How to deal with anxiety and stress

We all suffer from stress in our lives, some of this stress and anxiety can be good for us. It can be motivating and important for us to worry about the things that are important to us and this motivates us to do what we have to do.

So, when does stress and worrying become a problem? When stress disables you, when your worries are imaginary and hypothetical. When you worry about things that didn't happen (and may be not going to happen at all!), at this point, anxiety and stress become unhealthy.

Some of the stress and anxiety causes are inside of us and others are environmental. The idea is that every when is exposed to the same factors and stresses (almost), what is different is how each of us perceive stress and cope with it.

• First, try to identify what is causing your stress. Sometimes the cause is not that clear and you will need a self-talking and thinking.
  
  Next, set a plan on how you are going to solve this problem. But before you do that, you should ask yourself : should I worry about this? Is it a real problem or just some sort of irrational fear? Have you got control over this situation or it is just something out of your control?
  
  
• You shouldn't spend too much time thinking about your worries and stress because it can stress you more! Try to get involved in something else. Focus on something else that is interesting to you and makes you happy.
  
  
• Talk to someone you love. It can make you feel better to talk with someone you feel comfortable with. This person can be a friend or a professional depending on the severity of your anxiety and stress levels.
  
  
• Exercise. We are not all athletes but any type of sport is good for you! Exercising releases endorphins in your body which changes your mood and can make you feel happy and reduce your anxiety levels. Just go running, biking or swimming. I'm sure you can find 15 minutes every day to walk, run or do any type of exercise you want.
  
  
• Hobbies such as reading, playing music (or listening to it!), writing, drawing, etc can really help you cope with stress and anxiety. If you are stressed about work or study for example, choose something that is unrelated to them, read a book about something OTHER than your career or work.
  
  
• Meditation and breathing techniques can also help.
  
  
• It is better to stay away from unhealthy food, coffee, tea and cola. Natural and healthy foods are good for both your body and your mind.
  
  
• If you decide that medication or herbals are the solution to your anxiety problems, never take them without asking your doctor first. Not all drugs are safe for everyone, and you need to know the right doses, too.
  
  

Psychological counseling can really help you deal with your anxiety when it turns into a real problem. There are different ways to deal with the problem, one of them is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on the ideas, your emotions resulted from an idea, the cognitive part of therapy focuses on limiting the negative thought and changing them in order to change the way you feel.