As you traverse the confusing landscape of anxiety you will likely come upon it’s alter ego depression . In many respects anxiety and depression are different sides of the same coin since both have the capacity to tangle your emotions and leave you feeling utterly hopeless.  Luckily like anxiety, depression tends to also respond well to treatment efforts like self help techniques designed to combat depression.

Today I wanted to introduce you to a great resource called The Reality of Anxiety .  The Reality of Anxiety is authored by Aimee who was kind enough to offer some tips for my readers on how to reach that ever elusive state of relaxation.

Have you ever wondered why you become so afraid when you have an anxious thought?  It could be a thought about a potential panic attack, fear of embarrassing yourself, fear of going crazy or if you’re in a depressive mode perhaps fear of hurting yourself or someone else.  Most times you might yell internally and pronounce to yourself that you would never take action on that nasty thought.  So why all the associated fear?  In a word, suggestibility .

The wonderful thing about the modern age is that all of us generally have tons of information and services at the tips of our fingers.  In the United Stated for example we have access to all types of information at blazing speed, a ginormous health care apparatus, and a zillion options to handle almost anything ailing us.  And yet given all this, you will still have an anxiety relapse.

Now you may or may not be a selfish person at heart but the fact of the matter is that anxiety and depression can make you selfish or at the very least make you seem selfish to others.  Do you spend a lot of time wrapped in your own thoughts?  Are you consumed by the next possible anxiety related disaster?  Then chances are that you’re struggling to get outside of yourself and maybe even having  trouble in your personal relationships.  However, even if this is the case you can make a change and not only preserve your relationships, but also improve your anxiety symptoms in the process.

Sleep is perhaps one of the most loved and hated activities on earth.  On the one hand it takes up a lot of our time, makes us less productive, and can preoccupy our thoughts if something disrupts it.  On the other hand, sleep is nourishing to the entire body and it is also absolutely necessary.  Learning how to get sleep, even in the face of anxiety, depression and stress is a critical component of any strategy aimed at recharging your emotional battery and living a less anxious life.