Anxiety is something that all humans experience to varying degrees. It is one of the most common experiences that people struggle with and it comes up often in the therapy room. But just how exactly do we manage anxiety?
Well, first, we need to understand a bit about anxiety. It’s a biological response that is triggered by our brain whenever there is a perceived ‘threat’. In the modern world there are a variety of scenarios that might produce this kind of response – but what most of them have in common is uncertainty and a (perceived or actual) lack of control. So, for example, going to a new school, going to a job interview, taking a test - all of these scenarios might trigger an anxious response.
Since anxiety is a biological response, some of the best ways to manage anxiety and keep ourselves regulated is to use our biology i.e. our body. In this article, we’ll be exploring a couple of ways we can use our body to help manage anxious feelings. We’ll also take a look at when it is best to implement these tools.
1. Breathing
I know that you’ve probably heard this a thousand times from other people on the internet and maybe you’ve tried breathing techniques before and it hasn’t worked for you - it’s totally OK to feel a bit sceptical! Of course, breathing is not going to magically fix anything and these techniques are not intended to drastically change your experience. Coping tools are just that - ways to get by in the present moment. It’s important to remember that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution or a simple way to take away uncomfortable feelings.
What breathing can do is help send a message to your brain and body that you are safe. By taking several deep breaths and focusing on regulating your breathing, it can reduce the anxiety response in your body and help you to return to a more restful state. Since you don’t need any special equipment to do breathing exercises, this is a really great tool that can be used in most situations. If you do need a bit of help or guidance though, there are some great resources like Calm or Headspace that can walk you through some guided meditations and breathing exercises.
2. Use your 5 senses
Another great tool that we have is our senses. They can help ground us in the present moment and help our brain to realise that we are not in danger. A lot of the time when we feel anxious it is because we may be thinking about future events that have not happened yet or are unlikely to happen but scary to think about. Anxiety often takes us away from what’s happening in the here and now and we go on a journey into the unknown, which triggers our body to feel stressed.
We can use our senses to help us remember that these scenarios we might be ruminating over are not currently happening. For example, you could pick a colour and try to spot all the objects near you that match. Or you could try listening to any sounds that you can pick up like a ticking clock, the sounds of cars passing by, or birds chirping. For touch, you could try to feel the different textures around you like the feeling of your clothes, the material of the chair you might be sitting on, or you can carry around a comfort item like a fluffy keychain that you find relaxing.
Smell and taste can be a little bit tricky and maybe less easy to utilise unless you prepare. Here are some suggestions on how you could make these work for you: For taste, you could carry around some sweets or gum and eat one when you feel anxious - focusing on how it tastes and the sensations of chewing. Sour sweets can be particularly useful for anxiety as they sort of ‘shock’ our system and can help to switch our brain’s focus onto the new sensations we are experiencing. For smell, bringing your favourite scent with you or having an item that smells familiar could be one way of helping to relax. Of course, if you are at home you might like to light a scented candle or run a bath with your favourite scented bath soap.
There are so many ways that you can use your senses to help regulate and ground yourself when anxious. Some may require a little bit of forethought but for the most part you can use what’s around you in a pinch. These are great tools for when you are out and about and they can be tailored to your individual preferences.
Having said that, it is really important to remember that, if you have any sensory needs, you will need to be mindful of what triggers you have. Using your senses can be a great tool but for some it can also be incredibly overwhelming, which would be opposite to the goal of regulation.
3. Distraction
If all else fails, one thing that we might be able to use is distraction. This technique is often only a short-term and temporary way of coping with anxiety. I would not recommend relying solely on distraction but instead using it in moderation - because, unfortunately, it can lead to a slippery slope of avoidance - and once we start to avoid our feelings, especially anxiety, it can have negative effects in the long-term.
Watching your favourite TV show, listening to music, scrolling on social media or reading a book can all be great ways to distract yourself. The idea with distraction is to pull away the focus from the anxious thoughts you might be having and over time this should hopefully reduce the anxious feelings. It can be quite a quick way of shifting away from an unpleasant experience to something that might bring us more enjoyment. However, since distraction is only a short-term way of coping, it is possible that the anxiety may return when you stop the activity. This is why distraction may not be a great solution in the long-term but it is best used when you may be feeling overwhelmed and other tools are not feeling helpful.
I hope these tips might help you start managing your anxiety. However, if you feel like you are struggling with anxiety and you cannot manage it alone please do not hesitate to reach out and set up an appointment with me. We can discuss your individual situation and find some tools that might work best for you.
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