I am an anxious person.  I like things to go well, especially social situations, and I put energy into trying to keep everyone around me comfortable.  When that doesn’t work, I get anxious.  Heck, I get anxious just thinking about all that.  I’m a pro, like many of you I know, at imagining all the ways things can go wrong.  And getting anxious about that.

Which led me to wonder:  what, if any, are the uses of anxiety?  A good deal of human effort is put into alleviating the effects of anxiety, especially around its manifestations in performance, whether public speaking, artistic performance, or various kinds of testing.  But can anxiety be helpful?

First, a 2016 study suggests how anxiety may work, and thus what’s unhelpful about it.  It causes the brain to perceive new stimuli, whether or not they are the same as a previous one, as anxiety-provoking.  So, in other words, the anxious mind reacts to more things with anxiety than a non-anxious brain.  Anxiety is powerful, and it molds the mind to find more things anxious rather than less.

Great.  I’m feeling anxious already.  What, then, could be good about this brain problem?  It turns rather a lot.  First, anxious people, perhaps not surprisingly, have fewer fatal accidents as teenagers.  Hah! I only had one, as readers of my 2014 book Power Cues know.  Second, anxious people are generally taken to be more trustworthy than everyone else because we are more likely to be embarrassed, and that’s a sign of honesty.  AKA, wearing your heart on your sleeve.  Hello, heart!  Hello, sleeve!  Third, just the right amount of anxiety helps on tests, and other kinds of performance.  Just not too much.  Whatever you do, don’t get anxious about getting anxious.  Which I do.

And finally, the human race probably needs anxious people.  We are the worriers who see the problems coming before everyone else.  Those happy-go-lucky types are no help when it comes to the future.  You need us anxious folks to be looking out for tomorrow.

So that’s the case for anxiety. But the anxious response, the symptoms one experiences, are still unpleasant.  As an anxious person myself, I get it.  What, then, are the best ways to reduce anxiety when it strikes?  I’ve posted many times about the basic, tried-and-true ways to calm the mind when it goes all wobbly.  Deep breathing, muscle relaxation, positive imaging, and chanting of mantras are the ways I’ve found to be most helpful over the years.  If you have tried these and find yourself bored with them, or they seem ineffective, then the following ten more ways to calm anxiety may help.  Try them (with all the appropriate medical cautions) and let me know what works for you (thanks to Psyblog for this excellent list).

1.Amp up your empathy. Anxiety increases your feelings of isolation, so making a conscious effort to sympathize with others may help make you feel better.

2.Be kind. Even better than empathy is performing a small act of kindness.  I believe this one works because it takes the focus off you and your anxiety, and it gives you a jolt of warm goodness from having helped someone else.

3.Take Kava. Kava, apparently, is a root found in the South Pacific islands that is traditionally served as a tea but is also available as a dietary supplement. It apparently has a calming effect. This recommendation comes with a stern warning to investigate any health risks whenever you try a dietary supplement. Anyone tried it?

4.Reject your family history. Apparently about a third of your anxiety level can be explained by how anxious your parents were. You learn how to be anxious, in part. So conscious unlearning your anxiety may help. Try relaxation techniques, breathing, mindfulness, and yoga – all proven to help here.

5.Ditch the Prozac. This one’s a surprise. We’ve all been taught that serotonin is one of the happy chemicals, and Prozac (and other such drugs) increases serotonin. But it turns out that the opposite may be true. Reducing your intake of these drugs may decrease your serotonin thus decreasing your anxiety. Go figure.

6.Get active. No real surprise here. Sedentary behavior increases your anxiety – watching TV, sitting at a computer – so get up and start walking (calmly).

7.Eat fermented foods. Now this one I can get enthusiastic about. Eating or drinking milk, cheese, yogurt, and some kinds of bread (sourdough) that have probiotics in them will reduce your anxiety. Bread and cheese for lunch! Maybe this is why I love cheese so much?

8.Avoid anxious people. Unsurprisingly, anxiety is catching, like the common cold. We spread it through our mirror neurons. You’re better off hanging with confident people than commiserating with other anxious folk.

9.Eat prebiotic bacteria too.  Researchers at Oxford showed that prebiotic foods reduce anxiety. Asparagus, leeks and onions all are prebiotic foods, so eat your veggies.

10.Finally, get comfortable with the anxious feelings.  As comfortable as you can.  In the long run, the right amount of adrenaline is your friend – it prepares you for optimal performance in high-stakes situations. But the symptoms are uncomfortable, so learning to accept them is important long-term work. In the short run, these anxiety reducers will help.

Good luck and let me know which ones work for you!