91av

Mind

Five scientific ways to help reduce feelings of anxiety

There are several evidence-backed ways of calming an anxious mind – from eating specific foods to adding certain exercises to your routine

By David Robson

2 April 2024

Grilled salmon food photography recipe idea; Shutterstock ID 1193998048; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Eating salmon may help your body build neurotransmitters that ease anxiety

³§³ó³Ü³Ù³Ù±ð°ù²õ³Ù´Ç³¦°ì/¸é²¹·É±è¾±³æ±ð±ô.³¦´Ç​m

WHEN anxiety hits, how can you calm your whirring brain? For some people, worrying thoughts interfere with their daily lives, affecting their health and reducing their ability to maintain relationships. In these cases, the are medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or a talking therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Alongside these, there are other techniques that may help. Here are five strategies that have the best evidence behind them.

Confront your demons

, a variation of CBT, encourages people to confront the sources of their anxiety. To cope with their worries, many people practise “” which reduces short-term discomfort, but prevents them from learning how to deal with their fears. If a socially anxious person always backs out of engagements, for example, they will continue to believe that conversation with strangers is frightening, whereas if they attend, they might find that making small talk is easier than expected.

Virtual reality can help kick-start the process in a controlled environment. A meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 703 people showed that VR exposure therapy led to a for people with social anxiety disorder, and that this effect was still seen a year later. However, in-person exposure therapy had a stronger impact over the longer term. Multiple studies show that it is with anxiety-related conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Get moving

A wealth of research shows that aerobic exercise…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with 91av events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop