What to do when anxiety rises? A neuropsychologist’s advice for short-term and long-term help

Fear in the stomach, tears in the eyes, a feeling of suffocation… When you feel anxiety, sometimes it’s hard to see a way out. At this time, solutions can be put in place to alleviate the anxiety. This is pointed out by the American neuropsychologist Naval Mustafa, who is better known on Instagram under the pseudonym thebraincoach. In the Feb. 6 post, the expert lays out a list of tips to try to calm your anxiety in the short and long term.

Nutrition, sleep and relaxation

“Some of these strategies can provide instant (but temporary) relief from anxiety,” says the neuropsychologist in the caption of his post. These include going outside for a walk, practicing deep breathing techniques, meditating, or even turning off the phone and taking a shower.

“Other strategies take longer to produce results, but their effects last for a while,” he says. In this regard, the specialist gives several examples: adopting a healthy and nutritious diet, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, prioritizing sleep (7 to 9 hours of sleep) and spending time with people who do us good and understand us.

Stop avoiding

His main advice is as follows. any avoidance strategies need to be stopped in order to calm the anxiety. Understand this unfortunate tendency for us to avoid or run away from the “elements” that bother us, rather than confronting them directly, he explains. Brushing problems under the rug in the hope that they will go away is unhelpful and counterproductive in the first place, as avoidance “can play a major role in exacerbating anxiety,” warns the expert.

Among all these keys, it’s up to everyone to choose the best one(s) for them. “If you’re feeling anxious, I encourage you to try one or both of these strategies at the same time,” Nawal Mustafa advises, before concluding: