BREATHE DEEPLY AND OTHER WAYS TO CALM YOUR ANXIETY

BREATHE DEEPLY AND OTHER WAYS TO CALM YOUR ANXIETY

Do you know that feeling of your heart beating faster in response to a stressful situation? Or, your palms get sweaty or you start breathing more shallow when you’re confronted with an overwhelming task or event.

That’s anxiety — our body’s natural response to stress. In this blog, I'll share ways to help you deal with anxiety. 

Everyone has different triggers, like your first day at a new job, getting fired, making mistakes, tight deadlines and identifying them is one of the most important steps to coping and managing anxiety.

Identifying your triggers can take some time and self-reflection. In the meantime, there are things you can do to to help calm or quiet your anxiety.

4 quick wins to cope with anxiety

If your anxiety is sporadic and getting in the way of your focus or tasks, there are some quick natural remedies that could help you take control of the situation.

If your anxiety is focused around a situation, such as being worried about an upcoming event, you may notice the symptoms are short-lived and usually subside after the anticipated event takes place.

1. Question your thought pattern

Negative thoughts can take root in your mind, like a weed and distort the severity of the situation. One way is to challenge your fears, ask if they’re true, and who you would be without it. Then see, hear feel and experience where you can take back control in your life, your relationship or your work.

2. Practice focused, deep breathing

The mind always follows the breath. Practice breathing in for 4 counts and breathing out for 4 counts for minimum 3 minutes. By evening out your breath, you’ll slow your heart rate which should help calm you down. Also breathing deep with your attention on the belly helps the breath to slow down and thus the mind also slows down.

3. Go for a walk in nature or do 15 minutes of yoga

Sometimes, the best way to stop anxious thoughts is to walk away from the situation or in NLP terminology, change your state. Taking time to focus on your body instead of on your mind may help relieve your anxiety.

4. Write down your thoughts

Writing down what’s making you anxious gets it out of your head and can make it less daunting.

These 4 relaxation tricks are particularly helpful for those who experience anxiety sporadically. They may also work well with someone who has a generalized anxiety disorder when they’re in a bind too!

However, if you suspect you have a generalized anxiety disorder, quick coping methods shouldn’t be the only kind of treatment you employ. You’ll want to find long-term strategies to help lessen the severity of symptoms and even prevent them from happening.

Long-term strategy for coping with anxiety

If anxiety is a regular part of your life, it’s important to find treatment strategies to help you keep it in check. It might be a combination of things, like therapy and meditation, or it might just be a matter of cutting out or resolving your anxiety trigger.

If you’re not sure where to start, it’s always helpful to discuss options with a mental health professional who might suggest something you hadn’t thought of before.

Do a daily meditation

While this takes some practice to do successfully, mindful meditation, when done regularly, can eventually help you train your brain to dismiss anxious thoughts when they arise.

If sitting still and concentrating is difficult, starting with yoga or qigong might be good for you.

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