Even if we’re not under daily stress we can still sometimes end up in extremely anxious situations. Fortunately, there are several science-based techniques that can help to reduce anxiety quickly and effectively.
According to the American Psychological Association: “Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” It’s a natural response to stress or danger, and it can even be helpful in certain situations.
However, when anxiety becomes chronic or interferes with daily life, it can be a serious problem and you should seek professional help immediately.
1. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This is a simple two-step technique which involves systematically tensing and then releasing each muscle group in your body, one at a time. You can start at the top of your head, slowly moving downwards until you reach your toes (Takes about 15 minutes).
This exercise promotes relaxation through reducing tension and it also improves sleep! Progressive muscle relaxation is a simple exercise that you can practice anywhere to reduce anxiety significantly. If you haven’t tried this technique before check out this article by Anxiety Canada to understand more about how it works and practice it safety.
2. Aromatherapy
I love love looooove using essential oils because they are full of amazing benefits. Certain scents, such as lavender or chamomile, have been shown to have a calming effect and reduce anxiety. In fact, a 2019 review evaluated 71 studies that used lavender to ease anxiety. The result was that inhaling lavender could significantly lower anxiety levels.
You should never ingest any essential oil as it is very concentrated and there is no science to prove that it is safe. However, you can try using an essential oil diffuser or even diluting the essential oil with a carrier oil and using it for a massage.
There are a number of safe ways you can use essential oils to reduce anxiety quickly, so make sure you always have a bottle readily available!
3. Deep breathing
When you’re feeling anxious, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, triggering the sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This can cause your breathing to become rapid and shallow, leading to feelings of panic. In fact, according to Right as Rain by UW Medicine: “You can induce a state of anxiety or panic in someone just by having them take shallow, short breaths from their chest.”
Deep breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing or paced breathing, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to reduce stress and promote relaxation. There’s hundreds of deep breathing exercises available on YouTube for you to explore. I practice this 15 minute pranayama; I feel instantly calmer and grounded afterwards, especially if I’m consistent the entire week.
Deep breathing is one of my personal recommendations because it’s something that will allow you to distract your mind while literally calming your body down in minutes. The best part is that no one will even notice a thing, making it a great exercise if you’re anxious just before a performance or in a work meeting!
4. Mindfulness
Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or body scan exercises, have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress by improving the function of the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for executive functions like attention, self-regulation, and emotion regulation.
Being mindful is also a form of self-care. It can increase activity in the insula, a part of the brain that plays a role in awareness of bodily sensations, and decrease activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing fear and anxiety.
5. Grounding techniques
Grounding techniques are based on the principles of mindfulness and can help to shift your focus away from anxious thoughts and onto the present moment.
During an anxious moment, you can practice this technique by making yourself aware of your surroundings. Use your five senses to describe what is in front of or around you. By doing this you’re shifting the focus outward allowing your breathing to return to it’s natural rate and your body will automatically calm down.
This works well especially if you have a friend or family member around you who can ask you to describe the texture of something or the scent of another. This is a sure fire way to reduce anxiety in the moment and coupled with deep breathing can be a power house!
6. Visualisation
Imagining a peaceful and calming scene or scenario can help to distract your mind from anxious thoughts and promote relaxation. This can involve imagining yourself in a beautiful natural setting, picturing a favorite memory, or visualizing a calming color or image.
When you practice visualisation try to go in as much detail as possible. This will keep your mind occupied and take the attention off your anxiety, thereby helping to reduce anxiety significantly. Think of whatever it is that calms your mind, it could even be the face of someone you love dearly.
Say for example you have a big event coming up, maybe an interview or a dance competition, try to visualise (on the day) exactly what you’re going to do when it’s over. Personally, I would think about how I’m going to get home, have the most boiling shower (guilty pleasure, leave me alone!) and then change into some comfy pjs and watch loads and loads of Netflix. Maybe even rewatch some of my favourites like Spirited Away… please watch it if you haven’t already!
7. Acupressure
Acupressure involves applying pressure to specific points on the body to promote relaxation and reduce symptoms of anxiety. You can try applying pressure to the fleshy area between your thumb and index finger, or to the center of your chest.
Having your sense of touch awakened will help to remove the attention from the anxious thoughts and onto the area you’re applying pressure to. I also think acupressure is great when coupled with deep breathing. This is a good bet if you’re in public and don’t want to draw too much attention to yourself.
8. Chew gum
Chewing gum can help to reduce physical tension and promote relaxation. It can also provide a distraction, which helps to reduce anxiety. I see chewing gum as a quick fix which doesn’t work for everyone but hey, why not give it a try? Sometimes all we need is a quick chew.
9. Use a weighted blanket
If you’re a person that sweats during the night just with a duvet then give this idea a skip!
Since I was a kid I’ve always slept with “heavy” blankets and these days I can’t sleep properly without them. The deep pressure provided by a weighted blanket has been shown to have a calming effect and reduce anxiety. Indirectly, I might have been self soothing this entire time! It’s also super cosy, comfy and perfect for movie night so get buying.
10. Take a cold shower
Ever been forced to take a cold shower? When the water starts losing more and more heat it feels like an eternity to the finish line! But then, after you’ve changed and started your day you feel AMAZING. You’re ready to conquer the world.
Well, cold water has actually been shown to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which can reduce anxiety and stress. You can shower at your normal temperature and just before you hop out switch it to cold for about 2-3 minutes. This will provide a quick burst of relaxation as well as improve circulation and reduce inflammation. These are just a few of the many benefits of taking cold showers, so why not give it a try?
11. Write in a journal
Writing down your anxious thoughts and feelings can help to release them from your mind and promote relaxation. You can also try writing down things you’re grateful for or positive affirmations to promote feelings of calm and positivity.
I love journaling because it feels like I’m removing troublesome thoughts directly from my brain and placing them on a page, where they can slowly wither away into nothing. It’s a really calming process and brings a lot of insight and new perspectives. I’d definitely recommend journaling not just to reduce anxiety but to discover more about yourself.
Ultimately, there is a version of life where anxiety doesn’t have to rule. If we have the appropriate tools and an understanding of how to use them we can live very joyful lives. By reducing anxiety we can bring about many positive benefits, like enabling ourselves to take more risks in our careers, improving our relationships and so on. It’s time to start prioritising our emotional and mental well-being, let’s begin today.
XOXO
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