As our economy becomes increasingly perilous, more and more people are struggling with anxiety. You are not alone! Millions of Americans are grappling with panic attacks, extreme anxiety and the negative effects of these conditions. The symptoms can be frightening and contribute to depression and more trouble with your job or family. 
 
To determine whether your stress load has become too much, think back over the past year or two of your life. Think about the events or changes in your life that may have contributed to your stress level. Individual events or changes may not have been overwhelming by themselves but when they are coupled with other events, the cumulative effect may be major.  

Here are some events that are high stress, medium stress and low stress:
  
HIGH STRESS EVENTS

• Death of spouse or child
• Divorce
• Marital / child separation
• Jail
• Victim of a violent attack or sexual assault
• Death in the family
• Major medical problems
• Marriage (a happy event but also one that brings about a lot of changes and stress)
• Losing a job
MEDIUM LEVEL STRESS EVENTS

• Problems in Your Marriage
• Retirement
• Family members or close friends with health problems
• Pregnancy
• Sexual dysfunction
• New addition to the family (baby, adoption etc.)
• Death of a friend
• Financial difficulties
• Changing jobs
• Foreclosure or acquiring new debt such as a mortgage
• Child going to college
• Problems with family members or in-laws
• A change in living situation (location, type of residence etc.)
LOW STRESS EVENTS

• Problems with boss
• Change in working hours or job responsibilities
• Changing schools
• Changing social activities or friends
• Starting or finishing school
• Trouble sleeping
• Gaining weight
• Vacations and Holidays
• Minor legal problems such as misdemeanors, speeding tickets etc.

If you have experienced 2 or 3 high stress events over the past couple of years you are probably dealing with an anxiety problem. 

Most people will have problems coping with that many negative events and will likely see their stress manifested in an anxiety condition. If you have experienced one high stress event and multiple medium or low stress events you may also have a significant and detrimental problem with anxiety. You could also be struggling if you experienced a high number of medium or low stress events in succession. 
 
When you experience these problems back to back, your mind and body don´t have a chance to recover before they have to go into overdrive to deal with the next problem. Recovering from the loss of a spouse, child or loved one can be a long process and any added or additional problems may simply be too overwhelming and trigger panic attacks even in people who never previously struggled with anxiety. 

If you take a moment to consider, it is easy to see why anxiety problems and panic attacks are such an increasing problem in today´s world. The level of stress that must be managed on a daily basis seems to grow with each passing day. It´s important to consider what you have been through over the past couple of years and whether that is contributing to your current unrest. 
 
For many people, finding an outlet where you are free from worry is a great way to find some respite from the stress. Find time in your day to do something you enjoy. Do you have a hobby you enjoy or an interest you would like to pursue but you haven´t devoted sufficient time to it?  

Stop waiting and start finding the time to enjoy your garden, a game of softball with friends, your bowling league or walking on nature trails. There are so many ways to find avenues of enjoyment and spend time with friends and loved ones. You need this time to recover from the stress of daily life and build up reservoirs of strength to deal with new challenges.  

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If you want to overcome anxiety of any sort, you need to find a way to relax. This is a foundational building block of any method or strategy utilized to overcome anxiety or panic attacks. 

Since your body is being thrown into a state of nervous tension during high stress periods, returning it to a state of calm quickly is crucial in achieving desensitization and recovery to the stimulus that affects you. 

There are many ways to relax and the method you choose is largely based on convenience, practicality and comfort level. Some people find deep breathing relaxing, others choose meditating and visualization. Some like muscle relaxation techniques. The method is not nearly as important as your effectiveness with that method.

Effectively utilizing a relaxation method is a product of understanding and comfort. You need to understand what you are doing, what it is supposed to look like, sound like and feel like and what you should achieve from it. 

For example, abdominal breathing has a particular look, feel and sound to it. It is deep breathing where the rise and fall of your body occurs in your abdominal area, not your chest. Your belly will jut out and form a little pooch if you are doing it properly. This might make some people, particularly women self conscious but it is a vital aspect of the technique.

Feeling comfortable while performing your relaxation ritual is an important part of achieving the best results. If you are self conscious, nervous, unsure or otherwise distracted you will not get the most out of your chosen technique and therefore will not be able to employ anxiety conquering strategies effectively. 

Many people feel that meditating is silly and that visualizing peaceful, serene settings is for Birkenstock wearing, new age hippies. Nothing could be further from the truth but if you feel that way then it´s probably not the best approach.
 
I don´t mean to suggest that you shouldn´t try something you are unsure about. Trying something can lead to a lifelong passion for something but if after trying one of the suggested relaxation methods, you can get over your prejudice or escape your negative attitudes then its time to go to something different. 

Yoga is a great way to introduce your body and mind to relaxation and relieve panic, anxiety and depression. It is physical exercise, a workout and a relaxing experience all rolled into one. For many, this is an ideal outlet for their angst and many people who simply try it become passionate practitioners. 

However, many men in particular feel awkward about starting up a practice. It´s not manly, it´s a woman´s thing, it´s too weird are common statements I hear from other men who are looking for an outlet but don´t feel yoga is right for them. I m not sure how being surrounded by women is so horrible but if it´s not your thing then try something else. 

Finding the method of relaxation you are most comfortable with may take some work and trial and error but you´ll find something. For people use to being on the go all of the time, taking a few minutes for themselves may not come naturally and you will have to work extra hard to find the time you need to take care of you.

Once you´ve found your relaxation technique, you can begin to conquer your anxiety, panic and fear.

Download your free eBook “Stop Panic Attacks and Deal with Your Anxious Thoughts” here: http://www.PanicGoodbye.com/freereport.html

Follow me on Twitter for new article updates: http://twitter.com/bertilhjert and visit my website: http://PanicGoodbye.com