have to listen to what the other person is saying, and more. You also don't have the pressure that sometimes comes from seeing someone in person. If you have someone you can call, do it.
• Talking About It – If you're with anyone or on the phone, share everything that's in your mind. Don’t worry about their reaction. The hardest part of controlling an anxiety attack is trying to do it without someone else noticing. It's in your best interests to let it all out, rather than try to hide what you're thinking and feeling. This also takes it out of your head so you're not too focused on your own thoughts.
• Mental Exercises – While this strategy doesn't work for everyone, sometimes clouding your own mind with other thoughts has its benefits. Some people choose to do mental exercises – like giving themselves math problems to solve, or imagining strange things and trying to create intricate stories. Mental exercises may give you enough to think about that you can't focus on your anxiety attack any longer.

There's no such thing as a bad strategy, however, so you shouldn't limit yourself to these choices. Anything that successfully distracts you in any way from your anxiety attack is valuable.

Slow Breathing

Another key factor of an anxiety attack is breathing. How you breathe is one of the key reasons that anxiety attacks become so severe. Ask yourself if any of the following sound like you:

• You breathe very quickly, because you're nervous.
• You feel like you can't get a deep breath, so you try to yawn or take deeper breaths.
• You think about your breathing and breathe awkwardly as a result.

All of these cause what's known as "hyperventilation," and they're the primary cause of a lot of different anxiety attack symptoms, including:

• Chest pains.
• Weakness.
• Lightheadedness.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Breathlessness.

Contrary to popular belief, however, the problem with hyperventilation isn't that you're not getting air. The problem is that you're letting out too much carbon dioxide too quickly. Your body actually needs carbon dioxide, and when you breathe too fast or breathe in too much, you upset the balance.

What Are Your Symptoms?

Fill out my free 7 minute anxiety symptoms test. It will look at your symptoms and show you the best way to prevent future anxiety attacks forever.

What makes hyperventilation even worse is that one of the symptoms of hyperventilation is feeling like you're not getting enough air. That's why during an anxiety attack, it feels like your heart and lungs aren't working and most people try to take deeper breaths. These deeper breaths make anxiety attack symptoms worse.
That's why it's so important for you to learn to regain control of your breathing. You need to fight the urge to try to breathe in more, and instead do your best to slow down your breathing so that you can regain your carbon dioxide. The easiest way to do that is the following:

• Breathe in slowly through your nose. Make sure it takes at least 5 seconds.
• Hold for 2 or 3 seconds.
• Breathe out slowly through your nose or through pursed lips like you're whistling. Make sure it takes at least 7 seconds.

It will feel highly unnatural at first, but it will help your body regain some of the carbon dioxide that it desperately needs during anxiety attacks.
Some people like to combine this with a mental exercise as well. For example, when you breathe in and out, close your eyes and imagine you're blowing a candle. Imagine the flame bouncing around. Try to breathe slowly enough that the candle will not blow out.
If you can slow down your breathing successfully enough, you'll often find that the attack becomes less severe, and may be prevented altogether.

Go For a Walk

In the later stages of panic attacks, some people feel so weak that they struggle to walk around. But in the early stages of your anxiety attack it's usually possible to walk around, and if you can you should try to go for a bit of a walk.
Going for a walk will get your blood flowing and help your body breathe a bit easier. It also provides a bit of a mental distraction and will help you control some of the excess energy that comes during anxiety attacks. Some people even try to go for a jog in the early stages, but others find this increases their stress.

Controlling Your Anxiety Attacks

You'll notice that none of these strategies are complete cures, and in the beginning you're likely to find that you still experience at least a moderate anxiety attack. But over time, these attacks will become less severe, and the less severe the attacks are the less you'll fear them, which in turn decreases the likelihood of a future attack.
Your knowledge can also be power. Learn more about your anxiety and what causes your symptom, and the less you'll find your anxiety symptoms to be as frightening. If you can control the way your mind goes out of control during an anxiety attack, you'll reduce the severity of the attack.
You'll also need to start taking steps to reduce your anxiety in general. The less anxiety you have in your daily life the less likely you'll have severe panic attacks in the first place.
I've helped thousands of people control their attacks. Start with my free 7 minute anxiety test, where you'll learn how your symptoms affect you, what symptoms are caused by anxiety, and how you can stop them forever.

