4 Tips for Reducing Anxiety
Uh oh. You’ve found yourself in an anxiety-producing situation. Your heart begins to race, you begin to sweat, your breathing starts to quicken and your first thought is “I have to get out of this!.” Or maybe you’re not even in this situation yet; you’re just anticipating the anxiety to come. So what is this pesky feeling we call anxiety and how can we help ease it? Let’s first establish that feeling anxious is completely normal! If you think about the purpose of anxiety, it is to help you defend yourself. For example, if you see a bear in the woods, your anxiety would kick into gear and trigger your fight-or-flight response, to tell you that you need to get out of there! In that case, the anxiety is helpful in defending yourself; but what about in a job interview, or an exam? Do you need to be in an elevated fight-or-flight state for that type of situation? No, and your body knows that too. It is incredibly exhausting for the body and mind to maintain such high levels of arousal, and they will naturally try to bring themselves back to a normal state.
If you think about anxiety as a bell curve, your most uncomfortable state will be at the peak, followed by a gradual return to normal. When you experience anxiety, sometimes your first instinct is to try to avoid the situations that make you anxious. This might provide immediate relief, but when you take this approach you aren’t giving your body the opportunity to experience the downhill part of the curve. That is, you don't learn that the event or situation that was making you anxious was not life-threatening or dangerous at all, rather your anxiety will be just as high if not higher the next time, as you’ve only momentarily avoided discomfort rather than learning to work through it. Instead of avoiding anxiety, let’s learn how to manage it.
Relaxation skills and exercises are some of the most helpful techniques we can use to calm our stress response. What I love about these exercises is that most of them can be used discreetly in public, and they immediately help you regain control of your body. Here are my top 4 tools for managing anxiety in the moment, so that you can self-soothe, get yourself out of that fight or flight mode, and bring yourself back to calm.
1) Deep Breathing:
Sit (or stand if you are not in a situation where you can sit) comfortably and take a big inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. When you do this it is important to make sure that you’re breathing with your belly rather than your chest. When you breathe through your abdomen it helps massage your internal organs whereas breathing with your chest can actually stimulate your stress response. Hold this breath for 4 seconds then release through your mouth for a 6-second long exhale. When you exhale, try to imagine you are blowing the air out of your mouth through a straw- this helps you go slower and have more control over your breathing. Repeat this for 3 to 5 minutes or however long is comfortable for you. There are several different variations of deep breathing that you can try.
2) Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR):
This is one of my favorite exercises to do before bed. The purpose of PMR is to tense and relax your muscles throughout your body to achieve a strong feeling of relaxation. This can also help you recognize feelings of muscle tension and identify where in your body you might be holding anxiety. To perform this exercise, start in a comfortable lying or sitting position. You’re going to tense your muscles one at a time and hold that tension for 10 seconds before releasing. Upon releasing, notice the tension leaving your body and relax your muscles. Start with flexing your feet, then move to your calves, thighs, torso, back, shoulders, arms, hands, face, and finally your whole body (squeeze all muscles together then release all the tension!). This one might be a little tricky to do discreetly in public, but you can modify it by “squeezing lemons” where you just make a fist, hold that tension, and release and repeat.
3) Grounding Techniques:
Sometimes when you are experiencing high levels of anxiety, you can become so overwhelmed that you begin to feel disoriented or as though you are not in control of your body. Grounding techniques help us become more aware of our surroundings and bring us back to the present moment. My favorite grounding exercise is something called the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. This technique helps you take in the details of your surroundings using each of your senses. Start by identifying 5 things you can see. Try to look for small details like the pattern on the ceiling or an object you have never paid attention to before. Next, switch your attention to 4 things you can feel. That might be how your clothes feel against your skin, or the chair you are sitting on. Now move on to 3 things you can hear. Pay attention to sounds you may have tuned out like air conditioning or a ticking clock. Then 2 things you can smell. Maybe there is an unlit candle around that you can grab, or perhaps someone near you is wearing some strong perfume. Lastly, 1 thing you can taste. This might be tricky, but if you carry snacks, gum, or mints with you, try to pop something in your mouth and focus your attention on the flavors.
4) Challenging Irrational Thoughts:
Having irrational thoughts can amplify our feelings of anxiety. Irrational thoughts might look like “They will think I’m dumb” or “Everyone is looking at me” or “I will make a mistake.” Something called “The Cognitive Triangle” shows how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors all influence each other. So by taking the time to challenge and change irrational thoughts, you can influence how you feel and behave. Try putting your thoughts on trial in the moment. Gather evidence (verifiable facts only) in support of and against the thought causing you anxiety and determine if it’s justifiable. You can ask yourself questions such as “Is my thought based on facts or feelings?” “How likely is it that my fear will come true?” “What is most likely to happen?” “If my fear comes true, will it still matter in a week? A month? A year?” You’ll probably start to notice that maybe these thoughts aren’t as accurate or concerning as your anxiety told you they were!
If you’re struggling with anxiety and want to learn more about how to manage it, the therapists at Root to Rise Therapy can help. Contact our Client Care Coordinator to find out which therapist would be best suited to join you on this journey!
Warmly,
Marissa, APCC
