If you suffer from anxiety, you're not alone. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, around 40 million American adults are affected by anxiety disorders each year. This can include panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder or phobias. Additionally, most people experience some degree of anxiety during their everyday lives without being diagnosed with a specific disorder. You can learn to manage these feelings of anxiety by developing a daily relaxation routine.
Deep Breathing
One of the first symptoms of anxiety may be a change in the way you breathe. At these times, the breath tends to become quick and shallow. You may start breathing from the chest instead of from the diaphragm. In order to counter this reaction, it is important to pay attention to your breath and consciously relax. According to Margaret Wehrenberg, Psy.D. in her book "The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques," practicing deep breathing can help to calm anxiety and diminish the effects of a panic attack. One way to practice deep breathing is to simply lie, sit or stand in a comfortable position, placing your hand on your abdomen. Notice the breath going in and out, and try to slow down your breath rate. Allow a small pause between the inhale and the exhale, trying to empty the lungs completely on the exhale. You can use this technique whenever you feel the onset of anxiety or panic.
Yoga
According to Dr. Wehrenberg, yoga is a helpful way to control anxiety and promote feelings of peacefulness, as it specifically focuses on centering awareness in the body. Having a regular yoga practice can help you relax by stretching tense muscles and stressed or tight areas of the body. The Mayo Clinic's article "Yoga: Tap into the many health benefits of yoga" states that yoga may be an effective way of dealing with anxiety and stress because you learn to control the mind and body through breath work combined with the flow of various poses. An additional benefit of yoga is that it may help to lower blood pressure and alleviate insomnia, a common symptom of anxiety disorders.
Meditation
Meditation can provide a sense of connectedness and inner peace. The Mayo Clinic's article "Meditation: Take a stress reduction break wherever you are," states that meditation may help decrease levels of anxiety by helping to increase self-awareness, reduce negative emotions and help build stress-management skills. It can produce a profound sense of relaxation in the mind and body. You can learn to meditate by using a guided meditation CD or DVD. You may want to consider finding a meditation teacher or taking a meditation class; many community centers and yoga studios offer meditation classes or can refer you to a teacher in your area.
References
- NIMH: Anxiety Disorders
- "The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques: Understanding How Your Brain Makes You Anxious and What You Can Do to Change It"; Margaret Wehrenberg, Psy.D; 2008
- Mayo Clinic: Yoga
- Mayo Clinic: Meditation