Quick Stress Relief : Fast & Effective Ways to Rapidly Reduce Stress

Ever wish a stress superhero could save you from traffic jams, chaotic meetings, or a toddler’s tantrums? Well, you can be your own stress-busting superhero. Everybody has the power to reduce the impact of stress as it’s happening in the moment. With practice, you can learn to spot stressors and stay in control when the pressure builds. Learning quick stress relief won't happen overnight. Like any skill, it takes time, self-exploration and above all, practice. But think of it as an education with a huge payoff

Learn to recognize stress

Recognizing stress is the first step in lessening its impact. Many of us spend so much time in a stressed state, we have forgotten what it feels like to be fully relaxed and alert. Being stressed out feels normal.
What does it feel like to be calm and stress-free? You can see that “just right” inner balance in the smile of a happy baby—a face so full of joy it reminds adults of the balanced emotional state that most of us have misplaced. In adulthood, being balanced means maintaining a calm state of energy, alertness, and focus. Calmness is more than just feeling relaxed; being alert is an equally important aspect of finding the balance needed to withstand stress.
If you don’t feel calm, alert, productive, and focused most of the time in your daily life, then too much stress may be a problem for you.

Tips for recognizing when you're stressed

Hush the voice that’s telling you, ‘Oh, I’m fine.” Notice how you’re breathing has changed. Are your muscles tense? Awareness of your physical response to stress will help regulate the tension when it occurs.
When you're tired, your eyes feel heavy and you might rest your head on your hand. When you're happy, you laugh easily. And when you are stressed, your body lets you know that too. Try to get in the habit of paying attention to your body's clues.

• Observe your muscles and insides. Are your muscles tight/sore? Is your stomach tight or sore? Are your hands clenched?
• Observe your breath. Is your breath shallow? Place one hand on your belly, the other on your chest. Watch your hands rise and fall with each breath. Notice when you breathe fully or when you "forget" to breathe.

Identify your body's stress response

Internally, we all respond to stress the same: blood pressure rises, the heart pumps faster, and muscles constrict. When stressed, our bodies work hard and drain our immune system. Externally, however, people tend to respond to stress in three different ways: some become angry and agitated, others space out or withdraw, and still others freeze up.
The best way to quickly relieve stress may relate to your specific stress response.

How do you act when stressed?

When it comes to managing and reducing stress quickly in the middle of a heated situation, it's important to be familiar with your specific stress response.

• Overexcited stress response – If you tend to become angry, agitated, or keyed up under stress, you will respond best to stress relief activities that quiet you down.
• Under excited stress response – If you tend to become depressed, withdrawn, or spaced out under stress, you will respond best to stress relief activities that are stimulating and that energize your nervous system.
• Frozen stress response (both overexcited and under excited) – If you tend to freeze: speeding up in some ways while slowing down in others, your challenge is to identify stress relief activities that provide both safety and stimulation to help you “reboot” your system.

The basics of quick stress relief

There are countless techniques for preventing stress. Yoga and mindfulness meditation work wonders for improving coping skills. But who can take a moment to chant or meditate during a job interview or a disagreement with your spouse? For these situations, you need something more immediate and accessible. That’s when quick stress relief comes to the rescue.
The speediest way to stamp out stress is by engaging one or more of your senses—your sense of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement—to rapidly calm and energize yourself.
The key to practicing quick stress relief is learning what kind of sensory input helps your particular nervous system find calm and focus quickly. Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so an awareness of your preferences is essential for reducing stress.

Talking to someone who listens: a rapid stress reducer

Want to know a quick social stress reliever? Talk to someone! It’s true, talking about your stress with a calm and balanced listener will make you feel better instantly. Although it’s not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on, building and maintaining a friendship network is ultimately good for your mental health. Between quick stress relief techniques and good listeners, you’ll have all your bases covered.

