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When it comes to anxiety, all of us will experience the symptoms at least a few times in our lives. Whether it is the nervous flutter of butterflies in your stomach before speaking in public, sleepless nights before a big test or a tight deadline, or nagging worry about any of life’s stressful situations.

However, when anxiety, stress, fear and constant worrying have taken over your daily life, stopping you from doing the things you normally enjoy, you may be suffering from anxiety disorder.

Try simple, 12-minute meditation for anxiety relief

What is Anxiety Disorder?

Sometimes there’s just a fine line between everyday stress and an anxiety disorder. Use this guide to determine if you exhibit symptoms of anxiety disorders:

Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

  • Excessive worry
  • Sleeping disorders
  • Overwhelming and irrational fear
  • Clenching your jaw, balling your fists and constant muscle tension
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • Stage fright
  • Social anxiety – feeling self-conscious
  • Panic attack – a sudden feeling of helplessness
  • Flashbacks – recurrence of a tragic event
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Emotional symptoms of anxiety disorders

  • Feeling apprehensive and dreadful
  • Trouble focusing and concentrating
  • Expecting the worst
  • Feeling irritated often
  • Experiencing restlessness
  • Confusion
  • Panic
  • Feeling unreal

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Physical symptoms of anxiety disorders

  • Sweating
  • Higher heart rate
  • Feeling nauseous
  • Tensed muscles
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Headaches
  • Increase frequency of bathroom usage
  • Dizziness
  • Pressure on the chest
  • Hot and cold flushes
  • Numbness or tingling sensations
  • Choking sensation

Anxiety disorders can manifest in varied ways. Different types of anxiety disorders include:

Watch yogi and thought leader Sadhguru Vasudev on meditation for anxiety and stress relief:

Try simple, 12-minute meditation for anxiety relief

This guided meditation for anxiety helps you find a distance from your mind and brings calm.

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If you experience sudden, intense anxiety symptoms, you could be suffering from an anxiety attack. Anxiety attacks, or panic attacks, are relatively easy to diagnose and are not confused with any other medical conditions.

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How long does an anxiety attack last?

An anxiety attack can last from a few minutes to several hours, depending entirely on the individual’s reaction. The more you react, the longer the panic attack.

Find Relief from Anxiety

Steps to overcome anxiety

  • Do you make time each day to relax?
  • Are you getting the emotional support you need?
  • Are you taking care of your health?
  • Do you ask for help when you need it?

Ways to support yourself

  • Eat healthy foods
  • Reduce alcohol and drug intake
  • Exercise regularly
  • Maintain a regular and sufficient sleep pattern
  • Create a space to relax in your house without distractions, company or clutter, where you can go to feel at peace
  • Water therapy
  • Daily vitamins
  • Long, hot bath
  • Journaling

Adopting these healthy habits will help you avoid succumbing to stress and feeling anxious. However, beyond these lifestyle changes, there is a simple and permanent solution to help you prevent debilitating anxiety attacks and overcome anxiety disorders.

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Yoga and Meditation for Anxiety

  • Practicing yoga helps you access an inner strength, allowing you to cope and face overwhelming and fearful situations.
  • Yoga and meditation build coping skills through daily strengthening of your mind, body, and emotions, enabling you to deal with any situation.
  • Meditation also increases feelings of well-being and feeling at peace within yourself and those around you.
  • Daily practice of yoga and meditation brings you relaxation on every level, helping you breathe easy and feel calm in stressful situations.
  • You can also enjoy less dependence on medications, greater control of your mind/body, and a happier life.

Try simple, 12-minute meditation for anxiety relief

This guided meditation for anxiety is free, and can be learned anywhere!

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“I have been going through a period of turmoil because four people who are very close to me have died in the past few weeks. In the same period I have attended a presentation by some volunteers of Isha Foundation. I wanted to do the breathing to help me deal with this and especially because I have asthma since childhood and no amount of medications have helped me.

One of the funerals which I was attending in Boston, was the one that caused a lot of turmoil in me because the asthma medication was running out and I had only 5 inhalations left. I was so anxious that I need more. On the plane and throughout my trip, I did the Isha practice and I am so happy to say that the number 5 has remained as is on my inhaler. I did not use the diskette nor did I use the rescue medication. And my breathing has been normal for the last 2 weeks. I just keep doing the practice. Imagine with what I have learned during the presentation, I could do that.”

Sita Kapadia

“I just would like to say that my experience with this program today is very enlightening. During the breathing exercise today I felt an inner peace and felt so calm and so relaxed. That is a feeling I have not had in a while. I look forward to going forward with the rest of the program to see how I can reduce the stress levels and just understand myself, my body and mental parts and things better.”

Samuel Sims