“Help! I’m always anxious!”
Feeling overwhelmed? Worried? Or just can’t make your mind quiet down? Join the club: An estimated 40 million of us are affected by anxiety right now. Thankfully, our experts reveal the most effective ways to feel calm, naturally!
1 Supplements that sink stress! Take the mighty multi! Get relief from racing, anxious thoughts just by taking a daily multivitamin? Yes! “In one study, participants who took one multivitamin every day for a month saw their anxiety slashed by 68%,” confirms psychologist Helen Odessky. The benefits didn’t stop there: “Folks in the study also reported a dramatic drop in stress and fatigue.” Taking a multivitamin ensures that you’re getting the nutrients needed to boost your mood, such as all the B vitamins. One option: Twinlab Daily One Caps, $15.99, Vitaminshoppe.com. ■ Important: As always, consult your M.D. before taking a new supplement. Supercharge your chamomile! Sure, sipping chamomile tea is a time-honored way to help you feel mellow. What’s new is that chamomile supplements are even more effective! The proof: In one recent study, anxiety was cut in half for people who took a 220-mg. chamomile supplement once or twice a day for eight weeks. Chamomile’s anxiety-busting ingredient? “A powerful compound called apigenin, which soothes frayed nerves,” says Odessky. One option: Nature’s Way Chamomile Flowers, $5.34 for 100 capsules, Vitacost.com.
2 Easy DIY antianxiety tricks! Expand your circle of kindness! Kindness can ease anxiety! Folks who performed six random acts of kindness a week— even simply saying “thank you” to the grocery store cashier—had a significant drop in anxiety within four weeks! “Simple acts of kindness help us feel more connected to others, which helps take the focus off our own anxious thoughts!” explains anxiety expert Alison Wood Brooks. Talk to yourself!
Feeling nervous before, say, a first date or a meeting with your boss? “Instead of telling yourself to relax, tell yourself, ‘I’m excited!’ ” advises Brooks. Positive statements light up areas in the brain linked to concentration and focus. In a Harvard study, women who gave themselves a pep talk before a stressful situation reported a dramatic drop in anxiety and boost in confidence! “Our brains are responsive to the power of suggestion, so talking to yourself in the right way can slash anxiety!” 3 Relax to melt tension fast! Breathe the “brainy” way! Have trouble calming down after an everyday mishap at work or at home? Try taking a few, deep, slow breaths. “Deep breathing activates a cluster of nerve cells at the base of your brain that keep it from overreacting to stress,” says stress expert Heidi Hanna. And one extra-easy breathing technique in particular is study-proven to quell anxiety: Take a deep breath in, slowly counting to five, then exhale to a count of five. Repeat five times. “I like to repeat an encouraging phrase, like ‘I have enough’ on the inhale, while I take in new, energizing oxygen, and ‘I am enough’ on the exhale, to help me let go of pressure, worry and tension,” Hanna says.