Bring your senses to the rescue

Here comes the fun part. Remember exploring your senses in elementary school? Grownups can take a tip from grade school lessons by revisiting the senses and learning how they can help us prevent stress overload. Use the following exercises to identify the sensory experiences that work quickly and effectively to reduce stress for you.
As you experiment, be as precise as possible. What is the most perfect image, the specific kind of sound, or type of movement that affects you the most? For example, if you’re a music lover, listen to many different artists and types of music until you find the song that instantly lifts and relaxes you.
The examples listed below are intended to be a jumping-off point. It’s up to you to hone in on them and come up with additional things to try.

Sights

	If you’re a visual person, try to manage and relieve stress by surrounding yourself with soothing and uplifting images. You can also try closing your eyes and imagining the soothing images. Here are a few visually-based activities that may work as quick stress relievers:
Look at a cherished photo or a favorite memento. Bring the outside indoors; buy a plant or some flowers to enliven your space. Enjoy the beauty of nature–a garden, the beach, a park, or your own backyard. Surround yourself with colors that lift your spirits. Close your eyes and picture a situation or place that feels peaceful and rejuvenating.

Sound

	Are you sensitive to sounds and noises? Are you a music lover? If so, stress-relieving exercises that focus on your auditory sense may work particularly well. Experiment with the following sounds, noting how quickly your stress levels drop as you listen:
Sing or hum a favorite tune. Listen to uplifting music. Tune in to the soundtrack of nature—crashing waves, the wind rustling the trees, birds singing. Buy a small fountain, so you can enjoy the soothing sound of running water in your home or office. Hang wind chimes near an open window.

Smell & Scents

	If you tend to zone out or freeze when stressed, surround yourself with smells that are energizing and invigorating. If you tend to become overly agitated under stress, look for scents that are comforting and calming.
Light a scented candle or burn some incense. Lie down in sheets scented with lavender. Smell the roses—or another type of flower. Enjoy the clean, fresh air in the great outdoors. Spritz on your favorite perfume or cologne.

Touch

	Experiment with your sense of touch, playing with different tactile sensations. Focus on things you can feel that are relaxing and renewing. Use the following suggestions as a jumping-off point:
Wrap yourself in a warm blanket. Pet a dog or cat. Hold a comforting object (a stuffed animal, a favorite memento). Soak in a hot bath. Give yourself a hand or neck massage. Wear clothing that feels soft against your skin.

Taste

	Slowly savoring a favorite treat can be very relaxing, but mindless eating will only add to your stress and your waistline. The key is to indulge your sense of taste mindfully and in moderation. Eat slowly, focusing on the feel of the food in your mouth and the taste on your tongue:
Chew a piece of sugarless gum. Indulge in a small piece of dark chocolate. Sip a steaming cup of coffee or tea or a refreshing cold drink. Eat a perfectly ripe piece of fruit. Enjoy a healthy, crunchy snack (celery, carrots, or trail mix).

Movement

	If you tend to shut down when you’re under stress, stress-relieving activities that get you moving may be particularly helpful. Anything that engages the muscles or gets you up and active can work. Here are a few suggestions:
Run in place or jump up and down. Dance around. Stretch or roll your head in circles. Go for a short walk. Squeeze a rubbery stress ball.

The power of imagination

Sensory-rich memories can also quickly reduce stress. After drawing upon your sensory toolbox becomes habit, try simply imagining vivid sensations when stress strikes. Believe it or not, the sheer memory of your baby’s face will have the same calming or energizing effects on your brain as seeing her photo. So if you can recall a strong sensation, you’ll never be without access to quick stress relief tools.

Tips for finding sensory inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere, from sights you see on your way to work to smells and objects around your home. Explore a variety of sensations so that no matter where you are you’ll always have something you can do to relax yourself. Here a few ideas to get you started:

• Memories. Think back to what you did as a child to calm down. If you had a blanket or stuffed toy, you might benefit from tactile stimulation. Try tying a textured scarf around your neck before an appointment or keeping a piece of soft suede in your pocket.
• Watch others. Observing how others deal with stress can give you valuable insight. Baseball players often pop gum in their mouth before going up to bat. Singers often chat up the crowd before performing. Ask around about what people you know do to stay focused under pressure—it could work for you too.
• Parents. Think back to what your parents did to blow off steam. Did your mother feel more relaxed after a long walk? Did your father do yard work after a hard day? Try some of the things they did to unwind; they might work for you too.

Take a break from technology

Taking a short hiatus from the television, computer, cell phone, and iPod will give you insight on what your senses respond to best. Here are some "unplugging" tips:

• Try tuning into relaxing music instead of talk radio during your commute. Or try riding in silence for 10 minutes.
• Stuck in a long line at the grocery store? Instead of talking on your cell phone, take a moment to people watch. Pay attention to what you hear and see.
• Instead of checking e-mail while waiting for a meeting to begin, take a few deep breaths, look out the window, or sip some aromatic tea.
• While waiting for an appointment, resist the urge to text and give yourself a hand massage instead.

Make quick stress relief a habit

Let’s get real. It’s not easy to remember to use our senses in the middle of a mini—or not so mini—crisis. At first, it will feel easier to just give into pressure and tense up. The truth is, quick stress relief takes practice, practice, and more practice. But with time, calling upon your senses will become second nature. Here’s how to make it habit:
Learning to use your senses to quickly manage stress is a little like learning to drive or to play golf. You don’t master the skill in one lesson; you have to practice until it becomes second nature. Once you have a variety of sensory tools you can depend on, you’ll be able to handle even the toughest of situations.

• Start small. Instead of testing your quick stress relief tools on a source of major stress, start with a predictable low-level source of stress, like cooking dinner at the end of the day or sitting down to balance your checkbook.
• Identify and target. Think of just one low-level stressor that you know will occur several times a week, such as commuting. Vow to target that particular stressor with quick stress relief every time. After a few weeks, target a second stressor. After a few weeks more, target a third stressor and so on.
• Test-drive sensory input. Experiment with as much sensory input as possible. If you are practicing quick stress relief on your commute to work, bring a scented handkerchief with you one day, try music another day, and try a movement the next day.
• Make “have fun” your motto. If something doesn’t work, don’t force it. Move on until you find your best fit.
• Talk about it. Verbalizing your quick stress relief work will help integrate it into your life. It’s bound to start a fascinating conversation—everyone relates to the topic of stress.

Quick acting stress-busting tips 

The best part of quick stress relief is the awareness that you have control over your surroundings. Even if you share a work area, you can personalize your space to serve as a “stress prevention zone” or to put quick stress relief within arm's reach. We all have our stress hotspots. Where are yours?

Quick stress relief at home

• Entertaining. Prevent pre-party jitters by playing lively music. Light candles. The flicker and scent will stimulate your senses. Wear clothes that make you feel relaxed and confident instead of stiff and uncomfortable.
• Kitchen. Cool the kitchen commotion by breathing in the scent of every ingredient you use—even if you’re just opening cans. Delight in the delicate texture of an eggshell. Appreciate the weight of an onion.
• Children and relationships. Prevent losing your cool during a spousal spat by breathing and squeezing the tips of your thumb and forefinger together. When your toddler has a tantrum, rub lotion into your hands then breathe in the scent.
• Sleep. Too stressed to snooze? Try using a white noise machine for background sound or a humidifier with a diffuser for a light scent in the air.
• Creating a sanctuary. If clutter is upsetting, spend 10 minutes each day to tidy and organize. Paint the walls with a fresh coat of your favorite calming color. Display photos and images that make you feel happy. Throw open the curtains and let in natural light whenever possible.

Quick stress relief at work

• Meetings. During stressful sessions, stay connected to your breath. Massage the tips of your fingers. Wiggle your toes. Sip coffee.
• On the phone. Inhale something energizing, like lemon, ginger, peppermint or coffee beans. While talking, stand up or pace back and forth to burn off excess energy. Conduct phone business outside when possible.
• On the computer. Work standing up. Do knee-bends in 10-minute intervals. Wrap a soft scarf around your neck. Suck on a peppermint.
• Lunch breaks. Take a walk around the block or in the parking lot. Listen to soothing music while eating. Have a quick chat with someone you love.
• Your workspace. Place family photos on your desk and display images and mementos that remind you of your life outside the office.