How to Beat Anxiety Without Medication

To beat anxiety without medication may seem impossible but there are simple things you can do today to reduce anxiety levels.

Anxiety is defined as excessive or persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. 

Some basic activities to you can become stressful for others. 

Other people deal with anxiety about situations like public speaking, taking a test, meeting new people or seasons of change in their lives. 

Either way, it’s hard to live with constant fear and worry and it can actually create health problems if it’s not taken care of. 

I am not opposed to taking medication but I do think it can be wise to try some other lifestyle changes before you turn to meds. 

There are some simple things you can do to reduce anxiety levels in your everyday life. 

How to beat anxiety without medication

The key to reducing anxiety is to turn off that fight or flight response in your body. You need to tell your body that you are safe…but it’s hard to do that when you are imagining the worst things all day long.

Here are some simple ways you can daily reduce anxiety levels.

Reduce caffeine and stimulants

Don’t overlook how important reducing caffeine is to your body. Many people can’t process caffeine well and it leaves their nervous system in a state of panic. 

By cutting out caffeine you can greatly reduce your fight or flight response and calm down the whole body. 

If you are already stressed out, you certainly don’t need caffeine to rev up your nerves.

Are you someone who drinks tons of caffeine? Reduce the amount over the period of a week and wean yourself off so you don’t end up with a massive migraine.

Stop watching fearful TV

Oh, it’s just a show, it’s not real. I hear that all the time.

Have you ever cried watching a TV show?

How about your heart beating fast during an intense movie scene? 

It’s hard for your brain to tell the difference between real life and TV sometimes.

You will experience emotions during a TV show and your body will create chemicals in reaction to that show.

Fearful or stressful TV does turn on your fight or flight response.

If you are struggling with fear and worry, do not watch TV or movies that will cause fear and stress.

This doesn’t have to be for the rest of your life…but sometimes there are seasons in life when you don’t need any extra stress. 

Get enough sleep

Your body repairs and cleans while you sleep. If you are only getting in a few hours a night it can put massive stress on your system. 

I personally have found it impossible to control my anxiety if I don’t get enough sleep. I had to pull an all-nighter not too long ago and found myself shaking the next day.

It’s so hard on your nervous system if you are low on sleep.

You should get to bed before 10 pm most nights and stay off of your phone in bed. The blue light from your phone can really mess up your melatonin levels.

Our eyes are supposed to take in blue light from the sun at noon, not at midnight. 

If you need to focus on sleep, check out how to sleep better naturally for reducing insomnia.

Try cutting out high histamine foods

I have written extensively on high histamine foods and if you have anxiety issues, pay attention.

High histamine foods create an excess of histamine in the body which turn ON fight or flight mode in your nervous system.

Many people with anxiety have histamine issues already so you don’t want to be adding in any extra.

What’s a high histamine food? Anything aged like cheeses, wine, aged meats, vinegar, dried fruit. 

Here is a high histamine foods list for you to check out. 

Reducing these higher histamine foods is a major key in controlling my anxiety. It is so hard to turn off that fight or flight when your histamine bucket is overflowing. 

Get regular exercise

Exercise has been proven over and over again to help reduce stress and anxiety. 

It’s even been shown to make you more emotionally resilient to life stressors.

You don’t have to take up cross-fit to enjoy the benefits of exercise. 

Here are a few gentle ways you can add exercise to your life. 

• Take a walk a few times a week
• Walk with a friend (even better)!
• Ride an exercise bike in your home
• Try a yoga channel out in your home
• Take a fitness class in your community
• Participate in a pushup/squat/crunches challenge

Exercise allows the body to get good blood flow and takes the tension out of your muscles.

Control your thoughts

I’ve also written on this one extensively. How to beat anxiety without medication greatly depends on your ability to control your thoughts.

You can’t daydream about car accidents all day long and expect to feel relaxed. 

Thoughts you have turn into emotions and emotions create chemicals in your body.

Take your thought life seriously.

I understand that those bad thoughts fly into your head throughout the day but you can’t let them stay there.

You must learn to push those bad thoughts out of your head.

Talk with a friend or counselor

Sometimes in life, we are stressed or worried because we try to hold everything inside. 

We don’t’ want people to see how bad things really are or how stressed we have become.

It’s ok and healthy to talk to someone about what you have going on. They may not even have answers but they can listen.

Just saying things out loud can relieve anxiety levels and help you feel better.

Don’t underestimate the power of a good friendship.

Try a relaxing herb

Genius Joy is a mood booster and anxiety relief supplement with excellent reviews.

If you are considering medication, I would try this natural supplement first. 

Often vitamin deficiencies can cause nervous system stress and this supplement provides vitamins and herbs to help fill in those deficiencies.

By taking the time to get proper sleep, reduce stimulants, and filling in some nutritional gaps, you should be able to beat your anxiety without medication.

Let us know how you relieved your anxiety levels and reduced fear issues in the comments below.