Anxiety Prevention

People with anxiety disorders often are known as "worriers" concerned about control and perfectionism. These can be good traits to have. But when the need for perfectionism or control interferes with your life, you may have an anxiety disorder. The first step in prevention is to look at how you can respond differently to situations that make you anxious, modify the physiological response to those situations and master negative thinking.

A healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, adequate rest and good nutrition can help to reduce the impact of anxiety attacks. Rhythmic aerobic and yoga exercise programs lasting for more than 15 weeks have been found to help reduce anxiety. Strength training alone, however, does not seem to help anxiety.

To prevent your normal anxious feelings from going too far, try to:

• identify situations that make you anxious, consider actions that will lessen the threat, and try them out (for example, attend childbirth preparation classes to deal with the stress of labor and delivery; eliminate or reduce caffeine intake if nervousness alone is the problem)
• avoid potentially dangerous ways of coping with anxiety-smoking, alcohol, drug dependence, or abnormal eating patterns
• express your feelings to someone you trust and can talk with comfortably; this unburdening of feelings often leads to a relief of anxious feelings
• try relaxation techniques or meditation-yoga or stress reduction classes, for example
• try jogging, swimming or any aerobic exercise
• if you regularly feel anxious prior to your monthly period, reduce dietary salt to lessen this and other symptoms of premenstrual syndrome
• avoid unnecessary stress by eliminating as many nonessential activities as possible from your daily routine
• if your anxiety persists or becomes chronic, seek out a competent mental health professional; you can ask for help or a referral from your primary health care professional, a community mental health center, a mental health association or your local health department