How To Erase Feelings Of Nervousness

Even though many people tend to use the words "stress" and "anxiety" interchangeably, they are in fact two separate conditions. Stress is a response to a stimulus, which can be external or internal. You may feel stress when you are frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you worry that you will not meet expectations (such as missing a deadline at work).

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a sense of dread, or fear and nervousness. It can be caused by negative thoughts and expectations, or as a reaction to stress. You may feel anxious all of the time and not know why, or your worry may be a reaction to something you are nervous about, such as an upcoming exam.

Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain can cause generalized anxiety. Some studies show that anxiety can be brought on by genetics. Anxiety can also stem from environmental conditions, as when a child whose mother or father is often anxious learns to be an anxious person by observing the parent. But frequently, the core cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts in a person's mind!

Anxiety and stress are subjective conditions. Different people may feel stressed about different situations, and different people may respond to their anxiousness in very different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as sweaty hands and tense muscles, to the severe, such as anxiety attacks, vomiting, and irregular heartbeat.

Everyone feels some amount of anxiety from time to time. We have all experienced the dry mouth and vague sense of dread before a public speaking engagement or a test. But when does it become harmful to your health? Research indicates that chronic anxiety can make us vulnerable to sleep disorders, high blood pressure, depression, and relationship problems

For sufferers of long-term untreated anxiety there may be detrimental health consequences that have yet to be fully examined. Some studies have found a link between generalized anxiety disorder and a number of serious health conditions including cancer, heart disease, thyroid disease, respiratory illness, and arthritis. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal cardiac attack.

If you experience what seems like an overwhelmingly high amount of anxiety relative to the situation, or if you feel anxious nearly every day, you may actually have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions characterized by a person's inability to function normally because of frequent anxiety. Anxiety disorders are serious conditions that should be treated to lower the risk of long-term effects.

Anxiety treatment has long been the subject of much discussion in the medical community. Some medical professionals believe that medication is the best way to handle chronic anxiety. However, anxiety medications often have harmful side effects that are just as bad as or even worse than the initial affliction.

There are many natural, non-invasive ways to handle negative emotional responses. Exercise is one that is often overlooked by anxious people, but it is highly effective. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are natural pain-killing and mood-boosting chemicals. With regular aerobic exercise, you may start to feel a decrease in negative emotional responses to situations that would have previously made you extremely anxious.

The most effective way to cope with tension and worry is to control it from the inside out. Stress management and stress relief techniques are very valuable tools in managing day-to-day stress. These techniques can teach you to calm yourself and relieve your tension. You make a conscious effort to slow your rate of breathing, release the tension, and maintain a peaceful state of mind. Meditation is a form of tension management in which you practice thoughtful relaxation and deep, calm breathing.

However, if you are searching for a proactive solution to relieve yourself of anxiety, hypnosis is the most effective treatment option. When an individual undergoes hypnotherapy, their emotional responses and reactions to events are changed at the core. This allows them to deal with common anxiety-inducing triggers without the typical nervousness and fear.

Hypnosis is typically performed by a licensed hypnotist in a series of regular treatments. More commonly today, hypnosis can be learned from self hypnosis programs which are available in the form of DVDs, MP3s, or CDs for individual home use. No special skills are required to practice self hypnosis. All that you need is a way to play the hypnosis program and a quiet space where you can listen and relax.

Another successful type of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. NLP is a type of therapy that can help you condition your mind and body to naturally respond to situations in a more positive manner. You can consciously decide to be calm rather than anxious, which means that you always maintain control over your own emotions.

In summary, you can see that it is important to control our negative emotional responses in order to remain healthy. Learning to cope with nervousness and fear may even extend your life. To treat chronic anxiety, the best treatment option to follow is to use hypnosis to change your reactions and attitudes from within. Then, use stress management techniques as necessary to remain calm in everyday situations.

Alan B. Densky, CH has been in practice over 30 years. His Neuro-VISION self hypnosis website carries a broad spectrum of anxiety management hypnosis CDs, and advanced anxiety management CDs Visit his site for the Free self hypnosis blog, and download a free MP3.