What is anxiety?
Everyone suffers from stress throughout their life. This is normal and can even be invigorating. Situations of emotional conflict and the many new problems that life unexpectedly delivers all contribute to our daily stress levels. Stress is also present when we experience an inner conflict situation between what we want to achieve, and what our subconscious mind believes will prevent us from doing so. In other words, our minds keep on warning us of every possible thing that can go wrong.

Anxiety disorders, however, are a group of conditions where the feelings of anxiety are not necessarily associated with a real or appropriate threat, or are much more intense and long lasting than they should be when compared to the actual trigger. People often feel frightened and distressed for no obvious reason. In its severe form, it can leave a sufferer so overwhelmed that it paralyses one into inactivity or withdrawal, thereby dramatically reducing productivity and diminishing a person's quality of life.

What can I do to improve my stress?

Step 1: Cut yourself some slack.
Take a short break and move away from the immediate problem which causes your stress. This will allow you to reframe your mindset. It will also give you the opportunity to develop a different perspective of the problem. Go out, take a stroll or occupy yourself with another task. Listen to some music. Phone someone. Only when you are successfully distracted, will you be able to break the irritating cycle of continual mental dialogue, in which the same thoughts and fears mill around your head in a never-ending merry-go-round that only consumes your energy.

Step 2: Think about the problem when your mind is at peace.
Once you have calmed down, focus on how to think positively about the problem. Consider the best case scenario first and then move backwards from there. Fear and worry turn all of us into pessimists. Pessimists lose hope and try to justify failure. Do not allow yourself to follow this self-destructive route. Force your intellectual mind to choose a different path, not the one your emotional mind would like to take.

Step 3: Change your point of view.
Instead of becoming self-absorbed, introspective and isolated, broaden your scope by focusing on other people. How would they see your problem from their perspective? What would they do to solve it? Anxiety can be so overwhelming that it makes us short tempered and irritable. Nobody deserves that sort of treatment from anyone. Protect others from it, especially those that are close to you. Distressing others with your negative mindset will only set you back a good few steps.

Step 4: Ask for help.
We live in a web of relationships with family, co-workers, friends and healthcare providers.  People who draw strength from these relationships are able to tackle challenges that they would not be able to master on their own.  Problems never seem so overwhelming when you share them with others. Enlisting support is quite simple - all you have to do is to ask!

Some people act as advisers and provide you with information, either in your personal or professional life. Others act as catalysts to bring out the best in you; some applaud your successes and others support or nurture you when times are tough. Contacts provide you with information, advice or leads, and are able to connect you with other people who are able to help you sort out your problems. It is unrealistic to expect this kind of support from only one person. Think about what you need and then actively seek the company of the right people who can help you answer your questions.

Step 5: Confront the situation when you are ready.
Try not to ignore a problem. It will not go away, and usually simmers in the background, making you more anxious on a sub-conscious level. Develop better ways to deal with your problems and listen to the advice that has been given to you.  Do not exaggerate the problem. Control all strong emotions and try and remain objective and positive. Maintain your integrity, mind your manners and never compromise your moral principles.

Step 6: Give your brain a competitive edge.
Stress alters the chemistry of your body quite significantly. Many hormones are released through stress that activate various biochemical processes, each process naturally consuming energy and producing toxic by-products that slowly accumulate in your system. It is therefore not surprising that mental exhaustion, irritability, mood swings and forgetfulness are all common symptoms of a brain working in overdrive.

The first step towards optimising brain function is to follow a proper, wholesome diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables must be consumed daily and the intake of toxic substances like alcohol and tobacco smoke must be minimised. Exercise is a wonderful and natural way of relieving both stress and depression and cleansing your system. There are also many nutrients and natural, herbal agents that are known to assist mental functions such as memory, concentration, alertness and recall. NeuroVance, especially formulated by the Medical Nutritional Institute to give your brain a competitive edge, enhances separate but interconnected components of brain function, thereby giving your brain an improved physiological advantage during stressful periods. Besides providing the essential agents required for brain cell development, it also supplies natural agents that neutralise the by-products of brain metabolism, improve blood flow to the brain, stimulate nerve transmission and regulate mood.

Besides alleviating stress and depression, NeuroVance also improves concentration and levels of alertness, enabling you to cope with stress better.  NeuroVance can be taken in conjunction with tranquillisers, sleeping tablets and antidepressants, and can be used by adults and children. No prescription is required. [Read more about NeuroVance]

Step 7: Consult your doctor.
There are several highly effective pharmacological treatments for stress and anxiety disorders. You may also benefit from psychotherapy. Please consult your doctor for more information.