Top psychiatrist recommends lifestyle changes and cutting ultra‑processed foods to ease chronic anxiety

A London psychiatrist is urging people who experience persistent anxiety to adopt practical lifestyle measures — including reducing intake of ultra‑processed foods — and to seek therapy if symptoms do not improve.

Dr. Max Pemberton, writing in a national outlet, said anxiety is common, affecting roughly one in six adults, and can become a chronic, debilitating condition when the brain begins to perceive threat in everyday situations. He described the experience as a “vicious circle” in which worry about anxiety itself can reinforce symptoms.

Pemberton recommended a series of nonpharmacologic steps that he said can reduce symptoms for many patients. He emphasized regular physical activity, noting that movement lowers stress hormones and raises endorphins. He advised at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days but added that even repeated 10– to 15‑minute bursts of activity can be beneficial for people who are not used to exercising.

He also recommended breathing and mindfulness techniques and pointed to guided meditation apps as tools some patients find helpful. He outlined a simple breathing exercise: inhale for three seconds, hold for five seconds, then exhale for three seconds, repeating for a minute and continuing until anxiety lessens. For patients who find mindfulness difficult, he suggested engaging in focused, repetitive activities such as knitting, building with Lego, doodling or colouring as a way to distract and steady the mind.

Pemberton advised confronting anxious thoughts directly as another strategy. Writing down specific worries before bedtime can help clear the mind, he said, and developing a consistent sleep routine —going to bed and waking at the same time each day, avoiding screens an hour before bed, and establishing a wind‑down ritual—can stabilise mood and reduce anxiety.

On diet, Pemberton urged people to cut back on ultra‑processed foods, arguing that they can destabilise blood glucose and disrupt the gut microbiome, both of which have been implicated in mood and anxiety disorders. He recommended a short trial of whole foods — reducing processed sugar and caffeine and increasing omega‑3‑rich foods such as salmon and walnuts — as a way to assess whether symptoms improve.

He warned that social media can exacerbate anxiety for some users through constant exposure to negative content and social comparison, and suggested removing social apps from phones to reduce passive scrolling and impulsive feeds of distressing material.

For patients whose anxiety does not respond to lifestyle changes, Pemberton advised seeking professional help. He cited cognitive behavioural therapy as an evidence‑based talking therapy that retrains patterns of thinking and behaviour, noting that people typically need 10 to 15 sessions. He said general practitioners can make referrals to local mental health services.

Medical research supports many of the measures Pemberton described. Randomised and observational studies have found that aerobic and resistance exercise can reduce symptoms of anxiety, mindfulness‑based interventions can lower physiological markers of stress, and CBT is among the most studied psychotherapies for anxiety disorders. Increasing research has also explored links between diet, blood glucose regulation, the gut microbiome and mental health, though researchers caution that the evidence varies by condition and intervention.

Health professionals say people should seek urgent help if anxiety is accompanied by severe functional impairment, inability to care for oneself, or suicidal thoughts. Those in immediate danger should contact emergency services or a crisis line.

Pemberton’s recommendations reflect a growing emphasis in clinical practice on combining lifestyle interventions with psychological treatments when needed, and on tailoring care to the severity and persistence of symptoms.