POLOKWANE – Anticipatory anxiety is a type of anxiety that occurs leading up to a predicted event or occurrence. This type of anxiety can be found when one is expectant of a certain occurrence. This occurrence can however vary from a phone call to a more complex event such as one’s wedding day.
Making one’s way to university is a new and exciting milestone in which it is quite common to experience anticipatory anxiety, in the weeks leading up to the day. A suggestion in handling this kind of anxiety is to simply try and enjoy the waiting period.
There are however, additional ways to deal with stress. These include:
1. A varied and healthy diet: Eating fresh ingredients and lots of fruit. Drinking orange or grapefruit juice filled with vitamin C,is believed to be good for one’s immune system and can assist in alleviating stress.
2. Exercise: Taking part in a sporting code at least once a week or squeezing in a gym workout. Exercise releases endorphin’s which in turn makes one feel good.
3. Meditation: The simple task of sitting quietly for 10 minutes a day can reduce one’s stress levels.
4. Take regular breaks: Short breaks between working can help one switch off and reload. Longer breaks are of equal importance.
5. Get a pet: It is believed that spending time with a four-legged friend (or what you would prefer) is quite good for one’s health. For instance, petting one’s dog for a couple of minutes causes the body to release hormones which positively affects one’s mood and can easily decrease the amount of stress in one’s system.
6. Sleep: Sleep is always the best medicine. For some, 20-minute naps help increase their productivity. Go on, take a nap.
7. Quit smoking: As some individuals smoke to relax, researchers on the Board for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco have revealed that nicotine suppresses the serotonin hormone, which is commissioned to fight stress.
8. Try to see the positive side: By being optimistic in any given situation. For instance, if one misses a deadline, one can view the positive side of this problem as having learnt a lesson on the importance of planning.
9. Listen to music: Listening to music can help calm and put you in a better frame of mind. If you’re feeling stressed, putting on some calming music while you work could make all the difference.
10. Laugh: They say that laughter is the best medicine, this is true. Laughing out loud increases oxygen and blood flow which automatically reduces stress.
