Do family holidays trigger your anxiety? Family relationships can trigger anxieties, so chances are that the holidays are particularly challenging. While holidays can be a time to connect with loved ones, there are many situations that may lead to anxiety symptoms. The question becomes, "How can we deal with anxiety triggers when family holidays are around the corner?"

The after-effects of a panic attack rarely include immediate relief. Living with severe anxiety and panic disorder means remaining constantly vigilant – of ordinary events, special events, people and our anxiety disorder itself. We worry and we watch, wanting to control what we can and, at least, predict the rest. That’s partly what makes a panic attack so difficult to experience. When the panic attack ends, the after-effects of a panic attack begin.

It makes sense for anxious people to manage anxiety with food--after all, we’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” When it comes to mental health, knowing foods that help or hurt you is especially important. Partaking in some foods or drinks, such as alcohol, can make us anxious and depressed in the long term. Consuming others, like the ones below, can calm our minds and help manage anxiety with food.

Is there a good way to manage anxiety about world events if you're an empath? If you feel like the world is falling apart, you’re not alone. Although empathy is more acutely developed in highly sensitive people, you don't have to be an empath to feel anxious. So it’s pretty easy to feel overwhelmed these days, especially with this week’s tragic incident in Las Vegas. Everywhere we turn, it seems we see endless violence and natural disasters. Managing the anxiety caused by world events takes special skill.

Nearly all of us with anxiety disorders have a specific fear or phobia that sends our anxiety into overdrive. For some people, it may be a fear of public speaking. For others, the specific fear or phobia may be the subway or dentist appointments. Whatever it is, the fear sends our hearts racing and this specific fear or phobia makes managing our everyday levels of anxiety that much harder.

We need to rethink yoga. It’s no secret that yoga can effectively reduce anxiety. Yet, the irony is that many people feel intimidated or anxious about trying yoga. Today I have a way you can use yoga to reduce anxiety that anyone can practice and it really speaks to the heart of yoga. And the cool thing is it will get you breathing deeply without having to focus on your breath as you rethink yoga.

Everyone gets overwhelmed. We all have times when life is stressful or we’ve signed up for--or been given--more than we can easily handle. For those of us with anxiety, however, feeling overwhelmed can quickly transform into outright terror. But you can battle the anxiety that comes from feeling overwhelmed with these stress relief tips.

Without acceptance as part of our anxiety treatment, the number of ways to treat anxiety, including meditation, medication, repetitive activities, and cognitive behavioral therapy won't work well. We are all different and experience anxiety in different ways. This means each anxiety management method has its own pros and cons for each of us, yet no anxiety treatment can be completely effective without one key ingredient: Acceptance. 

  Our mind's response to anxiety affects our self-esteem, sense of control, and how we see the world around us. When we experience anxiety symptoms, our feelings and thoughts get so wound up in the body’s stress response that we may want to run. We want to shed this thing that won’t leave us alone. In my own struggle with anxiety, I’ve found a seemingly counterintuitive response to anxiety that helps me shift my experience and reduce anxiety.

I’m Melissa Renzi, and I’m excited to write for the Treating Anxiety blog at HealthyPlace. While I’m a licensed social worker and yoga teacher, my greatest credential is my personal story as a sensitive soul learning to transform the anxiety I’ve experienced since early childhood. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and alone as we cope with anxiety. I believe there is great strength and healing in sharing vulnerability and I truly look forward to connecting with you and hearing your story.