Wellness

Relaxation Tips for Anxiety

A nxiety is a common response to stress in humans. However, excessive anxiety can make it difficult to live a healthy and happy life. Have you ever been told to "sit back and relax"? Feeling comfortable is ideal–after all, which is why people seek support in the first place! However, anyone who's ever experienced panic or severe anxiety understands that "simply" relaxing is far more difficult than it appears.

The relaxation tips for anxiety below can help you manage your stress. These strategies can be used to assist a person cope with the symptoms of anxiety and help people get through an anxiety attack. These techniques help individuals who struggle with anxiety to manage their fight/flight mode, often known as the stress response.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your anxiety, attempt one or more of the following exercises wherever and whenever you can. The idea is to do activities that will help you relax. Pick whatever works the best for you.

Re-Examine Your Thoughts

Your emotional responses play a role in your overall stress response. You may believe that you're unable to cope with the stressor you are challenged with (thought) and as a response, you might experience fear (which is an emotional response). This might amplify and even prolong your stress reaction. Analyzing your thoughts can often assist you in relaxing emotionally.

If you find what works for you,  you will be better able to understand your thinking patterns and break the cycle  This can be accomplished using the following methods:

  • Positive mental talk instead of a negative one
  • Understanding how to restructure your thoughts because then you will be able to perceive possible stressors with reduced intensity. 
  • Identifying and correcting unhelpful thinking patterns such as black and white thinking, jumping to conclusions, labeling, overgeneralization, and the "should" statements.

Maintain the State 

You get better at relaxing your mind once you've figured out how to unwind. The very next step's to understand how to stay in a relaxed state as well as how to unwind quickly after dealing with future challenges. Working on accumulating resources for coping with situations and being less vulnerable to them is a good idea.

  • Make an attempt to live a stress-free lifestyle by practicing breathing techniques, exercising regularly, meditating, journaling, and strengthening your support system.
  • Learn how to deal with your emotions more effectively.

Practice Slow Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise

Do you remember being scared or disturbed about something and being encouraged to "just breathe" It is indeed beneficial to slow down and take a moment just to breathe.  Changing the rate of your breathing can affect your body's anxiety reaction. Slow diaphragmatic breathing exercise is a strategy for communicating "safety" to your brain by slowing down your breath. This is how you do it. 

  • Place your feet flat on the ground and sit comfortably.  If you want to, you can also lie down.
  • Place your hands on your stomach
  • Inhale slowly and deeply. A regular breath will fill the tummy. Best not to take in too much air. When you inhale, your hands should rise, like you're filling up a balloon.
  • Instead of elevating your shoulders when you breathe, inhale into your stomach.
  • Slowly exhale and count to five. Exhale slowly. Hold it for 4-5 seconds after exhaling before you inhale again.
  • Keep working on pacing down your breathing.
  • Continue for around ten minutes, or for however long you need. 
  • It's great if you do this twice daily for a total of 10 minutes.  Try to practice this at least once a day.

Some Important Things to Keep in Mind

Here are some important things to keep in mind while doing this exercise:

  1. The depth of your breathing is less essential than the speed with which it is taken. Take deep breaths instead of straining to "catch" the breath.
  2. Don't use deep breathing to "eliminate" worry; instead, use them to assist you to cope with a difficult circumstance. Do it every day to train your brain to relax over time.
  3. Put your skills to the test! Learning to use your breathing to regulate the body and the mind takes a bit of time.

Final Thoughts On Relaxation Tips for Anxiety

Anxiety can be overwhelming and there is no “quick fix” to get “rid” of it but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn to manage it. It takes time and patience. Try different techniques and do what works best for you. 

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