Anxiety is a condition that goes beyond your everyday worrying about life's strifes. It interferes with your ability to function and can produce physical symptoms that are not only unpleasant, but dangerous as well. Aside from medication, a variety of relaxation techniques exist to help calm you when moments of anxiety occur.
Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Anxiety tends to affect your body as much as your mind. One key area of your body that becomes affected is your muscles. When you worry, they tense up. However when you relax, so too do your muscles. One way to defeat anxiety and relax is to practice progressive muscle relaxation. The HelpGuide website states that as you become familiar with the feelings of tension and relaxation in different areas of your body, you will immediately recognize the tension in your muscles caused by anxiety when it occurs. You will then be able to relax these muscles; as you do, your mind automatically relaxes as well.
To perform, take your shoes off, get into a comfortable position and begin taking slow, deep breaths. Beginning with your feet, tense one foot as tight as you can and hold for a count of 10. You then relax your foot, focusing solely on how it feels as the tension drifts away. Remain in this relaxed state for a moment, and then move on to the other foot. Repeat this process as you move slowly up your body, tightening and relaxing all your muscles.
Shrink Your Source of Anxiety
Every person's source of anxiety is different. It may come from a certain person, or from fear of public speaking. Dr. Susan M. Lark, writing for the Healthy Place website, recommends shrinking your source of anxiety through visualization exercises. Lark states that over time, you can gain control over, or completely erase, the cause of your anxiety and fear.
Begin in a comfortable position, either lying or sitting, and take slow, deep breaths. Then picture the source of your anxiety. Make note of what it looks like and where it is in proportion to you. Holding the picture of this in your mind, slowly begin shrinking it until it can fit in your hand. Placing your hand in front of you, picture yourself placing it in your hand. Continue shrinking it until it is so small, it becomes a small dot and disappears. Not only will you find this funny, but this exercise will help you see that you have power over your fear, making it appear less intimidating to you.
Guided Imagery
Guided imagery works similarly to shrinking your source of anxiety; however, you do not include your source of fear in this process. Instead, you close your eyes and picture yourself in a setting that is most calming for you; a place where you feel completely at peace and free from anxiety. This can be the beach, your favorite pond or your grandmother's home. Incorporate all five senses to take you to this place. Imagine what it looks like, smells like, sounds like. If you are at the beach, imagine how the sand feels against your skin. If you're at grandma's, imagine how a batch of her homemade cookies taste. By doing this, you actually feel as though you are at your special place and begin to relax that much faster.
Get Your Daily Exercise
HelpGuide states that even 30 minutes of aerobic activity, such as walking, running or swimming, on most days of the week, is an excellent means of relieving anxiety and stress. Not only does it increase both your physical and mental energy, it also releases your brain's feel-good hormones--endorphins.
